Do all tapewound strings cause hum?

[iiipopes]

If you use a pickup that doesn't require the strings to be grounded (like EMG active pickups) then you won't get any hum with tape wound strings. I have this combination on my bass and there is no hum. I don't know what other pickups don't require strings to be grounded. If someone knows, please post.

This ^ I played tapewounds for a few years and I changed my pickups to EMG actives. No hum or noise. On one bass that I didn't change the pickups the pickup cover was chrome and grounded, and I anchored my thumb to the pickup cover to get rid of the hum and noise.

 

[mellowgerman]

I love tapewounds on certain basses and have never encountered a ground issue that didn't exist with other strings as well. The reason for this is that the ball end and core wire that wraps around the ball end are not covered by the nylon tape. So as long as your strings are anchored in a grounded metal tailpiece or bridge, you should be fine! I suspect your grounding issue is being caused by something else.

 

[LHbassist]

I bought a gibson EB-13 last year and it came with D'addario tapewounds.. I've kept them on because they sounded fine but recently the E sounds dead. so i'm looking to change them. I also noticed that there was a significant hum that goes away when I touch the bridge. Apparently that has to do with the nature of the tapewounds and being unable to properly ground the strings.

Is there a company that makes tapewound strings that don't cause hum?

If the hum goes away when you touch the bridge, then the circuit IS grounded. The hum, is not likely caused by the strings. Try a different set- steel- and see, The ball ends and the metal windings at that junction, are also touching the bridge- therefore, the core of the tapewounds is grounding to you.

EDIT:Upon some reflection- my DUH moment came when I realized that you are indeed isolated from the circuit because of the non conductive nature of the strings outer wrap.
It seems as there is no 'workaround' for this, passive pickups and even onboard preamps with passive pickups still require a ground wire to the bridge. Strangely, none of my repair clients who use tapewounds have ever mentioned this issue before. These strings have been around for well over 50 years now. Even a fully shielded bass still needs a ground wire to the bridge. There ARE exceptions.

EMG's do not require this. I have many instruments with EMG pickups and preamps. I also have an Alembic circuit in one of my basses. Neither circuit requires a ground to the player. That, is likely the only way to truly solve this issue with tapewounds.

 

[JeezyMcNuggles]

I bought a gibson EB-13 last year and it came with D'addario tapewounds.. I've kept them on because they sounded fine but recently the E sounds dead. so i'm looking to change them. I also noticed that there was a significant hum that goes away when I touch the bridge. Apparently that has to do with the nature of the tapewounds and being unable to properly ground the strings.

Is there a company that makes tapewound strings that don't cause hum?

Nope, they all do it. It annoying.

You're supposed to play with the tone off. Or, buy an electronic harmonix Hum-DeBugger

 

[PyschRockLover]

Half the people here are saying its not the strings, the other half are saying its the strings?
why is there no consensus on this issue? what's is going on? lol

 

[JeezyMcNuggles]

I love tapewounds on certain basses and have never encountered a ground issue that didn't exist with other strings as well. The reason for this is that the ball end and core wire that wraps around the ball end are not covered by the nylon tape. So as long as your strings are anchored in a grounded metal tailpiece or bridge, you should be fine! I suspect your grounding issue is being caused by something else.

It's not the strings not making contact that's the problem, it's you not being grounded to your bass because the strings have a layer of nylon wrapped around them instead of being metal.

You, are the interference in the circuit. That's why it goes away when you touch the strings (standard strings). Touching the strings adds you to the loop, through the strings touching the bridge, and the bridge being connected to the ground loop.

 

[MultiScaleMale]

If you have hum/buzz that goes away when you touch the metallic strings, you have an issue with the grounding or shielding of the bass. There is no path to ground, and there should be. Could be the amp. Could be the outlet. Since there isn't a path to ground it treats your body as an effective ground when you touch something metallic on the bass that is connected to ground. Aero instruments has a DeBuzz cable that you tuck into your waist band to provide ground to your instrument. Worth a look if you otherwise enjoy tape wounds.

 

[PyschRockLover]

If you have hum/buzz that goes away when you touch the metallic strings, you have an issue with the grounding or shielding of the bass. There is no path to ground, and there should be. Could be the amp. Could be the outlet. Since there isn't a path to ground it treats your body as an effective ground when you touch something metallic on the bass that is connected to ground. Aero instruments has a DeBuzz cable that you tuck into your waist band to provide ground to your instrument. Worth a look if you otherwise enjoy tape wounds.

the thing is the hum doesn't go away when touching the strings, it goes away when touching the bridge.

 

[MultiScaleMale]

the thing is the hum doesn't go away when touching the strings, it goes away when touching the bridge.

That's why I stated "metallic". Tapewounds aren't conductive and won't act as a path to ground.

 

[Slidlow]

I’ve used several brands of tapewounds over the past 36 years and never had an issue with him. Check your bridge ground.

