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How to fix noisy jazz bass?

#5
Buy a P-bass?

Sorry. Couldn't resist.

You may get some more helpful responses if you provide a little more detail about the circumstances under which the hum occurs. For example, is it occuring with the bridge pickup, neck, both at the same time? Do you hear the same noise through your amp? Have you tried plugging into different systems, or even just plugging your setup into different power outlets in the house?

There are a lot of different types of hums and buzzes that crop up, so some more info will help with the trouble shooting.

Matt
 
#6
valiant said:
I've tried the search fuction but its useless some times..

is there a fix for my '92 MIJ Fender jazz?
It hums and is nosiy, especially if I try and record using Garageband?
Click to expand...

You (valiant) imply that the hum is worse when using Garageband. If your bass is too close to your computer monitor, you can get all sorts of hum. Does turning off your monitor while recording help? Fluorescent lights can also cause hum.


Shielding can make a significant difference if you want to go that route.

This Thread will get you started, if you;re interested.


It could also be old house wiring, which is difficult to remedy.
 
#7
valiant said:
I've tried the search fuction but its useless some times..

is there a fix for my '92 MIJ Fender jazz?
It hums and is nosiy, especially if I try and record using Garageband?
Click to expand...

have you replaced any parts, like pots, bridge, or pickups that might have disrupted the bridge ground?
 
#8
Info on how you are using the bass is important.

if you are using the pickups unevenly, you're going to get some hum. This is a just the nature of the single coil pups in Js. Blending the neck and bridge equally eliminates this hum (the two pups together act as a humbucker)

If you're getting noise when the pups are equal, try moving the bass around: rotating it in all three dimensions. If the hum changes as you rotate it (gets softer when you turn it this way, louder when that way) then you bass is picking up background electrical fields. You can reduce this by turning off extra electrical devices, lights and monitors for example. If you have lights on a dimmer, those are big culprits. If you're standing too close to your amp or to a power outlet, that can add some hum also, again from background electricity. If you're willing to modify your bass, check out the discussion on shielding that Atoz linked to above. Shielding your bass is a more permanent way to get rid of background hums. This is especially useful if you gig places where you pick up a lot of background hum.

If the bass hums when you're not touching it, but gets quiet when you touch the strings, or a metal part, it needs to be grounded. The bridge is usually grounded in J basses, if I remember correctly, but who knows.

Finally, if you pick up hum from turning up your tone, and/or both pups, and it's not background electricity, you may look into replacing your electronics, as cheap or faulty electronics can add a hum to the sound, and this will be magnified as you turn up our highs.

EDIT: I forgot, you're using it with GarageBand. You may also be getting a hum from the wires or computer electronics, especially if you are using a computer with a built-in sound card and you are just running into the mic in. If you're using a cheap cable going to the computer, it might not be shielded, and can pick up background hum, just like your bass. Shielded audio cable (1/8", 1/4", whatever you're using) is readily available at Guitar Center, or any electronics store. If you're using a built-in sound card, remember that is is sitting in the computer, right next to all of the other electronics, it may be picking up a lot of hum, especially since built-in cards are made more for recording from a computer mic, not a line in or high quality mic.
 
#10
You don't have a mobile phone in your pocket do you? I've heard they along with flourescent light can make a hum.
Something to do with the cycles of the light.
Also: I recently had a terrible hum with a MIM J bass, everyone said it was just j bass hum. It also had a slightly stiff tone pot so I replaced it and the hum disapeared.
 
#13
ahh the joys of owning a jazz...

I thought I had a grounding hum when I first got mine.. turns out having the laptop/tv/bed light and that all on within a few meters of the jazz was making it hum like crazy.

Probably shield it or get hum cancelling pickups as suggested, my last jazz had Dimarzio Model J which sounded pretty good so maybe look at that megathread where they compare all of the replacement pickups.
 
#16
There are tons of sources of hum. I would be inclined to replace pickups last because the rest of the fixes are cheap.

1. Use both pickups at equal volumes to cut hum (free)
2. Keep away from your montor
3. Does it hum all the time, or worse when you take your fingers off the strings? If the latter, make sure the bridge ground wire is intact.
4. Shield it
5. New pickups. The nordstrand SE's sound great and don't hum
 
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#18
BassoP said:
There are tons of sources of hum. I would be inclined to replace pickups last because the rest of the fixes are cheap.

1. Use both pickups at equal volumes to cut hum (free)
2. Keep away from your montor
3. Does it hum all the time, or worse when you take your fingers off the strings? If the latter, make sure the bridge ground wire is intact.
4. Shield it
5. New pickups. The nordstrand SE's sound great and don't hum
Click to expand...

What he said....can't add much more to that.

Besides, everyone wants the "vintage Jazz vibe" Guess what, the hum is part of that. IMHO.
:D
 

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