This started up a couple days ago. Bass is an Ibanez SR1600.
When the active preamp circuit is engaged, it makes a crackling, hissing, popping sound… reminds me of radio static when searching for a channel.
When I flip the switch into passive mode, the sound goes away and everything is fine.
Adjusting High/Mid/Low knobs all seem to affect the crackling equally, and it seems to be a function primarily of total volume rather than a single adjustment point. There is increased noise while pots are being rotated.
Noise is much better. It doesn’t seem to crackle and pop the same way. But there is a slight hissing sound when the active circuit is engaged. It gets louder when the low/mid/high pots are turned up, but is there even when they’re neutral or one is turned down. (Neutral does not boost the signal.)
It’s pretty quiet though. Not sure if this sound was always there and I just never noticed it before because I wasn’t looking, or what. I don’t recall it though.
Okay. Trying to figure out what might be wrong, I looked up a wiring diagram for the Ibanez SR Premium electronics.
I’m pretty sure that the rogue wire is the Bridge Grounding wire. In the diagram, it shows the wire going to the volume control, but on my bass it goes to the pickup sweep instead. Is this a problem?
As is - the grounding wire was originally soldered to the pickup sweep. I soldered it back onto there. In the diagram I link, it shows it connected to the volume knob. I could move the connection there instead, if that would be a better grounding point.
I need to check that the other end is properly connected to the bridge. It may have just been placed in loose. I might have pulled it loose when working on it.