 

[mellowgerman]

It's not the strings not making contact that's the problem, it's you not being grounded to your bass because the strings have a layer of nylon wrapped around them instead of being metal.

You, are the interference in the circuit. That's why it goes away when you touch the strings (standard strings). Touching the strings adds you to the loop, through the strings touching the bridge, and the bridge being connected to the ground loop.

If that is the OP's issue with tapes, then I'm pretty sure that there's an unaddressed grounding issue somewhere, which could be the onboard electronics or the amp or the wiring of the building, etc.
It's my understanding that a properly grounded bass (when plugged into a healthy amp that is getting power from a properly grounded outlet) should not be exhibiting a ground hum that goes away when you touch the bridge or other metal parts of the supposedly grounded circuit. That said, it's very common for houses and venues to have grounding issues. All the houses and buildings in which I've lived (I've never lived in a new house) have had some degree of this going on and I've come to just accept it.
I'm not an electrician though, so if a professional corrects me on this and I've actually been wrong all these years, I'll be seriously (retroactively) relieved to find out that all of the older houses and apartments I've lived in may actually have been properly grounded!

 

[landrybass]

Interesting topic, I have tapes on a Modulus with Bartolini humbucker and pre with no issues.

 

[BAG]

If you have hum/buzz that goes away when you touch the metallic strings, you have an issue with the grounding or shielding of the bass.

If the hum goes away when you touch the bridge (or any grounded part such as non-tapewound metal strings) then you have a shielding issue.
If the hum gets worse when you touch the strings or bridge then you have a grounding issue.

Tapewound strings (and also coated strings like Elixirs to a certain extent) insulate you from the electronics so if there is any RF interference and you're not touching the bridge it can be heard.

 

[JeezyMcNuggles]

If that is the OP's issue with tapes, then I'm pretty sure that there's an unaddressed grounding issue somewhere, which could be the onboard electronics or the amp or the wiring of the building, etc.
It's my understanding that a properly grounded bass (when plugged into a healthy amp that is getting power from a properly grounded outlet) should not be exhibiting a ground hum that goes away when you touch the bridge or other metal parts of the supposedly grounded circuit. That said, it's very common for houses and venues to have grounding issues. All the houses and buildings in which I've lived (I've never lived in a new house) have had some degree of this going on and I've come to just accept it.
I'm not an electrician though, so if a professional corrects me on this and I've actually been wrong all these years, I'll be seriously (retroactively) relieved to find out that all of the older houses and apartments I've lived in may actually have been properly grounded!

If it goes away when you touch something connected to the loop, then there's no grounding issue.

Your understanding is wrong.

Sheilding only helps so much too. A properly shielded instrument with single coils, will hum no matter what. A properly shielded instrument with buckers, will only hum when you're wearing it.

Just, quietly.

And the coating on elixirs isn't thick enough to insulate you from the flow. I only use elixirs. My basses are quiet.

There might be coated strings out that are thick enough to do so. Not elixirs.

 

[MultiScaleMale]

If the hum goes away when you touch the bridge (or any grounded part such as non-tapewound metal strings) then you have a shielding issue.
If the hum gets worse when you touch the strings or bridge then you have a grounding issue.

Tapewound strings (and also coated strings like Elixirs to a certain extent) insulate you from the electronics so if there is any RF interference and you're not touching the bridge it can be heard.

Grounding and shielding are related. A Faraday cage, which is what shielding is, needs to be grounded in order to work.

 

[mellowgerman]

If it goes away when you touch something connected to the loop, then there's no grounding issue.

Your understanding is wrong.

Sheilding only helps so much too. A properly shielded instrument with single coils, will hum no matter what. A properly shielded instrument with buckers, will only hum when you're wearing it.

Just, quietly.

And the coating on elixirs isn't thick enough to insulate you from the flow. I only use elixirs. My basses are quiet.

There might be coated strings out that are thick enough to do so. Not elixirs.

Good to know! Like I said, I've never had formal electrical instruction and I'm always happy to be corrected when I'm wrong about something.

 

[Fat Freddy]

I just teach the strings the words......No hum.....

 

[chriscarcinogen]

I never got hum from the Fender 9120s.

 

[sonojono]

Yes. My video of Tapewounds you can hear the hum. It was unbearable when I was editing...

 

[ctmullins]

If you use a pickup that doesn't require the strings to be grounded (like EMG active pickups) then you won't get any hum with tape wound strings. I have this combination on my bass and there is no hum. I don't know what other pickups don't require strings to be grounded. If someone knows, please post.

No pickups require a string ground. The pickups work perfectly well without it.

Some instruments have noisy wiring and the easy/cheap/lazy way to address that is to use the meat sack as a giant shield. A better approach is to properly shield the wiring and wiring cavities, thereby fixing the root cause instead of masking the problem. But manufacturers always like the cheap solutions.