Do Stingrays normally hum?

[Stereo Joe]

I've done the whole search thing and couldn't find what I needed, so I'll turn to the TBers for wisdom!

I just got a Stingray 4 bass in a trade and I absolutely love the sound and feel. The only thing I'm not a fan of is the slight hum I get when I'm not touching the strings. I've never owned a Stingray and haven't used an active bass in years, so I don't know if a bit of hum is normal or if this is a problem. I've tried it in a few different locations (rehearsals, a gig, home), through a few different amps and PAs, and the only time it doesn't give me the hum is when I'm touching the strings or playing through my Pandora (I've got the noise reducer OFF)

I've got a couple passive basses that I rewired and shielded the heck out of and they are dead quiet all the time. Should the Stingray be completely silent as well or is this an active thing that I have to get used to?

 

[casualmadness]

Do Stingrays hum?

Stingrays sing...they scream they warble...they cry out in pain. They moan, they cry, they transcend time and space with their god-like power. But no...they do not hum. Mine doesn't, anyway.

 

[bovinehost]

Not normal unless every place you've played it has bad wiring or fluorescent lights. I'd check all the leads, especially the ground.

 

[Jonyak]

Mine has never hummed. it uses a humbucking pickup.

 

[danomite64]

I had four of them once (well, one was a Sabre), and all of them hummed a bit when I wasn't touching the strings, or used Elixirs.

 

[mobis.fr]

it is the boosted treble knob.

turn it back to normal and the humming is gone away.

 

[SuperDuck]

Only if they don't know the words. (Somebody had to say it.)

 

[BFISHER1970]

they don't hum with EMGs in 'em
here we go

 

[bluestarbass]

No mine is probably my quietest instrument. That sounds like an obvious grounding problem.

 

[zazz]

my one never has humming probs.....if i had a problem it would be the lead....or earthing/amp.......but never the bass itself....solid!

 

[Beav]

Mine hummed when I wasn't touching the strings too, regardless of where I was playing.

 

[i_got_a_mohawk]

Mine hums a bit when the treble is boosted, thats it.

 

[Purple Haze]

Mine hums a bit when the treble is boosted, thats it.

So does mine.

 

[zazz]

glad i got a good one!!

 

[Stuggi]

Shield it and rewire so it doesn't have any groundloops.

 

[needmoney]

Some Ray's I've played have hummed in different shops and environments when you aren't touching the strings. Mainly the newer HH/HS models.

 

[syciprider]

5 Stingrays both HH and H none hum.

You should be thankful that you got a hummer though.