AnalogBomb Posted September 21, 2023 Share Posted September 21, 2023 Hey Folks, I've recently replaced the pickups in my Bass Monkey p bass. I've put in some Basslines (which I've always liked) and they're working with a great signal, however, there's an issue! For some reason, there is a buzz coming from the bass when I plug it in. It stops when I have both hands on the strings (and it has to be both) and returns when I don't. It also seems to be made worse by moving my hand up and down the fretboard and over the pickups. I'm pretty new to installing my own electronics, but with the installation being pretty simple, I thought I'd give it a go! I'm wondering if it's a ground issue, but I haven't touched the ground wire or bridge - just soldered the 2 wired to the volume pot! The bass is pretty well shielded too! If anyone knows what might be causing this, any help would be much appreciated! AB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neepheid Posted September 21, 2023 Share Posted September 21, 2023 (edited) 8 minutes ago, AnalogBomb said: Hey Folks, I've recently replaced the pickups in my Bass Monkey p bass. I've put in some Basslines (which I've always liked) and they're working with a great signal, however, there's an issue! For some reason, there is a buzz coming from the bass when I plug it in. It stops when I have both hands on the strings (and it has to be both) and returns when I don't. It also seems to be made worse by moving my hand up and down the fretboard and over the pickups. I'm pretty new to installing my own electronics, but with the installation being pretty simple, I thought I'd give it a go! I'm wondering if it's a ground issue, but I haven't touched the ground wire or bridge - just soldered the 2 wired to the volume pot! The bass is pretty well shielded too! If anyone knows what might be causing this, any help would be much appreciated! AB It's definitely the bridge wire. Is it connected? Is all the grounding correct? Edited September 21, 2023 by neepheid Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlueMoon Posted September 21, 2023 Share Posted September 21, 2023 I tend to agree that it could be the bridge wire. A quick check with a multimeter to check continuity throughout the control cavity will help isolate where the problem (and fix) lies. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnalogBomb Posted September 21, 2023 Author Share Posted September 21, 2023 24 minutes ago, neepheid said: It's definitely the bridge wire. Is it connected? Is all the grounding correct? Yeah, I didn't touch it when I soldered the new pups in. Having said that, something may have come loose. I'll double check. Thanks both! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack Posted September 24, 2023 Share Posted September 24, 2023 Pleased you're happy with them! Oh wait no sorry I misunderstood. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean-Luc Pickguard Posted September 24, 2023 Share Posted September 24, 2023 I recently bought a new Classic Vibe Mustang guitar, and noticed that I could often hear a hum through the amp whenever I wasn't touching the strings or bridge. The first thing I do after buying a Squier or other inexpensive bass/guitar is replace the born-to-fail jack socket with a decent one so I opened it up and soldered in a Pure Tone socket. While I was in there I also protected the control cavity from slug infestation by lining it with 25mm self-adhesive copper anti-slug tape from amazon. After doing these two jobs, the hum was now totally gone, so I deduced from this that the previously heard noise was probably from slugs in the control cavity humming along with the music. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hellzero Posted September 24, 2023 Share Posted September 24, 2023 It's been explained so many times: you're acting as an antenna and when touching the strings you ground yourself removing the buzz. Just like @Jean-Luc Pickguard says, making a complete shielding of ALL cavities star grounded including the bridge will solve this issue, which is quite common with Fender type basses and slugs inside the cavities. 🤪 It's not only a matter of bridge earthed... 😉 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlueMoon Posted September 24, 2023 Share Posted September 24, 2023 35 minutes ago, Hellzero said: and slugs inside the cavities. At least they’ll be level-headed and well grounded 😎 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean-Luc Pickguard Posted September 24, 2023 Share Posted September 24, 2023 If the slugs are only humming when you're not touching the strings or bridge, this means that bridge ground wire is okay. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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