Maximizer and Noise

[Upslant]

I have a BBE 362 maximizer which does a really nice job of fattening the low end. To balance that, and get clear articulation, I have to make by bass more trebley. But then I get an intolerable buzz in the 2-3Khz range. The buzz is there a little without the maximizer, but since I'm not boosting my highs as much, it's less pronounced.

This is happening with my Geddy Jazz Bass (which I love). It doesn't happen to nearly the extent with my Ibanez RB888.

I want to have the fat bottom AND still get my clear growly treble, and not have the noise. Any ideas? Any input would be appreciated.

 

[bongomania]

You should be able to get more highs by lowering the "bass contour" and turning up the "process", rather than turning up the highs in some other way. Also, if the buzz is there "a little" without the maximizer, then you need to fix that buzz, rather than trying to mask it or work around it.

 

[Upslant]

That definitely helped, thanks. The buzz is still there, though a little less noticable. The volume of the buzz changes depending on how I turn relative to the amp. Is this an indication that there's a pickup problem and/or that the bass needs repair?

 

[Mystic Michael]

...if the buzz is there "a little" without the maximizer, then you need to fix that buzz, rather than trying to mask it or work around it.

Exactly. Also, have you considered that the Geddy's single coil pickups might be part of the problem?

MM

 

[Upslant]

I'm a bit new to bass, so my expertise on this stuff is not advanced. I've seen on this forum stuff about single coil pickup noise, and that certainly seems possible. I guess my question now is what do I do about it?

 

[bongomania]

There are two answers: install pickups that do not pick up so much external noise (e.g. "humbuckers"), or shield the bejeezus out of the cavities of the bass. There is a lot of info about shielding in the "pickups and electronics" forum here, so I strongly suggest you start researching there (start with the FAQ).

 

[Upslant]

Awesome. Thanks. I love the tone of the bass, except for the noise part, so I'll look at the shielding first. Thanks very much for the info!

 

[wonderjosh]

Geddys are already shielded. fyi...

 

[Upslant]

Thanks. Wow. Info galore. I also just tripped over another thread with info I didn't know, which is that many single coil pickups are wound so that turning the volumes of both pickups to equal levels reduces (drastically) noise.

It worked. I love simple solutions. That, along with the above changes to maximizer settings have yielded the best bass sound I've ever had. This forum rocks!