BOD2 Posted February 23, 2012 Share Posted February 23, 2012 If it is static electricity then it could be caused by the pickguard material. It may also get worse when the air is drier (possibly in winter when heating is on). I've read that rubbing the pickguard with one of those fabric conditioner sheets that you put in a tumble drier can reduce the static (smells country fresh too !) Another thought - looking at the Lakland it seems that the plastic pickguard is completely separate from the grounded metal control panel. What happens it you tape a bare piece of wire onto the plastic pickguard at one end and to the metal control plate at the other end (effectively grounding the plastic). I know plastic doesn't conduct electricity but the static charge builds up on the surface. Worth a try for the time it would take. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markstuk Posted February 23, 2012 Share Posted February 23, 2012 worth asking here? http://www.laklandowners.com/joomla/index.php?option=com_kunena&func=view&catid=23&id=25350&Itemid=158 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jungle VIP Posted February 23, 2012 Author Share Posted February 23, 2012 Hey, everyone. Well the problem lives on. My pick guard is already grounded to the control plate. I put some copper tape on it not to long ago. I just installed the new preamp too and the problem is still here. Hey Brancini, sorry if I gave you a scare. By the time I had got to earthing myself, I had kind of ruled out the mains earth as it still occurred when I was using my phone. And you're right it should never be done. Moving forward with it though, the multimeter is here and I get high readings from the continuity test between the bridge and the control plate/knobs. I also get a high reading between the bridge and a natural earth like the radiator. Any ideas on how to fix this. I guess that means the bridge is no connecting with the plate correctly? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mart Posted February 23, 2012 Share Posted February 23, 2012 You've got a bridge earth wire linking the bridge to one of the pots, right? Well, check the resistance when you touch one probe of your multimeter to the bridge and the other to another point on the casing on that pot. If the reading is still high-ish, then re-solder or even replace the bridge earth wire and try again. If it is low then your bridge earth wire is good and the problem is elsewhere in the control cavity. Putting the two probes to any two of the pot casings should give a low reading, and similarly if you put the two probs on any one of the pot casings and the sleeve tag on the jack socket. Wherever you get a high reading, you need to re-solder or replace the earth wire. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lettsguitars Posted February 23, 2012 Share Posted February 23, 2012 [quote name='Jungle VIP' timestamp='1329933804' post='1550029'] I hadn't tried a different mains cable and that seemed to be a good idea. I just tried it a minute ago and a) the crackling was worse and when I tried to earth myself like before, I started getting shocks between me and the radiator/strings! Hmmm.... I really need to find somewhere else to test my setup. [/quote]pops turn to bangs and a large THUD!. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jungle VIP Posted February 23, 2012 Author Share Posted February 23, 2012 My bad. I am a multimeter newb so I was reading it wrong. The continuity test seems pretty good. Nothing is registering above ~025. Should I still be getting this noise? I'm really lost now. This just doesn't seem to add up. Whenever I touch any metalwork it's a really obvious pop and strings still crackle. I've tried a different floor now as well. Same problem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
icastle Posted February 23, 2012 Share Posted February 23, 2012 [quote name='Jungle VIP' timestamp='1330014896' post='1551486'] My bad. I am a multimeter newb so I was reading it wrong. The continuity test seems pretty good. Nothing is registering above ~025. Should I still be getting this noise? I'm really lost now. This just doesn't seem to add up. Whenever I touch any metalwork it's a really obvious pop and strings still crackle. I've tried a different floor now as well. Same problem. [/quote] OK, this is getting confusing now. Most multimeters working in 'continuity mode' aren't measuring resistance in a tangible way - they are just indicating that the item between the two probes conducts a generally unspecified voltage. Unless you have spent a significant amount of money on a multimeter with a calibration certificate, you are only going to be able to do a comparitive test. Using the meter on the [b]Ω [/b]setting, touch the two probes together and make a note of any number that appears - you now know what a 'perfect' connection will look like. Make sure the tips of the probes aren't touching your skin when you do this or your reading will be off. As you work your way down the earth path, anything that varies from that 'reference point' number should be seen as suspect. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jungle VIP Posted February 23, 2012 Author Share Posted February 23, 2012 OK so this is really going to confuse you. The [b]Ω [/b]setting reads .000 when the probes are together. Everything on the bass reads .000 when linked with the bridge. Is there a sparky in the house!? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyfisher Posted February 23, 2012 Share Posted February 23, 2012 Not confusing really. The [b]Ω[/b] setting is measuring resistance. .000 means zero resistance when the probes are touched together, as expected. So.000 between everything on your bass means that everything is also connected together with zero resistance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gazm Posted February 23, 2012 Share Posted February 23, 2012 Sounds like it's a superconductor Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jungle VIP Posted February 23, 2012 Author Share Posted February 23, 2012 I'm confused To me it seems logical to expect there to be no problems if the results have no resistance but I still get these problems. Am I being over sensitive? Is this to be expected on a jazz style bass? I just want to reiterate that I tried the bass with two heads, two cabs, my iPhone, direct laptop input (connected to mains and not) and with an audio card to laptop (mains/no mains). I get the same results be it somewhat varied but eq has not be constant so I suspect that to play a part. