Ticking noise from J-pups in series

[HotIceCream]

I've recently started modding my Hohner Jack bass with EMG pups. I removed the on-board pre-amp because it eats batteries and I don't use it anyway. I then decided to wire the pups in series T/T/V as per a schematic I've seen on this site previously.

It mostly worked, however, the pickups would still hum if the tone knobs were set differently, and there was an audible rhythmic ticking when either tone knob was wide open. Generally not a huge issue, as I like a darker tone and rolling both tone knobs off meant no hum or ticking.

I've subsequently wired the pups in series and directly to the jack with a cap across the output and ground (currently 47nF, but have tried a 100nF as well). I was playing around with a resistor and no cap to see how it affected the tone and realised the ticking and hum persisted when a tone cap wasn't in the circuit.

Again, when the tone is dark, as I like, it's not an issue, but I'd like to know why it's noisy otherwise.

 

[Watchootognbout]

Is there a cell phone or something on a charger nearby?

 

[HotIceCream]

Is there a cell phone or something on a charger nearby?

Tried again and made sure no chargers or phones. Still ticking.

 

[sunbeast]

I've recently started modding my Hohner Jack bass with EMG pups. I removed the on-board pre-amp because it eats batteries and I don't use it anyway. I then decided to wire the pups in series T/T/V as per a schematic I've seen on this site previously.

It mostly worked, however, the pickups would still hum if the tone knobs were set differently, and there was an audible rhythmic ticking when either tone knob was wide open. Generally not a huge issue, as I like a darker tone and rolling both tone knobs off meant no hum or ticking.

I've subsequently wired the pups in series and directly to the jack with a cap across the output and ground (currently 47nF, but have tried a 100nF as well). I was playing around with a resistor and no cap to see how it affected the tone and realised the ticking and hum persisted when a tone cap wasn't in the circuit.

Again, when the tone is dark, as I like, it's not an issue, but I'd like to know why it's noisy otherwise.

Are these active or passive EMGs? Are the pickups themselves internally shielded at all? When wiring pickups in series any internal pickup shielding needs to be separately wired from the signal ground wire or else it will be put into the hot signal path on one of the pickups and create a “noise antenna” rather than a shield from noise. With EMGs that have internal shielding (like all of the active models and possibly some of the passive ones) I think it will be near impossible to get into the coil to separate this shielding from the ground wire so they are probably not a great candidate for series wiring.

 

[HotIceCream]

Are these active or passive EMGs? Are the pickups themselves internally shielded at all?

I believe that the pickups are passive (my research indicates EMG Select) - they're the original pups. I have no idea if they are internally shielded - how would I check?

With EMGs that have internal shielding (like all of the active models and possibly some of the passive ones) I think it will be near impossible to get into the coil to separate this shielding from the ground wire so they are probably not a great candidate for series wiring.

That'd be slighty annoying! The sound is pretty good otherwise!

 

[sunbeast]

I believe that the pickups are passive (my research indicates EMG Select) - they're the original pups. I have no idea if they are internally shielded - how would I check?



That'd be slighty annoying! The sound is pretty good otherwise!

Hmm I’ve never used EMG Selects, but know they are cheap import passive pickups. Because EMGs are completely epoxy-potted and they never use shielded wiring it will be nearly impossible to tell if they have internal shielding as their active series do (often times the internal pickup shielding will be attached to the wire shielding so that you effectively have 2 ground connections to make).

I have found this little blurb repeated about EMG Selects that suggests they may have internal shielding:
“The Select Pickup line designed by EMG has been developed to utilize the latest pickup technologies in winding, shielding, potting, and electro-magnetics.”
Most other passive J pickup sets should not have this same shielding issue, because most are not internally shielded at all or if they are the shielding is often run to ground via the metal wrap that also shields the 2 conductors leaving the pickup (so you can run the wrap/shielding directly to ground and run the “-“ wire to the series/parallel switch).

That may not be what’s happening in your bass, but is consistent with past experiences I’ve had doing funky wiring schemes

 

[HotIceCream]

Thank you for the help!

I'll pull the pups out and have a look at them, see if there are any more clues there.

I'm realising that trying to find information on a 30 year old instrument from a brand no longer making them is tricky.

 

[Deleted member 365158]

Is there an electric fence or neon anywhere around?

 

[JKos]

What type of wiring comes out of the pickups? Two wires, a single shielded wire, or two shielded wires?

 

[HotIceCream]

Is there an electric fence or neon anywhere around?

No neon or electric fences!

What type of wiring comes out of the pickups? Two wires, a single shielded wire, or two shielded wires?

Um, not sure what they're called, but here's a photo of some of the original wiring. The white one on the right is from a pick up. The ground wraps around the hot wire, which is the smaller white insulated wire.

 

[musicman556]

I've had pickups "hear" my watch ticking before, if I had the volume open and my hands folded ovef the center of the guitar when resting/talking between songs. Any chance it's something mechanical like that around?

 

[Watchootognbout]

Does it get louder and softer if you point the bass in different directions?

 

[HotIceCream]

I've had pickups "hear" my watch ticking before, if I had the volume open and my hands folded ovef the center of the guitar when resting/talking between songs. Any chance it's something mechanical like that around?

I've heard of that happening! No, I don't wear watches or jewellery.

Does it get louder and softer if you point the bass in different directions?

Also no.

Thanks all for the advice, but it seems the wires I was using as temp connections must have been responsible. I soldered everything in series with the capacitor straight to the jack and the ticking is only faintly audible if I pump the treble on my amp or with harmonics turned up with gain on my preamp pedal, which I'm guessing would be general interference from whatever electronics are around me. With my EQ at normal levels, there's no noise. I wouldn't have thought a little extra wire and a couple alligator clips could have made such a difference, but there you go.

Again, thanks for the advice!