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Squier Classic vibe 50s hum/click (PLEASE HELP!)

H

heyitsamike

Aug 9, 2011
37
0
#1
ok so i got a squier classic vibe 50s p bass and all is well except for that when i touch the pickup (not touching any metal) i get a loud hum. when i take my thumb off the pick up the hum goes away. also when i my thumb is not on the pick up and i touch a string (without touching any metal while touching that string) i get a short clicking sound. so does this mean
A- New pups
B- Re-grounding
C-Shielding
D-im dumb and have no idea what im talking about.
so please help
EDIT: the noise goes away when the tone dial is at 0 (both humming and clicking)
 
#2
The hum from touching the pickup is normal to some single coils. It's due to what I would call a poor design (not grounding the magnets).

Does it do it with both pickups, or just the one?

You can probably reduce or eliminate the noise by swapping the hot and ground leads from the pickup, to where they connect to the pots. You need to do this with both pickups.

Note, that if it's only one pickup that hums when you touch it, reversing the leads will make the other pickup hum when you touch it.

The reason for this is that the magnets are not groused, and that the start (inside wraps) of the coil is hot. So getting a finger near a magnet, which is metallic, induces hum into the pickup.

If you flip the hot and ground leads, now you have the ground at the inside of the coil next to the magnets. So now thew induced noise is shunted to ground.

The other stuff about touching the strings can be reduced with shielding, although you may find it has more to do with the outlet your amp is plugged into. If the ground is not good, or if the hot and common are swapped, you can have a noisy ground.

The reason touching the strings makes it quiet, or pops, is because the strings are grounded and it's using your body as part of the shield.
 
#4
I don't know but on mine the jack was loose ...might be a ground....mine doesn't seem to make any noises even after it got squished last night. It was under my wifes side of the bed last night and the bed broke. I said to my wife "get off my basses and it's time for someone to go on a diet." "It's a good thing I keep my 4003 under my side of the bed"
I think she's mad. What color is your bass? I have the blue one. I'll trade you if yours is the natural one. Do you have a ground switch on the back of your amp?
 
#9
heyitsamike said:
ok so i got a squier classic vibe 50s p bass and all is well except for that when i touch the pickup (not touching any metal) i get a loud hum. when i take my thumb off the pick up the hum goes away. also when i my thumb is not on the pick up and i touch a string (without touching any metal while touching that string) i get a short clicking sound. so does this mean
A- New pups
B- Re-grounding
C-Shielding
D-im dumb and have no idea what im talking about.
so please help
EDIT: the noise goes away when the tone dial is at 0 (both humming and clicking)
Click to expand...

I have a Lakland p-bass style bass that does that in my house. Everywhere else I've ever plugged it in it's fine. Mine is grounded and all that fun stuff. Different outlets in my house don't change it. Different outlets in different houses do. I'm no expert but my basses don't like my current residence.
 

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