Ground buzz mystery

[ClassicJazz]

So installed a new Japanese Gotoh bridge on my '84 Fender Boxer bass. But a bit stumped. Getting a little bit of ground buzz which goes away when I touch the strings. But everything seems to check out fine on the multimeter. I even scraped off some of the black coating underneath the bridge to expose the bare metal. You really only hear it with the tone turned up. Truly stumped…

 

[LoveThatBass]

I take it this started after you changed the bridge? So measuring each string to the output jack ground read less then 0.6 ohms?
It is a Jazz bass correct? Both are single coil and will buzz unless you have their volume control at the same level.

 

[Gluvhand]

Maybe the coating on the saddles/bridge where contact is being made with the strings is a bit thick. Just spit ballin'.

 

[ClassicJazz]

I take it this started after you changed the bridge? So measuring each string to the output jack ground read less then 0.6 ohms?
It is a Jazz bass correct? Both are single coil and will buzz unless you have their volume control at the same level.

It's a PJ bass. Definitely not a single coil buzz. I hear it on both pickups when I solo them. There definitely is an electrical connection between the bridge and the pot the bridge wire is soldered to. The photo is with the original bridge.

 

[ClassicJazz]

Maybe the coating on the saddles/bridge where contact is being made with the strings is a bit thick. Just spit ballin'.

There definitely is an electrical connector between the bridge and saddles and the pot the bridge ground wire is soldered to.

 

[LoveThatBass]

There definitely is an electrical connector between the bridge and saddles and the pot the bridge ground wire is soldered to.

How about between the strings and the output jack. Should be near 0.6 ohms.
Everything needs to be measured from the nut on the output jack including pots, switches, strings , internal cavity , shielding if any. Also did you do anything else besides changing the bridge?

 

[Turnaround]

If the noise goes away when you touch the strings, the bridge and strings are grounded. Look elsewhere fir the problem.

 

[ClassicJazz]

How about between the strings and the output jack. Should be near 0.6 ohms.
Everything needs to be measured from the nut on the output jack including pots, switches, strings , internal cavity , shielding if any. Also did you do anything else besides changing the bridge?

I replaced the barrel jack last week with a new switchcraft one. There was no buzz that I noticed after I installed it. I need to try the bass through another amp as a test, just been using my small practive Peavey amp.

 

[LoveThatBass]

I replaced the barrel jack last week with a new switchcraft one. There was no buzz that I noticed after I installed it. I need to try the bass through another amp as a test, just been using my small practive Peavey amp.

I was going to suspect you wiring the jack backward but you said no noticeable hum afterward. What Turnaround said is true. I just wanted you to make sure pots and switch were grounded and that the coating on the bridge wasn't reading several ohms . Try moving the amp to another location and see if things change. Other than that playing it on a different amp might lend some insight here

 

[JakobT]

If the noise goes away when you touch the strings, the bridge and strings are grounded. Look elsewhere fir the problem.

That's what everyone says - and I've gotten into trouble for mentioning this before - but I had exactly the same issue with one of my P-basses. A piece of conductive tape around the end of the bridge grounding wire to ensure good contact with the bridge, and the buzz went away.

Apparently, this shouldn't have worked, but it did. And nobody has been able to explain to me why it worked, even the most ardent your-strings-are-grounded-if-the-buzz-goes-away-when-you-touch'em guys. Now, it may well be that they are correct (I have no particular horse in this race) but until someone can actually explain it, I'm still going to suggest ensuring better contact with the bridge as a possible solution. It's a quick, cheap and easy thing to do, doesn't hurt anything, and readily reversible if it doesn't work.

But then again, it might.

 

[LoveThatBass]

That's what everyone says - and I've gotten into trouble for mentioning this before - but I had exactly the same issue with one of my P-basses. A piece of conductive tape around the end of the bridge grounding wire to ensure good contact with the bridge, and the buzz went away.

Apparently, this shouldn't have worked, but it did. And nobody has been able to explain to me why it worked, even the most ardent your-strings-are-grounded-if-the-buzz-goes-away-when-you-touch'em guys. Now, it may well be that they are correct (I have no particular horse in this race) but until someone can actually explain it, I'm still going to suggest ensuring better contact with the bridge as a possible solution. It's a quick, cheap and easy thing to do, doesn't hurt anything, and readily reversible if it doesn't work.

But then again, it might.

I put copper shielding tape with electrically conductive adhesive under the bridge just slightly less size than the bridge and I solder the wire to the copper in the recess hole where the wire comes out. And hey, I really don't care what people have to say