SUB4 Ground Buzz

[T-Maniac]

Bought a used SUB4 for a wicked price. Its solid and has the aggressive tone I was looking for.

Unfortunately, there also seems to be a slight grounding issue. Unless I am touching a metal part on the bass there is a buzz. Not horrible but somewhat annoying.

I checked the bridge connection and it has good contact.

I tried opening the main cavity but I was in a rush and wasn't able to do so.

DO you have to unscrew the jack or pots? I just undid all the screws around it.

Not worried about voiding anything as its used.

Any tips about getting rid of this/opening the control cavity?

Thanks
TMANIAC

 

[jongitarz]

You do not have to remove the pots or jack. The unit is one piece.

 

[T-Maniac]

Ok I'll pry/pull a little harder.

Thanks,
TMANIAC

 

[Oldtoe]

FYI, the two or three Stingrays I previously owned were devilishly susceptible to wiring issues of the structure in which I was playing. Dead quiet in my house, and exactly as you described in the practice location. Might be worth it to take the bass somewhere else and play it, just to be sure.

 

[T-Maniac]

That wouldn't surprise me too much Oldtoe... The bass is in really good shape and obviously has been taken care of (or unplayed )

The only thing is I have an old Yamaha beater that I put a "preamp" in (just some opamp voltage followers i threw together) and its dead silient.

Hopefuly I'll figure it out.

Thanks,
TMANIAC

 

[Oldtoe]

I meant to say that the Stingrays were the only basses that exhibited this noisy symptom. The Bongos were always dead silent regardless of venue, as was my other dual-humbucker rare English bass. Oddly, my Modulus with Bartolini preamp and pickups has a problem with house wiring, too. Wily electrons, eh?

 

[T-Maniac]

No kidding.

It probably the environment combined with the bass but I'll crack it open to see.

I thinking that the SUB may be worse off because it has more bulk grounded. I.e. the big metal control plate and knobs in addition to the strings. My house wiring is likely a disaster (ooooooooold house), so that combined with the design may make the SUB worse off.

Thanks,
TMANIAC

 

[soniq]

I've had no problems whatsoever with my SUB making noise, not even with my old amp that zaps me every once in a while . Compared to my Jazzes the SUB is dead quiet .

 

[T-Maniac]

Good to hear. I'll probably be able to work it out one way or another.

Thanks
TMANIAC

 

[T-Maniac]

i discovered it WAS the wiring in my house, but only after opening the bass and having some very stressful minutes putting it back together

thanks for the help guys!

 

[Oldtoe]

Glad to be of (limited) assistance!