• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Gretsch G2220: noisy pickups

P

Patrice B

Mar 1, 2020
2,053
2,620
53
Montréal, Québec , Canada
#1
Hello all,

I’ve bought this bass in October 2020 and really loved the tone.

However, I’ve recently discovered that this is the noisiest bass I own. Noisier than my single coil Squier P51!

Why I didn’t noticed before? I bought it and didn’t noticed first as I was quite a newbie last year and none of my amps at the moment were over 40-45 watts.

Now that I have a V4 and and a YBA-3 (~100 watts), the noise (60 Hz buzz and hash noise) is quite obvious. I’ve even specifically bought an EHX Hum Debugger for the Junior Jet!

Yes, AC power here looks a bit dirty (old 40’s house) but all other basses (two Jazz, the P51 and a Yamaha) are quieter.

Yesterday, I’ve opened the control cavity to take a look: no shielding paint but the ground connection to the pots and the jacks are healthy. Same for the bridge.

Some things cross my mind:

1) even if Gretsch calls the pups « Mini hum bucking », maybe they are really single coils (I doubt I’m right but who knows?). One white and one bare ground wire for each coming in the control cavity;

2) the pickups are miswired from factory. I’ve read that a miswired humbucker could lead to increased noise;

3) missing or broken ground connection at the pickups;

4) complete lack of shielding. I’ve ordered a roll of conductive copper tape from Amazon.

The bass behaves almost correctly (even without Hum Debugger) if I stand in a precise position and orientation in my home studio…?

Even if I bought copper tape, I’ll drop the instrument to my luthier to eliminate any obvious electrical problem (ground, miswiring).

If the pickups were bad, it would be such a coincidence as the noise is present in all config: neck, bridge or middle position.

Your thoughts?

Thanks,

Patrice
 
#4
El Güero said:
I think your pickups are probably just fine, and the source of the noise is elsewhere.

I also think you should put the stock Gretsch mini-HB back in. Imo, it's an excellent pickup.

Have a tech check it out. Good luck.
Click to expand...
They are still in. I don’t want to ditch them. Just surprised that humbuckers aren’t… hum free. I didn’t even removed them to check…
 
#5
Patrice B said:
They are still in. I don’t want to ditch them. Just surprised that humbuckers aren’t… hum free. I didn’t even removed them to check…
Click to expand...

My mistake, I just scanned your first post and might have thought you replaced the pickups when you were talking about amps.

Anyway, I'd guess it's a grounding issue or something simple like a bad solder joint. I glad I misunderstood and you didn't buy replacement pickups. Unless they've changed how they're made, those pickups are very good.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Patrice B
#6
El Güero said:
My mistake, I just scanned your first post and might have thought you replaced the pickups when you were talking about amps.

Anyway, I'd guess it's a grounding issue or something simple like a bad solder joint. I glad I misunderstood and you didn't buy replacement pickups. Unless they've changed how they're made, those pickups are very good.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the advice and suggestions anyway.

I’m not enough versed in pickup circuit to just diagnose by looking in the control cavity, hence the need to have a luthier take a look.

Maybe a missing ground connection to the pickups covers? Shouldn’t the pups have some grounding to the covers?? Like I’ve said, it looks to me (with my untrained eyes) that there is only one white and a bare wire shrieked together for each pickup tied to the three-way switch. Aren’t there other wires on a humbucker?

Thanks,

Patrice
 
#7
Ok, looks this kind of pickup has only two wires coming out. Here is a Guyker/Artec and I guess the Gretsch ones are similar in construction. I can see the first junction/initial connection (green/red) on the right of the pic.

upload_2021-9-27_20-48-14.jpeg
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: El Güero
#8
Patrice B said:
Maybe a missing ground connection to the pickups covers? 1) Shouldn’t the pups have some grounding to the covers?? Like I’ve said, it looks to me (with my untrained eyes) that there is 2) only one white and a bare wire shrieked together for each pickup tied to the three-way switch. Aren’t there other wires on a humbucker?
Click to expand...

I numbered your questions 1 and 2 above.

1) Usually metal covers are grounded. They don't have to be. Grounding metal covers will/may result in less highs. See the pic of a Gibson PAF and note the circled solder blob. The baseplate is grounded inside (where you can't see it), and the solder blob connects the metal cover to the baseplate. Your pickups may be similar.

