Noise with S pickup on Bongo 5

[Néal Zheimer]

Hi all

I have been playing my Bongo 5 HS for quite a while now, I love this thing.

I have a problem though, when I use the single pickup in my guitarist's garage, I have quite a bit of noise coming out from the amp. It stops when I shut the volume down on the bass or set the pickup balance fully to the bridge pickup (a Humbucker).

Aren't those single pickup supposed to have a system of some kind in place to prevent the noise from happening?

Has it happened to anybody else?

G

 

[keko]

As far as I know, Bongo HS got small electronic circuit/preamp for S pickup placed under the hood with the rest of the preamp.
That circuit is there for hum canceling issue and for the level issue of S pickup!

Good electronic tech should locate and repair the problem, or simply contact an EBMM Customer Service!

 

[kamakazee]

Does the garage have fluorescent lights? This can cause hum.

 

[Néal Zheimer]

It does but the noise happens even when they're off...

 

[Gravesend Black]

Guys, forgive me the lack of education but how the fluorescent lights affecting PUs?

 

[Golem]

`

They broadcast a 60hz AM RF signal and the PU circuit
acts like an antenna. Since humbugger coils are wound
in pairs of opposite polarities to each other, in each PU,
the PU circuits have 180 degree phase interference with
regard to signals picked up antenna-wise, neutralizing
the 60hz hum.

-----------------------------


[Some might wanna skip this part]

Fluorescent tubes shoot a 60hz AC current wirelessly
down the length of the tube thru the ionized gas inside.
While there is some 60hz broadcast from just about any
piece of fairly straight wire carrying an AC current, and
sometimes your gear picks this up, the wireless current
inside a fluorescent tube has a stronger broadcast, and
also is unfortunately usually perfectly horizontal, so it's
polarized to match the biggest part of your PU circuit,
which is the strings. The strings are not hardwired to
any part of the PU circuit, but they are inductively able
to create current in the PU windings ... so it's not good
to have your strings bombarded by RF signals, yet it's
also often unavoidable ... thus the value of humbugging
PUs, to neutralize what is often unavoidably affecting
your strings/antennas.


`

 

[keko]

We have 220V/50Hz AC current over here in Europe!

Just sayin'!

 

[bdgotoh]

It's been awhile since I had an HS Bongo but my recollection is that there's an adjustable humcancelling coil in the control cavity. Open it up and get the noise going then fiddle with the trim pot until the noise is gone.

 

[Néal Zheimer]

Thanks for the tip bdgotoh!

 

[adouglas]

This is a job for.....

CUSTOMER SERVICE MAN!

I always like to talk to people who know what they're doing before I pull out screwdrivers and soldering irons. And nobody knows these basses better than EBMM itself.... electronics are electronics, but the Bongo is probably different from anything your local tech has ever seen before.

 

[Golem]

We have 220V/50Hz AC current over here in Europe!

Just sayin'!

OK so USA hum is between Bb and B and
Euro hum is [guesstimating] between Ab
and A. Yet, the principle is the same and
your voltage is much more lethal :-(

Just sayin' ......



`

 

[adouglas]

your voltage is much more lethal :-(

It ain't the vowlts, mate, it's the amps, innit?

 

[Néal Zheimer]

Customer service agrees, the issue is likely with the electrical wiring of the rehearsal place.

 

[OldManMusic]

I'm glad to hear that. Especially if this is my former HS.
Kevin

 

[adouglas]

Customer service agrees, the issue is likely with the electrical wiring of the rehearsal place.

Clearly the answer is more shielding. You have two options:

1) Cover every surface of the room -- floor, walls, ceiling, doors, windows, all furniture and while you're at it, the guitarist and drummer -- with aluminum foil.

This is likely to be too expensive, so....

2) Wrap your head in aluminum foil and supplement it with aluminum foil earplugs. This may not get rid of the hum but you won't be able to hear it.

 

[five7]

somebody had spinach for breakfast

 

[Golem]

It ain't the vowlts, mate, it's the amps, innit?

As usually always: "Yes .... and No". Lightning is almost
completely voltage-only, and the current flow is verrry
brief, since the conductor tends to vaporize immediately,
kinda like a quick-blow fuse link :-0

It's the amps that curls your toes, but the utility service
doesn't set the amperage, they set the voltage. Acoarst
more volts will push more amps thru a given resistance.

You could say that the increased amperage is more lethal,
but that the amperage wouldn't be greater unless there
was more voltage goading it to getcha :-/

And then there's phasing [insert "Set to stun" joke here].



`

 

[bassmonkeee]

somebody had spinach for breakfast

I'm more inclined to think paint chips.

 

[Néal Zheimer]

I'm glad to hear that. Especially if this is my former HS.
Kevin

Hey Kevin! Yes it is. You were so right about Bongos, there are the stuff!! I'm trying flatwounds (Thomasticks) on it and it is awesome.

Laters

Clearly the answer is more shielding. You have two options:

1) Cover every surface of the room -- floor, walls, ceiling, doors, windows, all furniture and while you're at it, the guitarist and drummer -- with aluminum foil.

This is likely to be too expensive, so....

2) Wrap your head in aluminum foil and supplement it with aluminum foil earplugs. This may not get rid of the hum but you won't be able to hear it.

They just painted the walls and floor, I should have told the guitarist to melt some copper in the paint

 

[adouglas]

I'm more inclined to think paint chips.

High voltage, baby