I own a Squier by Fender Vintage Modified Fretless Jazz Bass that is absolutely fantastic. Being that the guitar is a jazz bass, it came with single-coil jazz bass pickups. I quickly found out that those types of pickups are susceptible to interference and noise (my first bass, a Squier Precision Bass, has split-coil pickups that do not have that problem). As it turned out, my guitar was experiencing very loud buzzing when the tone was turned up at any level and the amp's treble was turned up past the half-way mark. I tried to hide the buzzing by adjusting my controls to compensate for the problem. However, I was not satisfied with the results as this severely limited the range of sounds that I was able to achieve.
At first, I tried to fix the problem by replacing the single-coil pickups (Duncan Designed) with noise cancelling jazz bass pickups (DiMarzio Ultra Jazz). The DiMarzio pickups had been praised for their noise cancelling properties and better overall presence. Also, I replaced my instrument cable with a DiMarzio 100% shielded cable. This did produce a somewhat better sound, but unfortunately, the incessant buzzing remained.
After extensive reading, browsing guitar forums, and having discussions with co-workers with electronics degrees, I finally located a website that outlined in detail the noise problems that most guitar players experience and the resolutions that are available. GuitarNuts.com is a great resource for any guitar player experiencing interference or noise. Even though I didn't find documentation that was an exact match for my guitar, I did find documentation that was close enough. Obviously, the theories still applied, so I had to simply adjust for my situation.
I ended up shielding and completely rewiring my bass guitar. It was a lengthy process (about four hours), as I wanted to make sure the job turned out right, but it was worth the time spent. From a materials standpoint, I spent less than $30: $13 on copper foil tape with a conductive adhesive (available at StewMac.com), $7 on 20-gauge wire, $3 on a pack of ring terminals, $5 on solder, and $1 on small wood screws. I already had everything else I would need: a soldering iron, electrical tape, wire cutters, and a multi-meter.
After following the directions and implementing the solution, I am now enjoying a totally quiet playing experience. I can finally hear the notes in all their glory. As a matter of fact, because the noise has been eliminated, the signal strength from my pickups has increased, thus producing a broader range of sounds and much better presence. Simply put, the signals from my guitar are no longer being weakened by interference. I thought the guitar sounded great before
now it sounds incredible!
The main things that I learned from this experience are that it is very important to separate the signal grounds from the equipment grounds, to eliminate ground loops, and to maintain a solid and grounded shield around the controls and wiring. It makes all the difference!
Ive attached a couple of schematic images that show the wiring before I did any work on the guitar, as well as one that shows the end result.
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