If 60 cycle hum only occurs when there's a physical connection, why does it also (often) disappear when you turn your instrument to face a different direction? In cases where it is directional Isn't it the pickups in the instrument picking up the noise? If not, why do humbuckers work? Why would wireless devices like phones create noise in the bass signal?
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Hum cancelling jazz without losing jazz tone?
- Thread starter dwagner
- Start date
sorry, but it actually makes no sense at all.
the hum travels through the air right into the coils, it has nothing to do with a physical ground connection. (i use a wireless all the time with my single coil tele, it makes no difference in the amount of hum). that's why you can turn the instrument to the right spot and have the noise go away like @nnnnnn mentions, it's coming through the air into the pickup.
if a wireless made some noise go away then something else is going on, some other issue than regular single coil hum.
From what I understand, that will cut out the hum but at the same time, limit the diversity or tone in a J. I guess if that's not important, it's a decent route to take.
+1 on the DiMarzio Area J.
They're the closest I've heard to standard single coil Jazz pickups in a humbucker form. Not just closest, they do sound like normal Jazz pickups, minus the noise.
this is what I’d try if I wanted single coils . But as long as you have a place for it, you can make your own. Search around, there are DIY instructions online, like this.
That said, I’m quite happy with what split coils do, and it’s a simple pickup swap...
- Sep 4, 2010
- 3,304
- 2,730
- Disclosures
- Endorsing: Martin Keith Guitars
I've had Area Js in my ABass super jazz and replaced them with Fralin Splits
The Area Js are very nice and perfectly fine if that vintage-type standard jazz bass sound is what you are after, for an affordable price.
The Fralin Splits are very transparent and clean, while at the same time a bit fuller sounding and more refined sounding. They were to me worth the upgrade from the Area Js (as they should be at almost twice the price)
The Area Js are very nice and perfectly fine if that vintage-type standard jazz bass sound is what you are after, for an affordable price.
The Fralin Splits are very transparent and clean, while at the same time a bit fuller sounding and more refined sounding. They were to me worth the upgrade from the Area Js (as they should be at almost twice the price)
I just put up with the 60 hum...It's the tone is what I want, humbucker(s) ect really changes the tone to my ear.
DiMarzio Area J DP249
"Been waiting for a bass pickup that sounds like a vintage J Bass® pickup and cancels hum? Your wait is over. Bass pickups are usually described with aggressive terms such as “amazing punch” and “thundering lows”, but that’s not the sound of vintage J Bass® pickups. They’re all about warmth, sustain, and a clean, singing tone. The Area J™ captures all of those qualities. It is not loud, but it has a very focused attack, so it has power where it counts – at the center of the tone. The lows are very clear and clean, and the highs are both smooth and open-sounding. We’ve reduced the magnet-pull, and included 4-conductor wiring to allow both series and parallel humbucking modes."
Area J™ Pair | DiMarzio
"Been waiting for a bass pickup that sounds like a vintage J Bass® pickup and cancels hum? Your wait is over. Bass pickups are usually described with aggressive terms such as “amazing punch” and “thundering lows”, but that’s not the sound of vintage J Bass® pickups. They’re all about warmth, sustain, and a clean, singing tone. The Area J™ captures all of those qualities. It is not loud, but it has a very focused attack, so it has power where it counts – at the center of the tone. The lows are very clear and clean, and the highs are both smooth and open-sounding. We’ve reduced the magnet-pull, and included 4-conductor wiring to allow both series and parallel humbucking modes."
Area J™ Pair | DiMarzio
I’ll second the Dimarzio Area J. I like the Model J and Ultra J better but I’m not looking to clone a P bass. For a very close P, Area J will do the trick.
I am very happy with Fralin splits I put in a Jazz Bass. Although for church I almost always play a 5 string jazz which I happened to put Aguilar splits in. Also I am very happy with.
Others have said not to worry about the hum. They aren’t wrong, the guitar player will still be picking up the local AM station though their rig...
Others have said not to worry about the hum. They aren’t wrong, the guitar player will still be picking up the local AM station though their rig...
To the OP.
Please, before you spend a nickel on any “solution”...(well, it’s yer money, do with it as you see fit, but...)
There could other issues causing the hum in your bass that isn’t the fault of the bass. Being a bassist and a semi-retired pro audio guy and PA trouble-shooter, I go through this exercise on a regular basis.
Do 2 things....as you are hearing the hum, mute your amp, unplug the instrument cable from your amp and see if the noise is till there. You can unplug your bass, unmute your amp with the bass unplugged and see if the noise stays or disappears, too. If the noise completely disappears, then plug your bass back in, get the hum going again, and re-orient your body and bass in different directions and see if the hum changes louder or softer as you face different directions. If you are getting him, there is an external source causing the hum. RF hash from nearby lighting fixtures, bad lighting dimmers, all can cause problems with noise. As @walterw pointed out, if RF hash is entering the pickups, then a wireless unit won’t prevent the noise. If a wireless unit. DOES solve the problem, then good for you, but there’s still an issue downstream of your bass that needs to be addressed. It’s really helpful to call in an audio technician well-versed in diagnosing (usually 2/3rds of the battle) and solving such issues, but like anything else, that won’t be cheap.
