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Cure for Hum?

lm183902

lm183902

Aug 19, 2007
539
559
41
Denver, CO
#1
I recently bought a Geddy Lee jazz, and while I love it, it has a nasty amount of hum. I pretty much expected some hum, but not this much. (My squier VM Jazz isn't nearly as bad)

Are there simple fixes for reducing this single-coil hum?
 
#3
lm183902 said:
...Are there simple fixes for reducing this single-coil hum?
Click to expand...

You probably know that hum is worse if the single coil Jazz pickup gains are not set to the same level. Be sure your amp is plugged into a grounded outlet, stay away from the amp itself (like 10 feet), and keep the pickups facing away from the amp. Be sure your cable is shielded and in good condition.

Some of the hum may be due to EQ on your amp and tweeter setting, if you have a tweeter, though tweeters are more likely to hiss.

See if there are other appliances, i.e., neon lights, televisions, computers, fluorescent lights (including the new wine-cork type) operating nearby. They can also contribute hum. Essentially anything nearby with a strong magnetic field can be a problem.

In my area, there is a lot of radio frequency noise emitted by old and faulty powerline insulators. These actually seem to make the hum a lot worse from single coils in certain parts of my house. Try different locations to see if that helps. It did for me. I assume you have not opened the control cavity. If you have, you MAY have dislodged the bridge ground if you put much tension on the wiring. Note, it is not easy to dislodge this wire, but it can be done (I did it). :p

Finally, you can switch to split coil pickups, and even get the control cavity shielded. I like my Lindy Fralin Split coils, but they were not cheap, and they do sound different from single coils. If you love your tone as it, try some of the above. :D
 
#4
4 words

Stew Mac Shielding Paint

Paint that sucker everywhere there is room.. Then a screw with a solder joint into the body cavity in the control layout and then to the back of the pot. Works wonders for single coil hum..

I have quite possibly the noisiest power lines in the western hemisphere and this tones it down significantly. Plus you will have enough to do a crap load of instruments in the future.

If its already shielded with paint, I dont own a Geddy, then there is a ton of other variables, when I record I have to turn the tv off, its away from me but with it off the noise gets cut in 1/2 if not more.

Also cables can be bad, grounding in your home can have a effect etc etc.
 
#5
ibanezcollector said:
4 words

Stew Mac Shielding Paint

Paint that sucker everywhere there is room.. Then a screw with a solder joint into the body cavity in the control layout and then to the back of the pot. Works wonders for single coil hum...

I have quite possibly the noisiest power lines in the western hemisphere and this tones it down significantly...
Click to expand...

+1
Very good advice, which I must eventually heed! :p

BTW, I betcha that everywhere in the "old" Midwest that gets serious ice storms, the Stew Mac Shielding Paint and/or Lindy Fralin split-coil pickup sales are doing just fine! :D :D :D
 
#6
Never had a single tiny hum at all on my MIA Jazz no matter what combination of pups on or off or how close I am to the GK amp.

I once had an amp that seemed to make my other amps hum. I plugged it into another outlet and no more problem. Anyone with hum should try unplugging other things in the same room to see if there is some interference. Also, get one of those small UPS systems to filter the electrical circuit and provide battery backup.
 
#7
There's a big ole thread on shielding on TB. Read it!

http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=159191

I read it through a few times, and took the plunge. StewMac sells a kit with enough copper foil for 1 bass or guitar, and a bunch left over.

Here's my Fender Jazz nearly done.

copper_job.jpg


After the shielding, this is DEAD QUIET. Unless I'm playing it of course.

Then again, I also but in humbucker pickups. Bartolini's. And a J-retro. But it was the shielding that removed the crackling buzzing hum.
 
#9
fretster said:
There's a big ole thread on shielding on TB. Read it!

http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=159191

I read it through a few times, and took the plunge. StewMac sells a kit with enough copper foil for 1 bass or guitar, and a bunch left over...

After the shielding, this is DEAD QUIET. Unless I'm playing it of course.

Then again, I also but in humbucker pickups. Bartolini's. And a J-retro. But it was the shielding that removed the crackling buzzing hum.
Click to expand...

But wait...I put in Split-coil Lindy Fralins and didn't add any shielding (or pre amp) and it is dead quiet, too....:confused:
 
#10
Well, there are two reasons for hum. Shielding takes care of one reason. Split-coil pickups or dual-coils or humbuckers take care of the other. A really good shielding job can make single-coils pretty quiet. Un-shielded split-coils can be quiet, but you may find a place that has strong fluorescent lights or microwave ovens or something that introduces noise.

The past threads on this go into detail on the physics and electronics as to why.
 
#12
Jim Carr said:
But wait...I put in Split-coil Lindy Fralins and didn't add any shielding (or pre amp) and it is dead quiet, too....:confused:
Click to expand...

fretster said:
Well, there are two reasons for hum. Shielding takes care of one reason. Split-coil pickups or dual-coils or humbuckers take care of the other. A really good shielding job can make single-coils pretty quiet. Un-shielded split-coils can be quiet, but you may find a place that has string fluorescent lights or microwave ovens or something that introduces noise.

The past threads on this go into detail on the physics and electronics as to why.
Click to expand...

Sorry, I was (lamely) trying to be humorous. :p
The shielding job on your Jazz looks great...and you are right that you
can still get hum with split-coils, though I haven't had the problem
anything like what I had before. Still, shielding and split-coils are both helpful,
as is having an active bass. :ninja:
 
#16
bigthemat said:
Question on a related note...

Just got a j bass, and I too have been noticing hum. Although, when I touch the string, it reduced significantly... is this normal?
Click to expand...

My Jaguar is having the Same Problem

alot of the Fender Basses have a loose Grounding from the Bridge... (i think)

i'm taking my bass in to get new pickups in about a week or so

and The Jaguar has alot of different switches and such, so there kind of excited, cos its a newish kind of bass

and there gonna fix it up for me and get it Sheilded

Satisfaction Garunteed...
 
#17
great post! I just bought a HW1 2006 fender jazz, has some unknown 10 pole pups that sound great, had a custom wire job from what I can tell. 2 vol one for each pup and a tone. Should be blend, vl then tone right? And when the vols are in diffrent positions i get crazy hum at home, not at the store..... maybe need to check the ground in the outlet?
 
#19
I shielded my MIM Jazz about a year ago and it was great. Dead quiet but now I have an awfull amount of hum again and its driving me mental. I want to blame the pedals I have recently started using but might just be the cables. My SD1 and Big Muff are almost intolerable when I switch them on until I or someone else starts playing but there is still a hum when they are off it is just magnified when they are on. The hum is pretty much constant whichever way I face and however far away I am from my amp.

Any ideas what I could try out on the cheap (I am Scottish after all) or is it just gonna be the pickups or cables? I use a speakon to jack for my patch from the amp to the cab. Where would I go about getting shielded wire? I could try rewiring my bass with that.
 

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