• Ernie Ball
  • MusicMan
  • Sterling by MusicMan

StevieStingray

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 25, 2007
Messages
51
Location
Toronto, Canada
I have a 2004 Stingray [single humbucker, 3-band EQ] and a brand new MarkBass CMD 121P

Last night, at a rehearsal, I plugged in, and right away the output was about 1/2 of what it should have been. I changed the battery right away... no difference.

When I started playing, the output swelled a bit. In between songs I could hear interference, erratic noise, etc

THEN, really bad popping/clicking - so bad and loud I could see the speaker freaking out - I thought it was going to touch the grille! I turned it off, plugged in another bass and it was louder and no problems. Luckily, there was another amp there, so I plugged my Stingray into it, and got the same problems described above.

So there's definitely a problem with the bass - the pickup? The circuitry?

Has anyone experienced this before?

Unfortunately, it gets worse...

When it was time to pack up, I put my bass in its gig bag, packed up my other stuff, said my goodbyes, etc. Then I slung my gigbag over my shoulder ...without the zipper done up! That thing flew about 3 feet down and another few feet away and landed face down with the most sickening thud I've ever heard.

Immediately, I noticed a knob sitting beside the fallen instrument. I swept it all into my case and went home, where I inspected it further and plugged it in...

Amazingly, the only cosmetic/structural damage I could find were 2 stress fractures on the lacquer at the heel joint. It still made sound, and the treble pot even snapped back into place [I thought it was sheared off, but it was like a "key" than snapped back in].

Rotating all the knobs, I discovered the tone didn't change at all. It just made more interference type noise, then the clicking/popping started, so I put it away and [tried to] go to bed.

I don't know how much more damage I caused to the circuitry, if at all, but the net problems are:
  • low output
  • clicking/popping
  • swelling volume
  • erratic interference noise
  • turning EQ knobs doesn't seem to do much
Thoughts? [Other than "you're a jackass", please - I've been playing for 30 years, and this is the nicest instrument I've ever owned, and I treat it as such. It was a bad, bad, day yesterday - I wish I hadn't gotten out of bed]
 

DTG

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 13, 2007
Messages
1,759
Location
Ireland
SOUNDS LIKE A DAY FROM HELL !!

mind you the sick side of me did smile at the taught of the bass flying out of the bag i bet it felt like it flew for hours before it finally crashed to the floor,i know i would be gutted if it happened to me.but at times like that you got to smile a bit and think it just cant get any worse:eek:

anyway i am not going to give my unqualifed advice....other than contact customer care,they really are the best around.

oh and sorry for wee smile bit !!;)
 

beej

Moderator
Joined
Aug 16, 2004
Messages
12,342
Location
Toronto, Canada
Damn! Wow, I thought I had a bad day ...

Sorry to hear that man. That's my old SR4? (Formerly Arin's?) A killer bass ... damn.

I'd shoot the customer service guys an email or give them a call. They can probably help you diagnose the problem.
 

StevieStingray

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 25, 2007
Messages
51
Location
Toronto, Canada
Yup, that's the one, beej. Trust me - it hurts me more than it hurts you :(

Of course I'm disappointed with the spontaneous malfunction. Any further damage sustained from the fall, though, is my plain stupidity. I just can't believe it didn't sustain more damage.

I'll contact cust service momentarily...
 

phatduckk

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 25, 2004
Messages
8,145
Location
San Mateo, California, United States
that's my old bass? small world.

I'd call customer service and see what they say. Odds are they'll ask you to send it in for them to look at and fix.

Another option is to take it to a reputable local repair person and have them sort it out.

A local person may not be as well equipt to diagnose & fix it but if they then you'll get a quicker turnaround than sending it back to SLO
 

StevieStingray

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 25, 2007
Messages
51
Location
Toronto, Canada
ya, that's much what cust service said to me just now

i don't relish the thought of packing it up, shipping, etc...

i think i'll take it to '12th fret' here in Toronto, first and see what they say

thanks everyone!
 

ronnyG

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 14, 2008
Messages
142
Location
Los Angeles, USA
" this is BAD, right? "

I think if you looked up "this is BAD, right?" on You tube there would be a video of that day for you.

I feel your pain, sorry bro. I guess if there is a bright side it didn't sustain much damage from the fall and I can't see any problem having the output problem fixed (other then a little out of pocket expenditure).

Best of luck, hopefully you used up your "bad luck" quota that day.
 

StevieStingray

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 25, 2007
Messages
51
Location
Toronto, Canada
you folks are not going to believe this...

i was just about to pack up my bass to bring to the local repair shop. But first I decided to try the few obvious/easy things [the ones I was comfortable attempting], as suggested by the cust service rep today.

One of them was the battery housing. I unscrewed it and made sure the lead wires weren't crimped. I then had a look at the battery pole contacts(?) to make sure they were sticking up well enough to make good contact with the battery.

They seemed a little flat, so I pushed them up a bit, screwed battery housing back in, put a battery in [plus a thin piece of cardboard at the butt end of the battery to promote good contact]

I don't want to get too excited too soon... BUT I THINK IT WORKED!!!

The volume is WAY louder and the EQ controls respond accordingly - EVEN the high/treble knob that broke off!

I'm gonna keep it plugged in to see if I hear any interference or if the clicking/popping comes back.

I gotta stop typing now because it's hard to do with fingers crossed...
 

bovinehost

Administrator
Joined
Jan 16, 2003
Messages
18,200
Location
Dall-Ass, TX
Sometimes it's just that easy.....I had a Bongo go dead on me, changed the batteries, nothing...started to sweat it....checked inside the battery box and the contacts were all grimy.

One pencil eraser later, back in business.

Hope your fix stays fixed!
 

JHLEFTYMM

New member
Joined
Oct 23, 2008
Messages
2
Location
N. CA
If it isn't your battery compartment, you probably need to have your input jack replaced. Sounds like the same problem I was having with my Stingray. Got the jack replaced and now it sounds just fine.:)
 

Road Pop

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 7, 2006
Messages
292
Location
Indiana, USA
Man, I hate to say this. But isn't it a "output" jack? :D

Good luck on the repair.



Edit: wasn't trying to be a smartass!
 
Last edited:

the unrepentant

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 15, 2007
Messages
1,191
Location
Bangor, UK
Aye, itt COULD be the jack socket, for a guess. I've had the jack sockets (you know the warwick style barrel jacks?) do similar things to me on two different basses, one of them was my old G&L and the other on my tobias, which i still haven't gotten around to fixing. they're buggers for that, might invest in a neutrik locking jack socket.
 

tkarter

Well-known member
Joined
Jun 22, 2004
Messages
5,921
Location
Kansas
You just may be the first person that has solved an issue on this forum without insulting the manufacturer.

imho

tk
 

ronnyG

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 14, 2008
Messages
142
Location
Los Angeles, USA
Sometimes it's just that easy.....I had a Bongo go dead on me, changed the batteries, nothing...started to sweat it....checked inside the battery box and the contacts were all grimy.

One pencil eraser later, back in business.

Hope your fix stays fixed!

Ah yes, reminds me of my earlier days on the forum when I basically stated the tone on my 90SR4 sucked. Turned out it was a weak battery..and a bad jack combination. So the tone didn't suck..I did by not checking the obvious first.
 

Big Poppa

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 9, 2005
Messages
18,598
Location
Coachella & SLO, California
TOm Karter welcome back and with a classic zinger! HE even did it without the frowny face icon

I m glad we could help get it right.

Jackie how did you get a grimy battery box?
 
Top Bottom