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Troubleshooting Grounding Problems

bellis1

bellis1

Apr 5, 2010
399
1
Statesboro, Georgia (USA)
www.myspace.com
#1
Just finished a Warmoth Jazz project. For all intents and purposes, pickups are Nordstrand NJ4's, 250k Pots, all cavities are shielded, playing through Genz Benz Shuttle 9.0.

Plugged in my Warmoth bass for the first time at my house. It buzzed like crazy until I placed my finger on the tuner/bridge/strings. I simply thought "bad ground." So I took it up to the guy who installed the pickups and told him there might be a bad ground on the Jazz. We tried it on 4 different amps, no buzz. He suggested a 2 to 3 prong converter to lift the ground. Bought one, tried it (at home) and my amp still buzzed. Then found a ground lift switch on the Shuttle 9.0. Flipped it- buzz. Flipped it back- buzz. Then I tried my American P through my amp, which I knew for a fact didn't buzz. Annnddddd it buzzed. Took both basses to a friends house and tried it on his amp. No Buzz. Then I figured it was my amp. Tried it on 2 smaller practice amps (at home) and both basses buzzed on BOTH amps. Is there such a thing as having a bad ground at home?

I have switched chords, power chords, cabinets, basses, just about everything you can think of. Help!

UPDATE: Took the amp to a friends house. No buzzing! Must be the ground my house or the fact that it's next to my cpu.
 
#5
hmmm i am a novice but here is my 2 cents.
maybe they didn't use proper shielding but the cheaper shielding looking stuff that still lets in some radio.

are the grounging wires ach touching ground(especiall if it is an older bass as my 25y/o guitar the soldering had come loose)

Is this 'normal' for our amp, as i have a crate at home that sounds like alot of hornets when turned up loud even when fully functioning.

thats all for now
 
#6
Passifid said:
hmmm i am a novice but here is my 2 cents.
maybe they didn't use proper shielding but the cheaper shielding looking stuff that still lets in some radio.
Click to expand...

They used the shielding I ordered from Warmoth. I called Warmoth and they said they've never had a problem with the shielding. Not to mention, it's not my bass. My american P bass, which has NEVER BUZZED, now buzzes in my home. I just purchased this amp, AND this house. So two new factor's being combined.
 
#7
One thing you might want to try is something someone suggested to me when i replaced jazz pups once. (it was NOT included in the Dimarzio instructions) I was getting hum from humbucking pups, until i took the 2 leads from the pup and twisted them around each other as they ran into the control cavity. I did the same for the other pups 2 leads as well, and the hum went away. I have no idea why this made any difference, but it did. Good luck, I'm fighting my own weird ground problem a couple of threads down from you!
 
#8
JohnL said:
One thing you might want to try is something someone suggested to me when i replaced jazz pups once. (it was NOT included in the Dimarzio instructions) I was getting hum from humbucking pups, until i took the 2 leads from the pup and twisted them around each other as they ran into the control cavity. I did the same for the other pups 2 leads as well, and the hum went away. I have no idea why this made any difference, but it did. Good luck, I'm fighting my own weird ground problem a couple of threads down from you!
Click to expand...

Thank you for your input, however - The bass doesn't buzz any other place. I have tried it on five different amps. Four at a music store, one at a friends house. Therefore, I have dismissed the bass as the humming source. It's either my amp, or the ground in my house.
 
#16
I am far from being an expert on this topic, but I notice that both my basses have a moderate buzz like you describe when they get near my laptop computer, which is on the desk right in front of me when I'm practicing. Either bass needs to be within a few inches of the laptop for this to happen.

Adding to that, both basses buzz like crazy when I turn on the fluorescent lamp over my desk. This instance is so pronouced that either bass only needs to be within a couple of feet of this lamp. So you might check the proximity of your bass to sources of electromagnetic radiation.
 
#18
John Flynn said:
I am far from being an expert on this topic, but I notice that both my basses have a moderate buzz like you describe when they get near my laptop computer, which is on the desk right in front of me when I'm practicing. Either bass needs to be within a few inches of the laptop for this to happen.

Adding to that, both basses buzz like crazy when I turn on the fluorescent lamp over my desk. This instance is so pronouced that either bass only needs to be within a couple of feet of this lamp. So you might check the proximity of your bass to sources of electromagnetic radiation.
Click to expand...

Never thought about that. My amp sits in front of my computer. Thanks!
 

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