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyfisher Posted February 23, 2012 Share Posted February 23, 2012 (edited) [quote name='Jungle VIP' timestamp='1330024464' post='1551704'] I'm confused To me it seems logical to expect there to be no problems if the results have no resistance but I still get these problems. [/quote] Clearly the problem is not being caused by badly earthed or 'floating' bits of metalwork on your bass. That may not sound very helpful but these sorts of problems often require a process of elimination to track down the real cause. You've now confirmed that all the metalwork on your bass is connected together, so we need to start looking for something else. Have you verified the ground connection in your cable? Your bass metalwork may all be connected together but it still needs a good ground connection. This is achieved via the cable to connect to the ground of the amp. Edited February 23, 2012 by flyfisher Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jungle VIP Posted February 23, 2012 Author Share Posted February 23, 2012 What do you mean by 'floating'? I should have also included in my last post that I checked the resistance through the cable (sleeve to sleeve), amp sleeve pin to kettle earth out, kettle lead earth to earth and found .000 as the value for all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
icastle Posted February 23, 2012 Share Posted February 23, 2012 [quote name='Jungle VIP' timestamp='1330021971' post='1551651'] OK so this is really going to confuse you. The [b]Ω [/b]setting reads .000 when the probes are together. Everything on the bass reads .000 when linked with the bridge. Is there a sparky in the house!? [/quote] No confusion here. It just means you haven't got an earth issue within the bass. Next thing to try is to plug a guitar lead into the bass. Measure from the body of the free end of the guitar lead back to the bridge - have you still got .000? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jungle VIP Posted February 23, 2012 Author Share Posted February 23, 2012 Yea. .000. Was a bit harder to get a steady reading but it's .000. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jungle VIP Posted February 23, 2012 Author Share Posted February 23, 2012 Was passive. I have tried a different preamp as a resolution too ( J-Retro ) and it does it in both active and passive modes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyfisher Posted February 23, 2012 Share Posted February 23, 2012 [quote name='Jungle VIP' timestamp='1330025477' post='1551724'] What do you mean by 'floating'? [/quote] In this context, 'floating' would mean not connected to ground. Sometimes referred to as not 'tied' to ground, hence 'floating'. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jungle VIP Posted February 23, 2012 Author Share Posted February 23, 2012 Not wealthy enough to have another bass Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jungle VIP Posted February 23, 2012 Author Share Posted February 23, 2012 Although after that I thought I would try my friends guitar for a laugh... Mmm. I don't know where Snap is but I've found Crackle and Pop! Guess it's not the bass. Weird... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dad3353 Posted February 23, 2012 Share Posted February 23, 2012 If you can introduce some rhythmic element into these crackles and pops, you may have invented a new style. Everyone will be wanting to have this effect... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mart Posted February 24, 2012 Share Posted February 24, 2012 [quote name='icastle' timestamp='1330016469' post='1551517']...Using the meter on the [b]Ω [/b]setting, ....[/quote] Er, one other point that nobody's mentioned (and which I'd forgotten!): On most multimeters there are several different settings for measuring resistance, designed for measuring different ranges of resistance. You want it on the most sensitive setting, i.e. the one with the smallest number of ohms. On this one here, for example, you'd want it set to the "200" setting that's at 6 o'clock on the dial: If you get this wrong then you may be reading 0 even when there is a noticeable resistance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
icastle Posted February 24, 2012 Share Posted February 24, 2012 [quote name='mart' timestamp='1330074814' post='1552198'] Er, one other point that nobody's mentioned (and which I'd forgotten!): On most multimeters there are several different settings for measuring resistance, designed for measuring different ranges of resistance. You want it on the most sensitive setting, i.e. the one with the smallest number of ohms. On this one here, for example, you'd want it set to the "200" setting that's at 6 o'clock on the dial: If you get this wrong then you may be reading 0 even when there is a noticeable resistance. [/quote] That's a very good point. I use a Fluke which I rarely take off of 'autorange'. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deksawyer Posted February 24, 2012 Share Posted February 24, 2012 Does the bass make all the noise when someone else holds and touches it? D. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BILL POSTERS Posted February 25, 2012 Share Posted February 25, 2012 Better to use the continuity check I reckon (diode check with some meters) or try an analogue meter, even a battery and bulb would do. Not often you get a 0.00 reading on low ohms, theres always a little resistance in practice. Looking at your O.P it pops buzzes and crackles when you touch earthed parts. So i get the impression that either the 'earthed' parts are not earthed, or your not, and theres a potential difference, which is why I suggested check your mains earthing. Can you measure anything, Volts or ohms - try both - between your radiator and the amp metalwork ? it can get cofusing with a high OPV digital multimeter though, this is wnere analogue wins out, Are you sure theres nothing else electrical in the house running ? TV on standby ? anything with a power supply on, like a laptop charger, try it in another house if you can, not next door though. lights with dimmer switches cause some funny buzzes and crackles, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyfisher Posted February 25, 2012 Share Posted February 25, 2012 [quote name='BRANCINI' timestamp='1330168167' post='1553596'] Better to use the continuity check I reckon (diode check with some meters) or try an analogue meter, even a battery and bulb would do. Not often you get a 0.00 reading on low ohms, theres always a little resistance in practice. [/quote] I'm not convinced that a battery and bulb would reveal anything that a DVM wouldn't. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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