Shielding Jazz Bass Bridge Pickup

[christopantz]

Hi everyone, I'm pretty frustrated right now.

I just got done putting copper tape on the inside of my Jazz bass to shield it. It got rid of most of the buzz on the neck pickup, but hasn't made really any difference on the bridge pickup. It's a MIM Deluxe (Active) Jazz Bass. I soldered a ground wire going from the tape in the bridge pickup cavity to the tape in the main cavity, and I still can't figure it out. any tips?

 

[christopantz]

It didn't completely work for the bridge pickup either, so any help on that would be great too.

 

[bdgotoh]

Is the wiring from the pickups to the controls shielded?

 

[christopantz]

Is the wiring from the pickups to the controls shielded?

I'm not sure what you mean, how would I check?

 

[NortyFiner]

When you shield a bass, you have to shield the entire routed cavity. The pickup cavities, the control cavity, anyplace where there's wiring.

 

[DiabolusInMusic]

Hi everyone, I'm pretty frustrated right now.

I just got done putting copper tape on the inside of my Jazz bass to shield it. It got rid of most of the buzz on the neck pickup, but hasn't made really any difference on the bridge pickup. It's a MIM Deluxe (Active) Jazz Bass. I soldered a ground wire going from the tape in the bridge pickup cavity to the tape in the main cavity, and I still can't figure it out. any tips?

Is this a noise that stops when you touch metal/strings/bridge or does it remain constant? Does the hum stop when you balance both pickups? If the noise persists when you touch metal/strings/bridge, then shielding will not have any impact on the noise.

 

[bdgotoh]

I'm not sure what you mean, how would I check?

You'll have to open up the control cavity. If the wires from the pickup are multiple individual skinny wires instead of one fat wire per pickup then that can gather hum which is then fed into the active preamp and amplified.

 

[christopantz]

Is this a noise that stops when you touch metal/strings/bridge or does it remain constant? Does the hum stop when you balance both pickups? If the noise persists when you touch metal/strings/bridge, then shielding will not have any impact on the noise.

Hum disappears when i touch any metal on the bass, with both pickups balanced its still there

 

[DiabolusInMusic]

Hum disappears when i touch any metal on the bass, with both pickups balanced its still there

Shielding is the solution to your issue then. I would double check the ground wire under the bridge as well, ensure it has a good connection. Everything I know on the subject can be read in the link found in my signature. If there are any questions beyond that I am glad to help. I don't mean to be dismissive but literally everything I know on the subject is in that thread. I found myself repeating instructions so I made the thread.

As far as shielded wire/routing goes, I don't bother with this. Fender pickups have exposed pole pieces. Unless you intend to cover them up with shielding as well, you will have a greater surface area from the exposed magnets than the wire route holes.

 

[christopantz]

When you shield a bass, you have to shield the entire routed cavity. The pickup cavities, the control cavity, anyplace where there's wiring.

I've done everything besides the input jack cavity. should i shield that too?

 

[NortyFiner]

I've done everything besides the input jack cavity. should i shield that too?

The input jack is part of the wiring, so yes.

This, by the way, is why I usually pay a pro to do shielding on my instruments. It can be a real PITA to do it yourself.

 

[christopantz]

The input jack is part of the wiring, so yes.

This, by the way, is why I usually pay a pro to do shielding on my instruments. It can be a real PITA to do it yourself.

Unfortunately I can't afford to pay a pro at the moment. Trying to make do with what I have.

 

[christopantz]

I can't really think of anything else to do at this point. Shielding the input jack caused there to be no output from my bass so I had to remove that shielding. Aside from that I made sure the body cavities, bridge, pickups, were shielded. Even the battery compartment is shielded now.

 

[kulit17]

Here's some pics in this tutorial just in case you need to cross reference anything.

Jazz Shielding Pictorial (Big Images Warning)

 

[JoeWPgh]

Did you run a small piece of the copper tape up to reach the control plate?

 

[navijaz]

Maybe obvious, but worth asking...
Did you check the shielding for conductivity in all areas, using a multimeter?

 

[Stewie]

Does this problem occur everywhere, or just in your living room? Sometimes the lights in a room can cause buzzing that just can't be stopped, particularly fluorescent tube lights.

 

[joebar]

if its a true single coil pickup, there will always be some residual hum when favoring one over the other

 

[DiabolusInMusic]

I've done everything besides the input jack cavity. should i shield that too?

Have you done the pickup surrounds? Have you grounded all the shielding?

The control cavity must be shielded as well. If the shield touches the hot then you will ground out the signal.

 

[DavC]

you can't stop the 60 cycle hum of single coils ... unless both are at full volume ... then they cancel the noise out ... i usually install Split Coil pups ... they sound most like singles , and then ad copper tape ... and i wrap it around the wires that go thru the wood and make contact with the copper tape in each cavity ..

like others have said ... if you have a multi meter ... check continuity of all metal parts to make sure everything has a constant ground ...

the copper tape is like a Faraday cage ... to help block radio/electrical waves interfering .... buzz ..

if there are any light dimmers in the room circuit , they'll sneak some noise into things ... as will any CFL light bulbs ...

quality shielded cables are a good thing also ... ( which doesn't need to mean, stupid expensive )