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Noisy input jack question

  • Thread starter Thread starter Deleted member 213691
  • Start date Start date
D

Deleted member 213691

Feb 9, 2012
55
29
#1
As a total noob to electronics I am having difficulty trouble shooting my noisy bass. I just installed new pickups (N3) and controls into a 2004 Fender American Deluxe Jazz Bass. My problem starts the moment I turn the active electronics on. When the bass is in passive mode she is nice and quiet and when I hit the switch to active she gets noisy. My question is the following: if my input jack was the problem wouldn't the bass be noisy in both passive and active modes? I am just trying to narrow down the possible sources. The input jack is grounded...maybe running a second ground would be an idea?

Please, any advice is helpful as I'm in the dark and Fender has no service diagrams for these particular electronics :-(
 
#3
If the output jack is noisy in active mode and quiet in passive mode, the jack isn't the issue. It might be that something is either not connected well on the preamp, the ground and lead wires are touching somewhere where they should be isolated or the A/P switch itself might be faulty or faultily wired.
 
#4
Not being a "tech savvy" kinda guy in the particulars of the electronic modifications some folks undertake, all I can offer is the following.
Even though the ability to play music is a central part of your (our) existence, this modification is a chance for future expression of your all-around skills. Learning is a contemplative exercise - always go back to "the last thing that you did".
It would seem that the "switch" between your active & passive circuits is the devil. Re-visit your soldering connections, et cetera . . .
You'll figure it out!
 
#5
Hey Stealth,

Can you explain the difference between ground and lead? I assume the the lead is the wire that comes out of the pickup that is not the ground? Like I said, I really am totally new to this. If I post some pictures of How I have everything wired would you take a look at them?

Vance, I know, I know...problems are here to be solved...but I have spent more time on this than I care to admit and am reaching my threshold--to top it off I am currently living in Europe and have nowhere to take this bass so it's up to me.
 
#6
phililppe123 said:
Vance, I know, I know...problems are here to be solved...but I have spent more time on this than I care to admit and am reaching my threshold--to top it off I am currently living in Europe and have nowhere to take this bass so it's up to me.
Click to expand...
You make it sound like there isn't a single instrument tech in the entire Europe.

My guess is there are at least a few guys withing driving distance who could help you solve this. As far as electronics go these things are pretty simple, but without even pictures of the wiring all we can reasonably do is say "you screwed something up. Take it to a tech".
 
#8
phililppe123 said:
Hey Stealth,

Can you explain the difference between ground and lead? I assume the the lead is the wire that comes out of the pickup that is not the ground? Like I said, I really am totally new to this. If I post some pictures of How I have everything wired would you take a look at them?
Click to expand...

Depending on the pickup, some might have two insulated wires (a black one and a white one, usually) and you have to trace the wire to the first thing it's soldered to - if it's the back of a potentiometer (the metal casing) or the ring contact on the output jack, that's the ground and the other one's the lead (or signal wire). Some pickups have an insulated wire and a bare one - the bare is always the ground.
A photo would help. Link it up and let's look at it. :D
 
#9
phililppe123 said:
My question is the following: if my input jack was the problem wouldn't the bass be noisy in both passive and active modes? (
Click to expand...

No, it's possible to be quiet in passive and noisy in active. Here's how: most (but not all) active basses use a three wire jack (aka TRS aka stereo). In passive, only two of those wires are needed - a ground and a signal. Usually the tip and the sleeve sections of the jack/plug carry these. In active mode, the ring wire is also used to connect the battery ground to the cavity ground. This ensures the battery is disconnected when the jack is unplugged. It's possible that either the ring wire or the ring contact on the jack (accessible from inside the cavity) are bad - the wire has a poorly soldered or failing connection or the ring contact has gotten contaminated.

Try cleaning the jack out using a q-tip dampened (not dripping) in isopropyl alcohol. If you're OK with opening up the cavity, try slightly bending the ring contact on the jack so there's more spring force pushing the contact against the plug. Wiggle the ring wire a little to see if it's loose.
 
#11
it's a buzzing kind of sound. while my knowledge is limited it sounds like a grounding issue. the new fender controls i put in have an active/passive switch. the output jack has 4 prongs: i've got the ground on ground, then the +9 v on its own prong, the -9v on another prong, and finally the active/passive wire on its own prong. i assume the way i've got it hooked up is right because if i don't hook it up this way i get no sound at all. with these connections i get a buzzing/hissing sound. if i remove the active/passive wire from its prong i get no sound at all. i tried running a ground wire to the the prong that has the active/passive wire attached to it but this too kills all sound--as in the no sound from pickups at all.
 
#13
you really think it's shielding? i went to a shop today and played a few fender american deluxe jazz basses with the same electronics in them and while they were a bit noisy they were nothing like mine. will one bass of the same make and model need shielding while another won't?
 
#15
phililppe123 said:
you really think it's shielding? i went to a shop today and played a few fender american deluxe jazz basses with the same electronics in them and while they were a bit noisy they were nothing like mine. is shielding one bass needs and another (even if it's the same model) may not need?
Click to expand...

You would have to bring you bass to the same location to tell.

Noise like this is environmental. Do you have light dimmers in your home? That's a big cause of that kind of noise.

None of those basses should be even a little noisy though. They don't do the best job with shielding.
 

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