'81 L2K OMG Switch...Noisey

[zac10669]

Question for Team G&L,

I have an '81 L2K (slot pole etc) and when I hit the OMG switch I get the bass boost, but get a ton of buzz/noise to go with it to the point that it takes away from the sound.

I have tried rolling treble back (even all the way off) and it still buzzes. Adjusted volume down, adjusted bass down......still buzzes. I actually have two '81 L2Ks and they are doing the same thing, so its not guitar specific. I have tried them both on different amps in different locations so its not the amp or lighting etc.

Can anyone provide perspective, and most importantly a solution that doesn't compromise the "all original" aspect of the guitar?

Many Thanks!

 

[spideyjg]

Take the 2 caps off the series/parallel switch.

Jim

 

[darjama]

On the older models you're going into single coil mode, not series. So some noise is to be expected. How bad is it? Does it get better using both pickups?

 

[sunbeast]

On the older models you're going into single coil mode, not series. So some noise is to be expected. How bad is it? Does it get better using both pickups?

Its not actually "single coil", but what G&L called "single coil with bass boost". "SC w/BB" is actually a series coil connection where one coil has the highs cut out through an added capacitor to ground and then is run through the other coil, which adds the full signal. The noise in this mode is a bit different than normal single coil, as part of the signal is still being "hum-bucked" (so to speak). It is still pretty noisy in comparison to the parallel mode though.

Using both coils actually adds noise, as these basses weren't wired Jazz bass style (with reverse-wound, reverse polarity pickups). In order to get hum-bucking rather than hum-adding with both pickups selected, you must either rewire the coil selector switch to reverse the "lead coil" of one pickup, as per the instructions given in DavePlaysBass in the G&L Sticky thread or remove the capacitors on the pickup switch (which changes the "single coil with bass boost" into series, which is humbucking).

Karl