Had Bass repaired, still not working properly

[Reflective]

I took my bass to skip's music to get a set up and to address a buzzing issue. There is a rather noticeable buzz that softens if I touch the strings (especially if I touch them around the 5th fret). I have tried different cables, 2 different amps, and an audio interface that goes into USB, and the buzz persists on all of them. After I had it repaired I tried it out on one of their amps - no buzz, bring it home the buzz is back.

Is there something that might be on the amp I tested at their store that prevents the buzzing from going through? Am I right in thinking that it was not properly repaired? Thanks.

 

[joeyl]

could be the electrical circuit at your house, tested it anywhere else?

 

[DiabolusInMusic]

You have a hum that stops when you touch the strings/bridge/metal? If it fully goes away when you touch metal it is RF interference, your bass just needs a shielding job. The link in my signature can offer you help on correcting the issue. If the hum does not fully go away it may be something else.

There is a chance that the shop amp lacked high end or was not loud enough to hear to the hum, it is possible they were in a good environment.

 

[Reflective]

Thanks for the responses. I have tried it at a friends house with the same problem. I'll check out your link

 

[pacojas]

what exactly was done to fix your bass?

 

[Reflective]

I didnt ask unfortunately

 

[wvbass]

I took my bass to skip's music to get a set up and to address a buzzing issue. There is a rather noticeable buzz that softens if I touch the strings (especially if I touch them around the 5th fret). I have tried different cables, 2 different amps, and an audio interface that goes into USB, and the buzz persists on all of them. After I had it repaired I tried it out on one of their amps - no buzz, bring it home the buzz is back.

Is there something that might be on the amp I tested at their store that prevents the buzzing from going through? Am I right in thinking that it was not properly repaired? Thanks.

This part of your statement does not make sense to me. Aside from that, it sounds like a shielding issue.

 

[Metalbasspro]

Set up you say? I remember posting about a set up job on here. I was told if I could not do my own set up's I had no business even playing.

 

[groooooove]

i think you should change the thread title to "did not have my bass repaired"

other than that- try different outlets. are there florescent lightbulbs in the room you were playing in? they cause electrical buzzes all the time.

 

[pacojas]

Set up you say? I remember posting about a set up job on here. I was told if I could not do my own set up's I had no business even playing.

tell 'em "pro's" don't do set-ups!

@Reflective! turn off your PC and call the shop. find out what's going on and report back. there's nothing we can say without knowing what they did,... and how,... and why!

 

[Lownote38]

Set up you say? I remember posting about a set up job on here. I was told if I could not do my own set up's I had no business even playing.

I guess that repair person doesn't want customers??

 

[fourstringdrums]

I didnt ask unfortunately

You paid and didn't bother to ask what you were paying for?

 

[Reflective]

You paid and didn't bother to ask what you were paying for?

Yes, unfortunately. I've always been intimidated about hardware/electronics and was just happy paying X amount for it to work (or so i thought).

That aside, from all the responses it sounds like this is a shielding issue and I'll take steps from here with that knowledge. Thanks all for the responses

 

[pacojas]

maybe he already shielded it. maybe it's a ground issue. bad cord. home wireing. friend's home wireing. lighting. call. the. shop!

 

[walterw]

speaking as somebody who gets paid to fix basses, if you just paid money to have work done then you have every right to call or bring it in and ask about issues you're still having, assuming they had anything to do with the work done; it's really no big deal, you're not gonna hurt anybody's feelings.

sometimes you have to make the problem happen in front of the tech for them to figure out what's actually wrong, again not a big deal.

 

[David Jayne]

maybe he already shielded it. maybe it's a ground issue. bad cord. home wireing. friend's home wireing. lighting. call. the. shop!

None of these are likely, as explained by Diabolus. Shielding.

 

[pacojas]

None of these are likely, as explained by Diabolus. Shielding.

i'm trying to nag this guy into calling the shop, regardless. the problem is still there, so what did he pay for.

 

[T-Bird]

Hi.

I took my bass to skip's music to get a set up and to address a buzzing issue. There is a rather noticeable buzz that softens if I touch the strings (especially if I touch them around the 5th fret). I have tried different cables, 2 different amps, and an audio interface that goes into USB, and the buzz persists on all of them. After I had it repaired I tried it out on one of their amps - no buzz, bring it home the buzz is back.

Sounds like a classic RFI problem with the grounded via the strings method.

Good chances are that the lights and other RFI sources are carefully chosen in a music store to prevent any buzzes or hiss, and the outlets may be filtered against line noise as well.
That's what any sensible store owner would do anyway.

Your location is a mystery by choice, but if in US, from what I've gathered from various forums, most home wiring leaves a lot to be desired over there.
The RFI (and line noise) regulations seem to also be looked at as loose guidelines if even that, so RFI pollution sounds to be pretty bad.
And the strings pick that all up.
So trying the rig in two similar conditions may not reveal much.

Is there something that might be on the amp I tested at their store that prevents the buzzing from going through?

Definitely possible, but without further details about Your rig and the amp in the store it's impossible to say.

Am I right in thinking that it was not properly repaired? Thanks.

sometimes you have to make the problem happen in front of the tech for them to figure out what's actually wrong, again not a big deal.

Yep, it's nearly impossible to repair (or at least effectively diagnose) something if the problem doesn't happen when You're at it.
Randomly doing stuff and hoping it'll work usually end up costing a lot of time, and at least some of that time has to be compensated.

I'd call the shop first as suggested multiple times already to find out what was done to adress the buzzing issue, and then take Your bass, cable and amp to the shop to test whether the buzz happens there.


People who swear by single coils usually hate humbuckers and active pickups/electronics with a passion, but both -especially the latter two- usually eliminate the buzzes completely on a stringed instrument.

Regards
Sam

 

[Metalbasspro]

I guess that repair person doesn't want customers??

No you mis understand. It was some wisdom I got from our esteemed members. I thought it was lame too.

 

[Phenometron]

It's a shielding problem. Many manufacturers now use a black spray mixture to shield the inside of a control box as opposed to foil. I have found with one of my P-basses that if wires are touching that black stuff on the sides of the control box, I will get RF issues. The fix for me is always just opening it up and literally moving wires around until it goes away and then trying to put the cover back on without disturbing my work.