Professional Concerns About Geddy Lee Bass

[MDBass]

Nowhere in the OP does it say there is an actual noise problem, that the bass is faulty or that it has to be replaced. The sound guy noticed that OP had a SC-equipped bass and stated, correctly, that SC pickups can be/may be/have been known to be prone to being noisy. Offered as good advice and something to be aware of. As it turns out this was news to the OP and has expanded our OP's knowledge and experience in a positive way - s/he has learned something useful. No-one is telling anyone what bass to play. Jeez!

Saying a Jazz bass “may cause interference with the sound system or versa versa” is not good advice.

Good advice is a solution to an existing problem, and whoever told the OP that didn’t even offer a solution: they just presented a poor understanding of a currently non existent potential future problem.

60Hz hum isn’t “interference”, and the sound system can’t possibly “cause interference” with any bass.

The person who told the OP that didn’t understand what they were talking about.

The fact that the OP learned some things, from people who actually did give good advice and did understand what they were talking about, is certainly a net positive though.

 

[FullumMusic]

Nowhere in the OP does it say there is an actual noise problem, that the bass is faulty or that it has to be replaced. The sound guy noticed that OP had a SC-equipped bass and stated, correctly, that SC pickups can be/may be/have been known to be prone to being noisy. Offered as good advice and something to be aware of. As it turns out this was news to the OP and has expanded our OP's knowledge and experience in a positive way - s/he has learned something useful. No-one is telling anyone what bass to play. Jeez!

The OP said "I was told that my Mexican Geddy Lee bass may be cause interference with the sound system or vice/versa". If such is the case, i stand by my original post warning them that what this other person is giving misleading, incomplete, or incorrect info.

The OP mentioned nothing about a sound engineer, just that "someone" said "interference could be a problem," and was thinking about doing a major modification to the bass based on faulty info. And my reply was that potential "interference" between the Bass and PA wasn't a thing in such a manner, a direct answer to the OP's question, and then went on to explain SC hum issues (which is, my guess, what this mystery "someone" was referring to when they talked about "interference") and how to avoid it without having to change or modify the instrument. None was telling the OP what they should or shouldn't do. Just explaining things that might save them the $$$ of new pickups if they don't want to change them.

 

[Canadian APII]

I a currently looking at playing in a bunch of venues professionally--yay! That said, I was told that my Mexican Geddy Lee bass may be cause interefernece with the sound system or vice/versa. I was thinking of swapping the pickups for noiseless as I love the bass, but it knda kills the vibe.

Any ideas?

Check your shielding and get noiseless cables. Also get a noise killer pedal. I live in an old house with noisy electricity. I needed to get a power bar with an active rectifier to clean the electricity I was using.

 

[Camarillo]

I wouldn’t care of the single coil him in a band situation

 

[Sam Dingle]

Idk who said that but sounds dumb imo

 

[Old Garage-Bander]

Nowhere in the OP does it say there is an actual noise problem, that the bass is faulty or that it has to be replaced. The sound guy noticed that OP had a SC-equipped bass and stated, correctly, that SC pickups can be/may be/have been known to be prone to being noisy. Offered as good advice and something to be aware of. As it turns out this was news to the OP and has expanded our OP's knowledge and experience in a positive way - s/he has learned something useful. No-one is telling anyone what bass to play. Jeez!

Uh... First, in the OP no one referenced a "sound guy" as being the source of what was said. And but for a very few exceptions, most people responding here avoided using any terms to imply that a "sound guy" said this.

Bashing sound guys in TB is forbidden. Hopefully, "bashing" (within reason) of an uninformed, passer-on of misinformation is still allowed.

Second, in the OP it was stated, by the undisclosed person, that @Fenderz2015 bass may cause INTERFERENCE to the sound system or that the sound system may cause the same to his bass. This was what triggered the majority of responses that you quoted.

 

[Standalone]

Nowhere in the OP does it say there is an actual noise problem, that the bass is faulty or that it has to be replaced. The sound guy noticed that OP had a SC-equipped bass and stated, correctly, that SC pickups can be/may be/have been known to be prone to being noisy. Offered as good advice and something to be aware of. As it turns out this was news to the OP and has expanded our OP's knowledge and experience in a positive way - s/he has learned something useful. No-one is telling anyone what bass to play. Jeez!

OP was told “that my Mexican Geddy Lee bass may be cause interefernece with the sound system or vice/versa.”

The word interference implies something problematic— like a timing chain going and bending valves or a cell phone causing a jetliner to drop out of the sky — we don’t know whether the quoting is accurate or stemming from a misunderstanding on the OP’s part, but it is erroneous advice.

Everyone here who pointed out how misleading such advice is (or would be) is correct.

If the OP was given to understand that a J is not a professional level bass, as the thread title brings up, then that would be incorrect.

I think it muddies the waters to call out a dozen respondents here who share the same sense of it.

 

[alex1fly]

Problem in search of a solution. You don't need to do ANYTHING with your existing equipment unless there's a real problem. If it is a problem, you can turn the tone knob down and just get through the gig... then either get noiseless pickups, passive EMGs (they're shielded internally), or take it in for a professional shielding job.