There is a mind-numbing number of churches out there that get great and wonderful modern upgrades, but sometimes, new and existing equipment is used and mixed together that can cause issues, or the installers miss a little details with regard to wiring, implementation of the system, or just plowing through the install with no regard for the instruments being used, particularly single-coiled-equipped guitars and basses. It seriously irritates me when I hear an “audio tech” callously tell a player, “you need humbuckers in that there thing!” Because they are too lazy to check behind their own work. No doubt, humbucking pickups can be a great help with extraneous noise, but I personally haven’t found a Jazz bass humbucking pickup I like. By the same token, it’s our responsibility as the players of single-coil instruments to make sure our instruments are in good condition and well-shielded. And frankly, there are situations without much of a fix, such as a player with, say, a very old, very nice vintage instrument that anyone would be hesitant to tear apart and start taping copper foil all over the place inside. Even though it needs to be considered if the instrument will be used in modern playing environments, I’m not about to diss a player for his reluctance to this. I’m fortunate enough to know how to thoroughly shield a bass, and now I own a very-well-built and shielded bass equipped with single-coil Jazz pups that I very seldom ever have noise issues with.
Most always, a fix can found and compromises made to quieten things down, but it does take some working knowledge of the tech side of things. And not from wildly-varying opinions and suggestions on a public forum (sorry).
Been there, still going there when I can...
Please, before you spend a nickel on any “solution”...(well, it’s yer money, do with it as you see fit, but...)
There could other issues causing the hum in your bass that isn’t the fault of the bass. Being a bassist and a semi-retired pro audio guy and PA trouble-shooter, I go through this exercise on a regular basis.
Do 2 things....as you are hearing the hum, mute your amp, unplug the instrument cable from your amp and see if the noise is till there. You can unplug your bass, unmute your amp with the bass unplugged and see if the noise stays or disappears, too. If the noise completely disappears, then plug your bass back in, get the hum going again, and re-orient your body and bass in different directions and see if the hum changes louder or softer as you face different directions. If you are getting him, there is an external source causing the hum. RF hash from nearby lighting fixtures, bad lighting dimmers, all can cause problems with noise. As @walterw pointed out, if RF hash is entering the pickups, then a wireless unit won’t prevent the noise. If a wireless unit. DOES solve the problem, then good for you, but there’s still an issue downstream of your bass that needs to be addressed. It’s really helpful to call in an audio technician well-versed in diagnosing (usually 2/3rds of the battle) and solving such issues, but like anything else, that won’t be cheap.
There is a mind-numbing number of churches out there that get great and wonderful modern upgrades, but sometimes, new and existing equipment is used and mixed together that can cause issues, or the installers miss a little details with regard to wiring, implementation of the system, or just plowing through the install with no regard for the instruments being used, particularly single-coiled-equipped guitars and basses. It seriously irritates me when I hear an “audio tech” callously tell a player, “you need humbuckers in that there thing!” Because they are too lazy to check behind their own work. No doubt, humbucking pickups can be a great help with extraneous noise, but I personally haven’t found a Jazz bass humbucking pickup I like. By the same token, it’s our responsibility as the players of single-coil instruments to make sure our instruments are in good condition and well-shielded. And frankly, there are situations without much of a fix, such as a player with, say, a very old, very nice vintage instrument that anyone would be hesitant to tear apart and start taping copper foil all over the place inside. Even though it needs to be considered if the instrument will be used in modern playing environments, I’m not about to diss a player for his reluctance to this. I’m fortunate enough to know how to thoroughly shield a bass, and now I own a very-well-built and shielded bass equipped with single-coil Jazz pups that I very seldom ever have noise issues with.
Most always, a fix can found and compromises made to quieten things down, but it does take some working knowledge of the tech side of things. And not from wildly-varying opinions and suggestions on a public forum (sorry).
Been there, still going there when I can...
I agree with this thought. As good as many of the noiseless pickups are they aren't exactly like a classic single coil jazz pickup. I went down this road and decided to stay stock.
Just chiming in to say I love the Area J pickups as well. Ive used them, the aguilar humcancelling and Nordstrand split coil J pickups in my jazz basses and have been happy with the results.
Humbucking isn't only for the 60 Hz issue, it works for any frequency that has the same amplitude in terms of output. I once lived near an airport and humbucking pickups wouldn't do help, too much noise! I had migraines... and couldn't play the bass!
To the OP: Get a split-coil P!
The only thing I would say about Barts is that in my experience they are best if you have a light touch. I don't. They also don't sound "vintage" if that matters.
