Stingray vs dimmer!?

[Leathertan]

Right....! After having a check for existing threads I thought my query may deserve a fresh entry...., I expect many more learned BC’ers will know of this issue☺️

So I’ve been A-B’ing my gear and found that my new (2nd hand) Stingray has a very noticeable ‘buzz’ that stops when any metal part of the instrument is touched..., we’ve all had this problem, right. However, after trying my other basses (also active and using the same instrument lead), and also all the basses through a different head, the Stingray is the only one exhibiting the buzz, BUT.....

When we turned the dimmer switch off (for the room lights) to play just using a lamp to see, the buzz was gone, totally!

So with the lights ON my Streamer lx and MM Sterling give no buzz, but the Stingray does, but then with the lights off, it stops.

Any electrical minded guys or gals able to nail what’s specifically going on with the ‘ray ? Only, if playing at a new location and I run into the same issue I might not be able to ask for the lights to be turned off because I’ve got a buzzing bass.🤓

Top Friday to all!!

 

[bartelby]

What's the shielding in the 'Ray like compared to the other basses?

Dimmers throw out a lot of RF interference...

[Leathertan]

Oooh, no idea. I don’t know what ‘forms’ shielding can take. In case you know anything about Stingrays it’s a ‘92-2eq model and with no alterations, so as it left the factory, if you like. 

What shielding would I need to have that’s likely to ‘immunify’ it like the others?

many thanks for the reply, bartelby.  

[Andyjr1515]

I fully copper shield/ shield cables all of my basses and guitars and NOTHING can stop the buzz from our kitchen dimmer switch for a number of them (despite the dimmer being downstairs and I play upstairs and across the landing!).  Anything with a pre-amp seems particularly susceptible.

I've come across a couple of venues which do have weird buzz sources, but most of the time even the susceptible ones don't seem to suffer.  Maybe it's possible that commercial-property dimmers are a different spec to household ones?

Oh - and I've found fluorescent lights can be a devil, too - although, happily, most venues don't like the ambience of their stark white light

 

 

 

 

[Leathertan]

Cheers AndyJr,

indeed, it may be an issue with the building electrics that I’ll never be able to get to the bottom of. It’s a real shame as the new Stingray has a mint sound so perhaps I’ll buy a second stand lamp and leave the main room lights off..., sorted-ish  Might get us more gig-ready to practice in a dingy room😅

[Maude]

I have the dimmer switch issue at home sometimes with certain basses. The little desk with my music stuff on where I practice has the only dimmer switch in the entire house just to my side. Why not move the desk to a different location I hear you ask? That's where Mrs. Maude chose to put the desk and a slight buzz from a bass is far preferable to the consistent whine she emits 

[Leathertan]

Oooh!😅 Nice one, Maude.

Indeed, constant winging when you aren’t even anywhere near your bass would get real old very fast, so best to live with the buzz. Bloody dimmers🙄