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new yam rbx374 problem

S

squishyH

Nov 2, 2009
51
0
#1
just got a new yamaha rbx374 (which, in general i'm very pleased with) but i'm having an issue

when played through any setup (diff cables, new battery, headphones from amp, headphones from a pedal) i get an annoying fuzzy sound when i play the E (only when i play, no interference when i'm not). i think it is a problem with one of the pickups, as when i isolate the ones at the bridge this buzz in gone completely, and as i turn back to balanced and isolate the middle pickup, the buzz comes back and gets worse. the fuzz is not loud, but i lose the tone to it.

help please? :(
 
#3
Hi squishy, I think I have the same problem! I've been discussing it here:

sound on sound discussion

are you finding that the buzz (what you're calling fuzz) disappears when you roll off the treble EQ (the knob furthest from the neck), and only comes back when you turn this knob up?

Yamaha did say that this is just a problem with the bass itself, which is annoying. Try the cable trick I've been using (as described on sound on sound), I'd be interested to hear if it removes the buzzing for you.
 
#4
yes it does go when i turn down the treble, but i dont think its the problem you described.

my 'fuzz' only appears when i play the E string moderately hard (not stupidly hard, just normal hard) and it then sounds like i've put a mild distortion on it, with loss of tone and a fuzzy distorted sound

i'm taking it back to the shop this weekend, to ask if they can do anything.

maybe i should have gone for the Squier mod J bass instead :( :rolleyes:

incidentally, i also got mine from sound-control (now 'reverb')
 
#5
It might be that the battery is running low, I've found it sounds a bit squidgy when that happens, particularly on the more bassy strings. I have a couple of rechargable batteries that I rotate to be sure I've always got one on hand. If you've got a multimeter/battery tester, ensure the battery is pushing out at least 9V.

From all I've found out over the last few days, the RBX374 seems to be badly designed, and perhaps it's luck of the draw if you get a poor quality component that results in this buzzing. I'm actually quite happy to turn the treble EQ down, it is a bass after all, not a treble :) Still, I want it to work properly!
 

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