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Giving up on my Jazz bass

A

AllenBass7

Jan 27, 2008
131
0
Chaska,MN
#1
Ok so I started with a regular MIM Fender Jazz Deluxe Series

since then i've added...
a fretless neck
a BA2 bridge
a Lindy Fralin Neck pickup
(and some other stuff that is irrelevant to this thread)

the same problems persist:(

humming:spit:
static buzzing when i'm not touching a metal component on the bass:spit:
problems with the pup selector switch(volume is dramtically decreced when on 1/2 and 1/2 or aka 12'oclock position):spit:

SO NOW TO THE POINT...........

I think i'm just gunna rip out all the electronics and install all new stuff.

MY QUESTION
What do I need to install for the bass to work and preferably have some EQ options built in???:)
 
#3
You need to buy a matched set for Jazz pickups. One of them will be reverse-wired with the magnet in reverse polarity, so you can just wire it up as any other two-pickup bass and the both-on position will sound as full as the other two, but without the hum.

Additionally, the hum when you're not touching anything from is a lack of shielding - basically, your ungrounded body is spilling electro-magnetic interference into the electronics. Just shield the control cavity, or the pickup cavities as well if you're feeling ambitious, and the hum will desist.
 
#4
AllenBass7 said:
humming:spit:
static buzzing when i'm not touching a metal component on the bass:spit:
Click to expand...

A few dollars worth of copper shielding, a soldering iron, and a few hours of your own time and you can solve the buzzing.

AllenBass7 said:
problems with the pup selector switch(volume is dramtically decreced when on 1/2 and 1/2 or aka 12'oclock position):spit:
Click to expand...

Sounds like replacing only the neck pickup might've landed you with a set of pickups that isn't in the correct polarity to each other. They might be out of phase. Try reversing the wires on only one of the two pickups.

If doing this solves the volume issue, but gets rid of the "humbucker when the pickups are blended" J bass goodness, then you have a pair of pickups that won't jibe together.

AllenBass7 said:
MY QUESTION
What do I need to install for the bass to work and preferably have some EQ options built in???:)
Click to expand...

A soldering iron and a few $ can solve both of your problems above. If you want onboard EQ, it's time to shop for a preamp. :)
 
#5
Nick Kay said:
You need to buy a matched set for Jazz pickups. One of them will be reverse-wired with the magnet in reverse polarity, so you can just wire it up as any other two-pickup bass and the both-on position will sound as full as the other two, but without the hum.

Additionally, the hum when you're not touching anything from is a lack of shielding - basically, your ungrounded body is spilling electro-magnetic interference into the electronics. Just shield the control cavity, or the pickup cavities as well if you're feeling ambitious, and the hum will desist.
Click to expand...

+1
 
#6
Ohhhh K i'm starting to understand now...

It had two obviously matchin Noiseless pups and when i took out the broken noiseless neck pup i just used wire color to install the new one the exact way the other one was in there.

Makes perfect sense.

I'll for sure do some copper sheilding!

this is real good news cus I don't really have the dough to do anymore replacements to the bass.

I love Talkbass YOU GUYS ARE ALWAYS SUCH A BIG HELP!:)
 
#7
fenderphil said:
sounds like a wiring problem. is there a ground under the bridge?

i'm not understanding the question about the volume. my stock jazz basses had independant volumes for the pickups.

i installed an bartolini NTBT preamp into my stock mexi jazz, and it was pretty cool. i lie passive tones better tho...
Click to expand...

That's what i was thinkin a while back so i took a knife and scrapped off a bunch of the black paint on the BA bridge... but i doubt that every BA bridge with paint messes up any bass it is installed on...

maybe my wire there is bad???
it's still poking up fine but it is frayed out on the end...i don't think that could affect it in anyway

haha obviously i have no idea what i'm talking about!

Input???
 
#8
fenderphil said:
sounds like a wiring problem. is there a ground under the bridge?

i'm not understanding the question about the volume. my stock jazz basses had independant volumes for the pickups.

i installed an bartolini NTBT preamp into my stock mexi jazz, and it was pretty cool. i lie passive tones better tho...
Click to expand...

for the volume thing...
well my pickup selector knob (to adjust the percentage of how much each pickup is on) drops a ton of volume when it clicks into the middle position.

