Why is my model J noisy???

BrandonBass · #1 11-11-2010, 08:58 AM

I brought my bass to a local luthier to help me swap my stocks for some model Js I acquired. He wired it in series and used 500k gotoh pots.

I was quite impressed with the tone. Instead of the somehow hollow tone it had with the stock MIJs, my jazz now has like a thunderbird,pbass hybrid! However, I find it weird that theres some humming noise when I dont play anything. As soon as I mute e strings, the nosie would go away.... my yamaha when run through the same set up has no noise at all...

arent the model Js humbucker??? enlighten me pls

GianGian · #2 11-11-2010, 09:08 AM

What you have is a grounding issue. Take it back to the guy and ask him to do a better job, no extra pay.
J style pick ups are not humbuckers. They act a bit like humbuckers when they are both on maximum volume, and wired in parallel. They act bit like humbuckers in the sense that they kill the usual 60 Hz hum, but they are still single coil pick ups.
By the way, the usual wiring for a jazz is parallel. Series is used, but much less common. Still, the noise should not be there.

Jazz Ad · #3 11-11-2010, 09:19 AM

A pair of reverse wound single coil jazz pickups ARE a humbucker, they don't act a bit like one.
Weither you wire them series or parallel is irrelevant, they still humbuck.
Actually, wiring series allows for constant humbucking since there is no different of level between the pickups.

This is irrelevant to the current case anyway, since DiMarzio Model Js indeed are humbuckers, unlike typical Fender J pickups.
I think your issue comes from series wiring. On Di Marzio pickups, the shielding is wired with the ground of the coils. Normally it isn't an issue but it becomes one if you wire 2 pickups series, because in this case the signal travels through the shielding, making it an antenna.

BrandonBass · #4 11-11-2010, 09:22 AM

god, these technical stuff makes my head explode....

So is it safe to say that, its just the nature of the beast and ill hav to deal with it??? Or its the luthier doing a half assed job?

Jazz Ad · #5 11-11-2010, 09:26 AM

I'm used to correcting this issue on Bartolini pickups. It's pretty simple, you just have to separate wires at the baseplate and run shielding in a separate wire.
I don't know how easy it is to fix on Model Js, actually I'm not even sure that this is the issue. If it doesn't make as much nose in parallel, it probably is.
Anyway, you paid somebody to do a job and you're only half satisfied so it's time to visit him I guess.

BrandonBass · #6 11-13-2010, 11:02 AM

I went down to the shop today and told him about my problem. He asked me wad kinda amp Im using. Its a cheap sx practise amp with 2pin plug... he told me its prolly the amp's problem.

He let me plug my bass into the marshall amp with all knobs cranked to almost max. It was dead silent. So i suppose its time to change my amp if i wan silence??

The luthier is pretty reputable and experienced in the local scene, and he comes across as a geniunely nice person. Opinions?

Rob22315 · #7 11-13-2010, 11:17 AM

I swapped in Dimarzio DP126 pickups which I believe is a model j/p set. No noise problems at all. I had to do a little carving around the J hole to get it in since the model J was a little larger than the stock ibanez pickup on the GSR200. The carving removed some of the conductive paint around the J pickup but I've had no problems with noise from the pickups.

Warrior_Bass · #8 11-13-2010, 11:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BrandonBass

Its a cheap sx practise amp with 2pin plug... he told me its prolly the amp's problem.

Definitely the amp. If there is no third prong on the plug, there is no ground, making you the ground when you touch the strings.

walterw · #9 11-13-2010, 06:41 PM

OT, but if you dig the series-wiring thing, you might look into getting them re-wired so that each pickup is itself in parallel.

you'll get back a lot of the clarity that gets lost with 4 coils all in series like you have now.

BrandonBass · #10 11-15-2010, 04:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by walterw

OT, but if you dig the series-wiring thing, you might look into getting them re-wired so that each pickup is itself in parallel.

you'll get back a lot of the clarity that gets lost with 4 coils all in series like you have now.

I kinda like the sound now. I luv it thick. Definitely not the traditional j bass kinda sound, more like a p-bass/tbird hybrid more than anything. But damn, does it sound good.