Sterling by Musicman Ray 34, active pickups making a WILD noise:

[m0nsterm0vie]

Hey bassists, check this out. I just dug out my trusty bass after some time away (a 2011 Sterling by Musicman Ray 34, single Pickup, 3-band active preamp), and it’s making a wild noise, which you can hear here:
noise from bass.mp3

What gives? This does not sound like a regular ground hum issue, it's like a mad wasp, and it modulates without me touching anything. It is also passing through the electronics in such a way that I can tweak the sound using the EQ and volume knobs.

I put a new battery in already, which i checked with a multimeter. I also tried different brands of battery, on the unlikely chance it has anything to do with that. I also checked the wiring and it all seems secure and properly connected.

Any ideas or suggestions? I tried reddit with no success, I thought maybe other people with experience of Stingray active basses might know something about this.

 

[beej]

Any chance this is interference from something? Cell phone, etc.?

I'm assuming this is a Sterling by Music Man? If so I'd reach out to them and ask for advice. [email protected]

 

[m0nsterm0vie]

I don't think so. I know what that sounds like. And it's happening really often.

Thanks for looking up the email, I will hit them up!

 

[nhbassguitar]

I agree with beej; this has got to be coming in from somewhere. Try the bass & amp in a different room.

Does the sound change when you turn and face a different direction?

Anyone new move in nearby recently? Any new construction or power line work going on in the area? Was cable service or power grid recently upgraded? Any ham radio antennas around you that weren't there the last time the bass was quiet?

Those batteries are standard alkalines, not those USB-C rechargeables, correct?

Beej already asked about a cellphone. Also, have you upgraded and/or moved any network gear, changed anything electrical in the place, brought in any new lighting fixtures, replaced any computers?

 

[m0nsterm0vie]

Thanks for your reply!

No, none of the above. I tried it with a handy little portable amp so I could move it around, with no change. There is a abundance of stuff in my studio that could easily cause it, but I'm fairly used to interference through pickups and it doesn't have the same characteristics, and certainly doesn't change if I move. The call is coming from inside the building!

Full disclosure, it was actually making this sound years ago (like a decade ago now), so it's not completely new, it just seems to be more frequent now. Back then I was in another timezone! I took a break in favor of other instruments for some years and this is the first time it's been plugged in since then.

Funnily enough the Stirling folks wrote me back: "Based on the audio clip and the details you’ve shared, it does sound like the electronics assembly or preamp may need to be replaced."

But we are long out of warranty here. Maybe I'll experiment with a new preamp myself!