...which i think can be explained by my pickups running opposite polarities...?
right?
or the electrical currents or something...

i'll flip the wires on the neck pup 2morrow and see what it does for me
 
#9
AllenBass7 said:
That's what i was thinkin a while back so i took a knife and scrapped off a bunch of the black paint on the BA bridge... but i doubt that every BA bridge with paint messes up any bass it is installed on...

maybe my wire there is bad???
it's still poking up fine but it is frayed out on the end...i don't think that could affect it in anyway

haha obviously i have no idea what i'm talking about!

Input???
Click to expand...

Scraping the coating from the underneath of the bridge was/is a good idea. You are on the right track. You need a good low-resistance electrical connection between the wire and the bridge. Also scrape the wire a bit to remove any oxidation, and put in in a slightly different position than where it was originally (out of the dent that forms when the bridge is tightened onto it). Keep asking questions if you don't understand. There is much good knowledge available here.
 
#10
that buzz when your not touching the strings/something on the bass will always happen with a jazz bass..shouldent really be a problem? its not like when your playing it makes any noise..unless i misunderstood.
 
#11
Send it to Roger Sadowsky and let him put his preamp and pups in and then you will
never have to worry about hum again. He will shield your bass and make it so quiet
you'll wonder if there is anything in it.
 
#14
well...

I'm not selling it beacuse for what I can get for it in re-sale I won't be able to buy anything close to it.

and Roger Sadowsky sounds expensive... i'd rather just roll some Copper foil on it myself for what it's worth

I was thinking today though!
and i was wondering that if since i filed the bridge myself, and the string spacing ended up being a little narrower than the jazz bass standard...

is there anyway that that could be producing buzz??

it's a long shot but i really wanna get this bass to 110% working order

thank u to everyone whos posted so far.
you've all been major help!
 
#15
AllenBass7 said:
I was thinking today though!
and i was wondering that if since i filed the bridge myself, and the string spacing ended up being a little narrower than the jazz bass standard...

is there anyway that that could be producing buzz??

it's a long shot but i really wanna get this bass to 110% working order
Click to expand...

No, having the strings a bit off their ideal center isn't going to produce any buzz.

Did reversing the wires to the neck pickup work?
 
#17
Nick Kay said:
You need to buy a matched set for Jazz pickups. One of them will be reverse-wired with the magnet in reverse polarity, so you can just wire it up as any other two-pickup bass and the both-on position will sound as full as the other two, but without the hum.

Additionally, the hum when you're not touching anything from is a lack of shielding - basically, your ungrounded body is spilling electro-magnetic interference into the electronics. Just shield the control cavity, or the pickup cavities as well if you're feeling ambitious, and the hum will desist.
Click to expand...

I cant believe that no one has caught this error yet. Unless your body is different from the rest of ours it will not generate emi. Electro magnetic interference is all around us but not emanating from us. The reason that hum is reduced when you touch the metal or ground is that it creates a faraday cage. Whereas your body becomes the shielding when it is grounded. The solution you mention is correct but I had to correct this statement.
 
#18
SneakyT said:
I cant believe that no one has caught this error yet. Unless your body is different from the rest of ours it will not generate emi. Electro magnetic interference is all around us but not emanating from us. The reason that hum is reduced when you touch the metal or ground is that it creates a faraday cage. Whereas your body becomes the shielding when it is grounded. The solution you mention is correct but I had to correct this statement.
Click to expand...

Your body acts as an antenna. You're not PRODUCING the EMI, but you are conducting it. Strap on and plug in an unshielded instrument, keep your hands off the grounded parts, and wave your hand in front of a CRT monitor. You'll see what I mean.

Besides, in order for your body to form a Faraday cage around the electronics, you'd have to physically wrap yourself around the electronics. You're only blocking off one of six faces with your body when you have it strapped up normally. EDIT: Or two, if the bridge is grounded.
 
#19
For the bridge ground on my parts bass, I could not get a soldered wire to stick to the back of my Gotoh at all. I wound up sandwiching the ground in foil and trapping that under the bridge. All the cavities are shielded and there is a common ground in the control cavity.
My bass with an Audere and Nordstrands is a silent as a grave.
 

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