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Strange bass electronics problem...

  • 31-01-2009 12:43pm
    #1
    Parsley
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,144 ✭✭✭


    So I've an active 6-string bass that lately has started acting up on me. Shortly after plugging it in, it starts to make this really high pitched whine. Quiet enough at first, but it gradually becomes louder, and lower in pitch. Eventually all you can here is this really loud whine and any notes sound reeaally distorted. When I plug out and back in again, it starts over (though much faster).

    When I turn any of the EQ knobs away from centre, the whine gets louder, no matter whether i boost or cut, on the bass, mid or treble. Just gets louder, not boosted at the frequency of the pot...

    What to do? It's definitely not the battery, I've tried a few. I've a spare bartolini preamp lying around but I don't have the skills or equipment to go about installing it (though I'd like to learn).

    Any ideas? I can try post up a soundclip if it's unclear as to what the problem is, exactly.


Comments

  • #2
    Darkstrike
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 476 ✭✭Darkstrike


    Wow never heard of that problem before! Is it the amp?


  • #3
    Parsley
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,144 ✭✭✭Parsley


    Darkstrike wrote: »
    Wow never heard of that problem before! Is it the amp?

    Definitely the bass, all my other basses work fine so it's not a cable/pedal or any other issue.


  • #4
    Dord
    Closed Accounts Posts: 10,817 ✭✭✭✭Dord


    Did you open it to have a look?
    It sounds like there might be a ground loop.


  • #5
    Parsley
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,144 ✭✭✭Parsley


    Dord wrote: »
    Did you open it to have a look?
    It sounds like there might be a ground loop.

    I had a quick look, nothing seemed particularly odd but I'll inspect it again...


  • #6
    Eoin Madsen
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,117 ✭✭✭Eoin Madsen


    Well, whining and distortion wouldn't be symtomatic of a ground loop, and with the recent onset I'd say it's more likely to be a component failure. Something awry in the preamp, or a microphonic pickup perhaps. How many pickups does it have? If there are two and the problem only manifests with one of them active, it might narrow down the list of causes. If it's both, then the odds are strongly in favour of a problem with the preamp.


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  • #7
    gotBass
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 108 ✭✭gotBass


    One other possibility is a busted capacitor, or solder joint to a cap on the active preamp circuit.

    normally the caps are used to either filter out higher frequency signal components or as a reservoir for a low power device such as an opamp.

    Has the bass been stored for a long time or exposed to any sudden changes in temperature/moiseture/both?


  • #8
    Parsley
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,144 ✭✭✭Parsley


    Eoin Madsen wrote: »
    Well, whining and distortion wouldn't be symtomatic of a ground loop, and with the recent onset I'd say it's more likely to be a component failure. Something awry in the preamp, or a microphonic pickup perhaps. How many pickups does it have? If there are two and the problem only manifests with one of them active, it might narrow down the list of causes. If it's both, then the odds are strongly in favour of a problem with the preamp.

    It's with both pickups.
    gotBass wrote: »
    One other possibility is a busted capacitor, or solder joint to a cap on the active preamp circuit.

    normally the caps are used to either filter out higher frequency signal components or as a reservoir for a low power device such as an opamp.

    Has the bass been stored for a long time or exposed to any sudden changes in temperature/moiseture/both?

    Possibly. No moisture though, but maybe temperature and I left it in my apartment in Cork for a few weeks when I was in Limerick over Christmas.


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