2) A HB can have 2, 4, or 5 leads. It just depends on how the put it together, and whether or not the assembly uses more long leads to allow for wiring options. There are two coils, each with a start and an end. That's 2 cos four leads. With 4 leads, the start of the first coil typically goes to ground, AND is also grounded to the baseplate (which may be soldered to the metal cover). With 5 leads, the baseplate ground is a separate wire from the coil lead that goes to ground.

The 2 wire HB's have the end of the first coil connected to the start of the second coil. The start of the first coil (ground) will also be connected to the baseplate, often a braided shield with the hot (end) lead inside of it.
Above you said "shrieked together." I'm not sure what that means.

Back to the pic. See the braided shield? That braided shield AND the start (neg/ground) of the first coil are grounded to the baseplate inside the pickup. Inside the braided shield is the hot lead in black insulation. Black usually indicated neg/ground, but in this case it's the hot lead.

PAF.jpg
 
  • Like
Reactions: Patrice B
#10
El Güero said:
I numbered your questions 1 and 2 above.

1) Usually metal covers are grounded. They don't have to be. Grounding metal covers will/may result in less highs. See the pic of a Gibson PAF and note the circled solder blob. The baseplate is grounded inside (where you can't see it), and the solder blob connects the metal cover to the baseplate. Your pickups may be similar.

2) A HB can have 2, 4, or 5 leads. It just depends on how the put it together, and whether or not the assembly uses more long leads to allow for wiring options. There are two coils, each with a start and an end. That's 2 cos four leads. With 4 leads, the start of the first coil typically goes to ground, AND is also grounded to the baseplate (which may be soldered to the metal cover). With 5 leads, the baseplate ground is a separate wire from the coil lead that goes to ground.

The 2 wire HB's have the end of the first coil connected to the start of the second coil. The start of the first coil (ground) will also be connected to the baseplate, often a braided shield with the hot (end) lead inside of it.
Above you said "shrieked together." I'm not sure what that means.

Back to the pic. See the braided shield? That braided shield AND the start (neg/ground) of the first coil are grounded to the baseplate inside the pickup. Inside the braided shield is the hot lead in black insulation. Black usually indicated neg/ground, but in this case it's the hot lead.

View attachment 4419602
Click to expand...
Oops, typo, thanks to auto-corrector: « shrinked » as it looks they used heat shrink…

Thanks for the clarifications. I could verify the wiring by myself but experts (luthiers) are there for a reason :)
 
  • Like
Reactions: El Güero
#13
I have the same bass, but I havent heard the noise.... yet. I noticed the lack of shielding as well. They had to do something to keep price down on this bass, which seems to play better than it's price suggests (dont tell gretsch!). I'm pleased with the amount of room too.... you could do all sorts of wiring/preamp stuff back there. An underrated mod platform if you ask me.

Personally, I'm planning a few mods to make it more versatile. I haven't decided exactly what yet. Shielding and some sort of pickup switching will be part of it.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Patrice B
#15
SLPimp said:
Had the same issue. Returned it, gave up on these basses completely.
Click to expand...

I wouldn't write it off. The issues can be fixed with a few minutes of shielding, and rewiring to VVT (not what I'm planning). Other than that, it's great. This should be cheap at a luthier if someone isn't comfortable. Most basses in this price range will have similar issues. Mine has great bones so.... I'm gonna mod away.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Patrice B
#16
Patrice B said:
The bass behaves almost correctly (even without Hum Debugger) if I stand in a precise position and orientation in my home studio…?
Click to expand...

If it’s position dependent then that pretty much indicates it’s due to outside interference from lights or other electrical appliances or dirty power. That indicates it’s a shielding issue.

If it actually is AC hum, and it’s constant, then it’s most likely a grounding issue.

I’d start by checking your output jack and reflowing the solder on the two connections
 
  • Like
Reactions: Patrice B and mrperkolator
#20
40Hz said:
If it’s position dependent then that pretty much indicates it’s due to outside interference from lights or other electrical appliances or dirty power. That indicates it’s a shielding issue.

If it actually is AC hum, and it’s constant, then it’s most likely a grounding issue.

I’d start by checking your output jack and reflowing the solder on the two connections
Click to expand...
There are different noises: some buzz and some hash noise on top but it almost disappears in the only correct orientation and position. So yes, looks a shielding issue. Would shielding only the control cavity suffice or should I also shield the pickups cavities too?

Thanks,

Patrice
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back