 

[MovingPitchers]

My 2 cents,

Every Jazz Bass I ever owned (and Precisions for that matter), I’ve shielded the cavities with copper tape. I’ve had zero issues with buzzing or noise or whatever.

Also, I’ve never heard of a Jazz Bass potentially causing interference in a sound system???

 

[dkelley]

Think about what you were told here.

You are playing a GEDDY LEE BASS. This is the SAME bass design and electronics as the bass that GEDDY LEE has used for decades and toured with all over the world.

If it's good enough for Geddy, it's good enough for you.

Noise issues are the same for all normal fender jazz basses, and you learn how to work around them or use both pickups cranked to avoid noise when playing live.

Again, the Fender Jazz Bass is iconic for playing live venues. Good enough for most bassists in the world, so good enough for you.

the person who gave you the advice is talking maybe about ideals... but forgetting that the bass is THE STANDARD by which all other 2 pickup basses are compared.

 

[tb-player]

Nowhere in the OP does it say there is an actual noise problem, that the bass is faulty or that it has to be replaced. The sound guy noticed that OP had a SC-equipped bass and stated, correctly, that SC pickups can be/may be/have been known to be prone to being noisy. Offered as good advice and something to be aware of. As it turns out this was news to the OP and has expanded our OP's knowledge and experience in a positive way - s/he has learned something useful. No-one is telling anyone what bass to play. Jeez!

You put a lot of work into quoting all those posts.

 

[sleepingEB0]

Sounds like you want a new bass lol.

humbuckers are in my opinion the standard. Get a thunderbird or a warwick and you’ll throw rocks at fender

 

[sleepingEB0]

Think about what you were told here.

You are playing a GEDDY LEE BASS. This is the SAME bass design and electronics as the bass that GEDDY LEE has used for decades and toured with all over the world.

If it's good enough for Geddy, it's good enough for you.

Noise issues are the same for all normal fender jazz basses, and you learn how to work around them or use both pickups cranked to avoid noise when playing live.

Again, the Fender Jazz Bass is iconic for playing live venues. Good enough for most bassists in the world, so good enough for you.

the person who gave you the advice is talking maybe about ideals... but forgetting that the bass is THE STANDARD by which all other 2 pickup basses are compared.

Geddy has an annual supply of custom shop basses. The Mexican version is not the same. If he wanted to keep playing it I’d throw out and redo everything from frets to electronics. Why, that’s what had to be done with my Mexican bass. Good for the price (when they were $550 anyway) but let’s not pretend there aren’t compromises to get to the price point.

 

[aprod]

I'm curious as to who told you that? Sound man, band leader?

 

[devnulljp]

I'm curious as to who told you that? Sound man, band leader?

I'm going to go with "an idiot" one way or the other
People have been playing Jazz Basses in professional situations since 1960 without major issues. Sure, there may be 60 Hz hum (or 50 Hz in some places), same is true for Strats and Teles and it never harmed anyone's career.

 

[devnulljp]

Geddy has an annual supply of custom shop basses. The Mexican version is not the same. If he wanted to keep playing it I’d throw out and redo everything from frets to electronics. Why, that’s what had to be done with my Mexican bass. Good for the price (when they were $550 anyway) but let’s not pretend there aren’t compromises to get to the price point.

Geddy's original JB was a 2nd hand 1972 he bought in a pawn shop for $220.
(Mind you, I take your point -- I had one Mexi Jazz years ago, and it got sold after 2 days, I hated it)

 

[Dave Leighton]

Sounds like the sound guy is worried about invisible airwaves crackling with life

Well played @smurfco

 

[john_g]

Saying a Jazz bass “may cause interference with the sound system or versa versa” is not good advice.

Good advice is a solution to an existing problem, and whoever told the OP that didn’t even offer a solution: they just presented a poor understanding of a currently non existent potential future problem.

60Hz hum isn’t “interference”, and the sound system can’t possibly “cause interference” with any bass.

The person who told the OP that didn’t understand what they were talking about.

The fact that the OP learned some things, from people who actually did give good advice and did understand what they were talking about, is certainly a net positive though.

Exactly. Single coil pickups, like in the OPs jazz bass, can be noisy in certain environments...when the band is not playing. Just some humming, not interference. Unless you are telling stories or jokes in between songs it should be NO problem. If its a huge deal in between songs, get a tuner pedal with mute built in and step on it to silence it.

 

[fauxtoe]

Nowhere in the OP does it say there is an actual noise problem, that the bass is faulty or that it has to be replaced. The sound guy noticed that OP had a SC-equipped bass and stated, correctly, that SC pickups can be/may be/have been known to be prone to being noisy. Offered as good advice and something to be aware of. As it turns out this was news to the OP and has expanded our OP's knowledge and experience in a positive way - s/he has learned something useful. No-one is telling anyone what bass to play. Jeez!

By saying that bass may cause “interference” the sound man is making the OP second guess his preferred choice of bass. So, yes he is essentially implying to not play it because he doesn’t want to deal with any potential hum. If the bass was broken or he has a ground loop he needs to track down I can 100% understand a concern and have been there myself.

Single coil basses have been around since the 50’s. I think everyone has figured out by now that they might hum on occasion, but I bet the hum coming from the guitar player overpowers it

 

[Old Garage-Bander]

If it's good enough for Geddy, it's good enough for you.

Ouch!