bass don't sound good !!

fredzer

Hi,

I have a U.S. Fender Jazz bass that isn't sounding too good , very dull/flat. Amp is fine as friends have used it and no problems. Newish strings on so that ain't the problem either .. was thinking maybe the pick ups ... has anybody else had trouble with this kind of thing? Would anyone know if the pickups are the problem where I could get them replaced?

Thanks,

Fredzer.

eoin5

Has it always been like that or did it just happen?

Doctor J

First, try a new cable.

Does it sound dull played acoustically? Set the EQ on your amp flat to get an idea of the basic tone of the bass and tweak it from there. Introduce more high end, about 2k to give it a bit of zing. Also, if you're looking for a brightish tone get some stainless steel roundwound strings onto it.

There is nothing generally wrong with the pickups in that bass, they've sold enough of them by now to have gotten the pickup spec right. If you can, try a different bass with the amp and see if there is a big difference in volume, there might be an issue with the electrics inside the bass.

Dord

Is the bass intonated properly? This could cause it to sound dead or lifeless if its not intonated properly.

http://www.tunemybass.com/bass_setup/setting_bass_intonation.html

fredzer

thanks for the info , the amp is new, crate 50w , played a fender jazz in waltons on this amp and sound was spot on, also new lead so thats not the problem either.

I noticed at higher volumes there is a noticable buzzing sound which i didn't get when i played in waltons using their bass. So i think i will change the strings as a next step but the buzzing sound im thinking must be a bad connection inside the bass its self...

Dord

fredzer wrote: »

thanks for the info , the amp is new, crate 50w , played a fender jazz in waltons on this amp and sound was spot on, also new lead so thats not the problem either.

I noticed at higher volumes there is a noticable buzzing sound which i didn't get when i played in waltons using their bass. So i think i will change the strings as a next step but the buzzing sound im thinking must be a bad connection inside the bass its self...

Its a Jazz Bass, the two pickups are single coil which can hum. When both pickups are on they buck the hum. You can alleviate this by ensuring that your bass is properly shielded.

You say that you didn't notice the hum in Waltons, there could be several reasons for that. Its a noisy environment so you might not hear it. The most likely answer is that the electrical wiring in Waltons is grounded and insulated well and your house may not be. I know mine isn't too good, its about 30 years old and they didn't think about all that stuff back then.

There's a pictorial guide here about shielding a Jazz bass. If you're not comfortable doing it yourself check out the Musical Instrument Resources thread at the top of the forum for the details of a few techs that could do this. If you do decide to do this, the tape can be ordered from Stewmac.com, but watch out for the edges as its very sharp and easy to get a nasty cut.

Shielding is a cheap enough way to combat the hum, you can also go as far as getting new pickups. I'd recommend shielding the bass regardless. Some manufacturers make humbucking jazz pickups so you don't get any hum even if only one pickup is on. One of these companies is Delano. I'm using their pickups in a new bass I'm building.

Back to the original problem, I suggest you look at the setup of your bass first if it doesn't sound right.

Demeyes

fredzer wrote: »

thanks for the info , the amp is new, crate 50w , played a fender jazz in waltons on this amp and sound was spot on, also new lead so thats not the problem either.

I noticed at higher volumes there is a noticable buzzing sound which i didn't get when i played in waltons using their bass. So i think i will change the strings as a next step but the buzzing sound im thinking must be a bad connection inside the bass its self...

How bad is the buzzing? Amps generally make a bit of noise when turned up loud anyway.
Try another bass through your amp and with your cable and see what it sounds like, try and isolate the problem for definate.

fredzer

Cheers lads, Demeyes about the hum it's pretty bad.. i noticed that if you do not touch the strings or any other metal on the bass ie tuning keys etc it is much worse, when you place your hand on the strings it dies down a bit... again this didnt happen with other guitars!!

red_ice

im not great with this sort of thing, but it sounds like your pickups arent earthed properly

Dord

fredzer wrote: »

Cheers lads, Demeyes about the hum it's pretty bad.. i noticed that if you do not touch the strings or any other metal on the bass ie tuning keys etc it is much worse, when you place your hand on the strings it dies down a bit... again this didnt happen with other guitars!!

It sounds like the electronics aren't grounded.

unclebill98

It is normal for the bass to hum....just not as much as you saying.

Doctor J

If it wasn't earthed the hum wouldn't diminish when he touches the strings. Sounds perfectly normal tbh. They're single coil pickups, they'll hum, depending on the environment they're in.

OP, when you turn both pickups up full, does the hum go away? Shielding will help but not totally get rid of the problem. You might consider changing the pickups because it sounds like you're living somewhere with bad interference. Any neon lights nearby? Something like the DiMarzio Ultra Jazz set should sort it out.

fredzer

Thanks again lads for all the info, Doctor J , no turning both up does not reduce the buzzing. Spoken to a guy in waltons and he's going to take a look at it .. let you know how it goes!

cheers,

Fredzer.

Parsley

You wouldn't be playing it very close to a PC monitor would you?