Hi all,
I just received a Fender Jazz but I’m having trouble with a buzz sound (ground problem?) whenever I turn the gain knob on the bass even just a little bit. It disappears totally if I turn it all the way off. If I touch a metal part of the bass the buzz sound stops (or the metal end part of the cable). Is there something I can do about it, other than going to the morgue of the local hospital and asking them for a spare finger so I can duct tape it to the bass?
It’s very annoying, specially when I’m not playing and listening to the lessons.
Thanks!
Miguel
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Got the same problem with my bridge pickup at my old small amp so I guess there’s a lot of possible culprits in the chain
Tone Knob + Bridge Pickup + old 10W amp = buzz sound
If one of them is at 0 there’s no buzzing.
If I turn it waaaay up there’s some noticeable sizzle in my rumble 100 but compared to my old little practice amp it’s silence.
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My amp is a Rumble 40.
The buzz stops if I turn off completely the gain on the bass or on the amp.
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Sounds like a bad tone pot and/or a loose ground to me, @Miguel_F
Is there any warranty on your bass?
Cheers, Joe
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Hi Joe,
I’ve had it for 2 days, so I guess so.
I also read somewhere that this is common for passive basses.
Miguel
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I’ve never had an ‘active’ bass, so I really couldn’t say, @Miguel_F
You might try to rule out a bad cable or a loose jack connection . . . 
Good luck and let us know what you find out.
Cheers, Joe
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I tried today with a different cable (brand new).
Several Google searches tell me that it’s a shielding issue. There are even tutorials on how to shield the bass, but that’s out of my competence.
Also, sometimes the buzzing is really strong and it comes back to a “normal” buzzing if I slap the 4 string with my hand really hard. And really hard because it’s getting on my nerves!
Thanks for your time, @Jazzbass19 Cheers!
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I would not go that far to shield your base, it maybe some equipment in your vincinity
or your lightning
try use the bass in another room, see if it disappears
i have similar issue when i cross my instrument cable with the audio cable from my pc or with the adapter cable from my pedal (I like cable spaghetti)
using a higher quality instrument cable will reduce the noise, but in my case routing the cable out of the way is the most easiest
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Miguel,
I am not a Luthier, but give this a try. Under the bridge is a wire that is designed to make contact with the bridge to ground the guitar circuit. With gloves on, or something to insulate your fingers, press down on any exposed area of the bridge. Did the buzz go away? If it did the wire is not making good contact with the bridge. Loosen all strings, or better yet remove them and loosen the bridge screws. Use a flashlight and look for the wire. It should have a bare end that is supposed to make contact with the bridge. If the body of the guitar is soft wood the bridge can mash the wire into the wood far enough that it doesn’t make contact or even make intermetment contact.
If the pushing on the bridge doesn’t stop the buzzing, unplug the guitar and remove the access cover ( carefully, get the right size screw driver and shield the guitar from slips of the wrist). Look for the single wire that comes from a small hole that leads to the bridge. That wire will tie in with wires on the pots. Trace that wire sequence to the cable connector in side the electronics cavity. It will lead to one side of the plug in connector that is attached to the body of the guitar. That is your ground wire connection for the guitar which completes the circuit to the amp. If there are ANY loose connections in that chain, there is the source of the buzz.
If none of that works, then your cable or amp connection may be the culprit.
Disclaimer: I am not a pro. These are things that I learned form my two builds and many mistakes.
Rock On!
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Hi @Marcel and @GR001 thank you for your tips.
Indeed, I’ve made some tests yesterday morning and found out that the culprit was a big neon bulb right behind me. There was a huge difference once I switched it off. There are some other desk lamps that provoke noise when I point the cable at them, and they make this noise even if the light is off, but the noise only occurs if I point the cable connector at them.
In any case I’m just glad that there is no problem with my new bass!
Cheers,
Miguel
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That is so good to know. Thank you for that information and I will from now on always keep it in mind for my practice space setup.
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Glad to hear it was an easy fix. Enjoy and Rock On!
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