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Ibanez ATK-Excessive Hum and Buzzing.

M

Mikeyd74

Jul 28, 2007
749
20
#1
I just got a brand new Ibanez ATK and when I plug it in I experience excessive pickup hum and buzz. I opened up the control cavity and I can't find any loose connections or shorts. I also changed the battery just to rule that out.
The buzzing is really increased when I turn the treble and midrange controls of the bass on full. None of my other eight basses have this problem through the same amp.
Has anyone had an Ibanez ATK with the same problem?
 
#4
Thanks for the help guys.
When I first plugged the bass it had a completely dead battery which I thought was kind of strange to begin with. I started wondering if something in the wiring was draining the battery. I did a search for the wiring schematics and I opened up the control cavity again. I looked around and noticed a piece of solder bridging between two of the connections of the output jack. I looked at the schematics and it didn't look like it should be that way so I separated the solder and a little of the buzzing went away. That made me a little happier.
So I started thinking that if Ibanez was that sloppy to have accidentally soldered those two connections together what else was I gonna find.
Next I noticed that the midrange tone pot was making slight contact with the side of the control cavity. I took my hand and twisted the pot away from the side and "presto" a little more of the buzzing was gone. I tightened down the nut to the pot so it wouldn't move again.
Then to top everything off I saw that two of the connections on the treble tone pot were bent and making contact with each other. I took my pliers and bent them back and the buzzing was gone!!!
I tested the bass compared to some of my other basses and now I need to fine tune the preamp trim control since I was messing with it to see if it was causing the buzzing, but that's no big deal.

I have to admit that I'm pretty disappointed in Ibanez for letting a bass leave the factory in such condition. But I partially blame myself for not buying the floor model and letting the salesman talk me into taking one that was brand new in the box without even plugging it in.
 
#5
Mikeyd74 said:
Thanks for the help guys.
When I first plugged the bass it had a completely dead battery which I thought was kind of strange to begin with. I started wondering if something in the wiring was draining the battery. I did a search for the wiring schematics and I opened up the control cavity again. I looked around and noticed a piece of solder bridging between two of the connections of the output jack. I looked at the schematics and it didn't look like it should be that way so I separated the solder and a little of the buzzing went away. That made me a little happier.
So I started thinking that if Ibanez was that sloppy to have accidentally soldered those two connections together what else was I gonna find.
Next I noticed that the midrange tone pot was making slight contact with the side of the control cavity. I took my hand and twisted the pot away from the side and "presto" a little more of the buzzing was gone. I tightened down the nut to the pot so it wouldn't move again.
Then to top everything off I saw that two of the connections on the treble tone pot were bent and making contact with each other. I took my pliers and bent them back and the buzzing was gone!!!
I tested the bass compared to some of my other basses and now I need to fine tune the preamp trim control since I was messing with it to see if it was causing the buzzing, but that's no big deal.

I have to admit that I'm pretty disappointed in Ibanez for letting a bass leave the factory in such condition. But I partially blame myself for not buying the floor model and letting the salesman talk me into taking one that was brand new in the box without even plugging it in.
Click to expand...


yes. my new ATK had the same deal. (my trebel pot was touching the side and the same pot had two leads touching). After I fixed that my signal was dead silent. Silent like a ninja. Another good thing to do with the ATK is to tighten down all the screws and such just a little more. I found a few to be too loose.
 
#6
bassclefjeff said:
yes. my new ATK had the same deal. (my trebel pot was touching the side and the same pot had two leads touching). After I fixed that my signal was dead silent. Silent like a ninja. Another good thing to do with the ATK is to tighten down all the screws and such just a little more. I found a few to be too loose.
Click to expand...
Yeah, I already tightened down just about everything else on the bass. It amazes me that they can design and assemble an awesome instrument yet cut corners on simple tasks such as soldering and securing nuts and screws. I wonder if it was ever inspected after it was built. All someone would've had to do was plug it in to know that something was wrong with it in the first place.
 
#8
dinghy said:
Did you happen to buy this at the Stevens Creek GC? I got one that had the same problem there. I was told that all three sold in one day that they had.
Click to expand...
I got it from a GC here in Illinois. I guess the ATK that I got is a special limited GC Ibanez ATK. They are the only ones that are black with a solid black pickguard, painted black headstock, and a rosewood fretboard.
Maybe the reason that these are special limited ATK's is because they feature a special wiring puzzle after you buy it?
Don't get me wrong, I love this bass, at least now that I have it up and running perfectly.
Do any of you guys have one of the limited GC ATK's by any chance?
Here's a pic.
P1010578.jpg
 
#9
Mikeyd74 said:
I got it from a GC here in Illinois. I guess the ATK that I got is a special limited GC Ibanez ATK. They are the only ones that are black with a solid black pickguard, painted black headstock, and a rosewood fretboard.
Maybe the reason that these are special limited ATK's is because they feature a special wiring puzzle after you buy it?
Don't get me wrong, I love this bass, at least now that I have it up and running perfectly.
Do any of you guys have one of the limited GC ATK's by any chance?
Here's a pic.
P1010578.jpg
Click to expand...

I have that exact one as well. Mine also has the buzzing but only on the treble pot. I'll have to try your method.
 
#11
I'm sorry I have to resurrect this thread, but I just recently found a solder to use and I can't find where the problem is. I guess I'm not familiar with the electronics in the bass so I don't know what's supposed to be soldered to what. How can I find where the buzz is coming from?
 
#13
This is the only thing I had to go by when I figured out the buzzing problem.
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

For the most part I just used my best judgement and wiggled wires around and made sure that things that were bent and odd looking on the tones pots went straight and matched the rest of the electronics. I'm sorry if I'm not that much help to you.
 
#14
After reading this I immediatly went and checked my ATK's here and no buzzing. I wonder if this was just typical for the GC run (it's a specail edittion made just for them). I have the Koa one at home and that one is dead silent, even when you solo the Jazz pickup (ATK700s had both the tripple bucker and a jazz pickup in the neck).
 
#18
I had the same problem. I took a pair of wire cutters and snipped the two solder bubbles in half. I figured that if I had to, I could just connect the two pieces together again.
Give it a shot.
Good Luck!
 

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