But trouble-shooting in the form of SWAGs (this was a Navy term we used long ago - it means "Scientific Wild-Ass Guess") is what you get when you make such a post.
"My bass is humming."
Everyone has experience with this (or anyone who's been playing a while and has experienced the joys of dimmer switches, fluorescent lighting, nasty power in clubs, etc etc). Anecdotally, I'd say the vast majority of "hum" cases turns out to be environmental (or people playing Jazz basses).
The other week, there was a post about a bass that had begun to hum. This was on Talkbass. As it was an EBMM bass, I chipped in, making my own little SWAG. Eventually, the owner added some information: the bass had only begun to hum after he dropped it. But he didn't think it was right that the bass should be affected by that. Fair enough. I once ran my car into a tree....but it was a NEW car, and expensive! It shouldn't have dented.
I've stayed out of this thread until now, hoping against hope that people would say, "Who knows? Call CS or your dealer." What else COULD they say? Well.......have a look, and welcome to the world of SWAGs.
BP has asked (politely, generally) over and over that if there is a problem with an instrument, let Customer Service handle it. "Aha! A conspiracy to keep problems off the forum!" Well, no, not really - an attempt, perhaps, to limit the amount of Google hits relating to simple problems with simple fixes but that soon become "internet truth".
Given how much we get from this cultural exchange on the forum, I don't think it's too much to ask participants to follow a few simple and logical rules. And I think the overall opinion of the forumites here is that we get way more back than we give.
Anyone who thinks otherwise is either too new to have seen it or has a bad case of Entitlement Syndrome. The former can be overcome; the latter, I'm not so sure I have much hope about that.
In retrospect, it was my bad for not PMing the OP and saying exactly what's in BP's signature, then closing the thread. I just hate closing threads, I guess, in my ongoing effort to moderate as little as possible.
So file this under "lessons learned" for yours truly, too.
Oh - and contact Customer Service, guys, rather than asking for SWAGs, because there ain't much "S" in the SWAG.
Jack
PS: Contact Customer Service if you have a problem with an instrument. I've been none too keen on closing threads immediately when the rule is circumvented, but I won't be in the future. Fact is, it is BP's rule and whether or not you or I agree with it is irrelevant.
Upon further reflection, I guess this thread is pretty much useless and I will refrain from posting this type of content in the future. Thanks from a Musicman owner since 1980.