Re: HumBucker Pickup For Bass? Which one?

"Arny Krueger" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:QI-dneYx_ZfB-ubVnZ2dnUVZ_gmdnZ2d@comcast.com...
> Are humbucker bass pickups really effective?
>
> We've got big problems with power line hum + harmonics our bass guitar,
ever
> since we started dimming our lights. Unfortunately, most of the lighting
> power runs under the stage and there is a big break in the conduit right
> where our guys stand to play.
>
> Yes, I need to fix the power wiring, but I suspect that I could change
> pickups on the Bass with a lot less effort, if it was effective.
>
> Are Hum Bucker pickups really effective, and which ones work the best?
>
>

Last time a bass player had me trouble shoot his problem it turned out he
was using an unshielded speaker cable on the guitar.

Tim Perry <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>
>Last time a bass player had me trouble shoot his problem it turned out he
>was using an unshielded speaker cable on the guitar.

The absolute best I ever saw was a fairly well-known upright bass player
who had a TRS-to-dual RCA plug on his bass pickup, to one half of a cheap
stereo RCA-RCA cable to an RCA-to-TS plug into the amp. It hummed, yes.

I wouldn't use those dual RCA-RCA things for line level signals, let alone
instruments.
--scott

--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

"Tim Perry" <[email protected]> wrote in
message news:g5fq9v$k4e$1@aioe.org
> "Arny Krueger" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:QI-dneYx_ZfB-ubVnZ2dnUVZ_gmdnZ2d@comcast.com...
>> Are humbucker bass pickups really effective?
>>
>> We've got big problems with power line hum + harmonics
>> our bass guitar, ever since we started dimming our
>> lights. Unfortunately, most of the lighting power runs
>> under the stage and there is a big break in the conduit
>> right where our guys stand to play.
>>
>> Yes, I need to fix the power wiring, but I suspect that
>> I could change pickups on the Bass with a lot less
>> effort, if it was effective.
>>
>> Are Hum Bucker pickups really effective, and which ones
>> work the best?

> Last time a bass player had me trouble shoot his problem
> it turned out he was using an unshielded speaker cable on
> the guitar.

We've got a ton of guitar cables. They all hum. I've dissasembled the ones
that don't have molded-on connectors, and they are shielded, at least where
terminated. Most of the rest are very limber speaker cables, if that is what
they are.

On Jul 14, 8:48 am, "Arny Krueger" <[email protected]> wrote:
> Are humbucker bass pickups really effective?
>
> We've got big problems with power line hum + harmonics our bass guitar, ever
> since we started dimming our lights. Unfortunately, most of the lighting
> power runs under the stage and there is a big break in the conduit right
> where our guys stand to play.
>
> Yes, I need to fix the power wiring, but I suspect that I could change
> pickups on the Bass with a lot less effort, if it was effective.
>
> Are Hum Bucker pickups really effective, and which ones work the best?

Humbucking pickups are effective.
\As was previously mentioned, what model of bass being used will
determine what humbucking pickups are available for it as a drop in
replacement.

Humbuckng pickups do not sound the same as single coils and that can
be either good or bad depending on what you want.

If you are using a Fender Jazz Bass, (and many imitators) turning up
both pickups all the way will turn those two single coils into a giant
humbucker.

The old Peavey T40 had two pickups that could be either single coil or
humbucking depending on how the tone control knob was set. