Bass picking up other musicians through the amp..

[Arjimlad]

I am new & not all that clued up. Would love some help with something which is bugging me about my lovely bass...

I have read as much of the forum posts as I can but would be really grateful, please if someone could kindly let me know what I need to do...I don't expect I will be using all the right terminology.

I have had this bass for about a year - bought used and it's my first - but I really like the feel of it and the sound too. Cosmetically it is in great condition - holds tune well etc.

The problem I am having with my Peavey is when I'm playing in a group at my church, where I plug into the amplifier & bass cab which is in situ there.

When there are other amplified instruments or voices mic'd up within 10 feet of me, my guitar picks them all up & puts their sounds through the bass amp & speaker.

All of these other instruments & mic's are on wireless.

The other bass I have access to (a Fender P-bass which again resides at church) does not do this.

I have to turn two of the three pots down to stop this effect, which makes the sound very bland.

I have taken the scratch plate on the front off & looked for loose wires, there's nothing obvious, and I noted that there was only a small amount of foil stuck around where the pots mount the scratch plate.

Has anyone got any simple fixes for this ? Is it simply better shielding which is required ? Or am I in the realms of new pickups ?

Many thanks.

Edited June 15, 2010 by Arjimlad

[Ou7shined]

Certainly the first variable to eliminate would be the shielding.

[Arjimlad]

Thank you - I saw some useful guidance on that in the stickies.. shielding with copper foil or conductive paint..
Or am I trying to polish a turd & should get a new guitar ?!

Edited June 15, 2010 by Arjimlad

[Ou7shined]

Not at all. Give it a try. It's a pretty cheap fix anyway.

[Mottlefeeder]

Before you change anything in your rig, check whether your church has a hearing aid loop, and if it has, see if you have the same problem with it turned off.

If you are picking up from the loop, you need to move away from it (if you can) or move to hum-bucking pickups (as are fitted to P basses)

David

[Arjimlad]

It has - I will try without the loop turned on. Would shielding stop this ?

Thanks again

[Mottlefeeder]

[quote name='Arjimlad' post='868571' date='Jun 15 2010, 11:02 PM']It has - I will try without the loop turned on. Would shielding stop this ?

Thanks again[/quote]
No. It's the pick-up detecting a magnetic field - exactly what it was designed to do. In my case it was only a problem with voices between songs, so I was able to kill them by muting the amp when not in use.

If you have a two pick-up bass, the chances are that the pick-ups are wired in opposite phase. Setting their volumes (or the pan pot) for an equal mix will approximate to a humbucking pickup, and may cure the problem but sound a bit bland.

David

[Arjimlad]

Thanks David. The blurb about the guitar says that if both pickups are employed equally there is a "humbucking" effect, but that has not stopped me picking up the guitars & voices. I'll check out where the loop is.

[geoffbyrne]

If it's a bass with jazz-type pickups, replacing them with humbucking pups like DiMarzio J's or Ultra sounds (I have a lovely pair of Joe Barden Humbucking twin Rails for sale here) would go a long way to prevent this.

Actually, to be honest, a pair of EMG Selects would work just as well.

G.

[Ou7shined]

Great answer G.

Still creating a Faraday cage (shielding) would be high up on my things to do for now.
My classic series Jazz had awful hum from dimmer switches if I tried to roll back either volumes. Shielded it out and it's gone (practically).

I know I've posted this pic a few times on here but here goes again...

[Arjimlad]

Thanks !

I was wondering whether to place my guitar in the hands of one of the recommended local specialists for new pickups - but probably can buy a new Ibanez for what that'd cost.. don't trust myself to solder it all up correctly.

[Phil Starr]

If you are picking up only when you are near the other instruments it is less likely to be the hearing loop than radio pickup.
Shielding may help a lot and there is nothing to be lost by checking this. If there is radio pickup then one little trick is to short it out before it reaches the amp. A very small capacitor will be a straight short to rf but not to audio frequencies. If you have a jack lead where the cover will unscrew then try touching a 4.7pF capacitor across the two terminals (sleeve and pin). If it works then you can solder it permanently to the jack socket inside the guitar. A capacitor this size only costs pence.

[Arjimlad]

I think shielding is a must-try fix. I'll try to get some of that paint.. Thanks everyone !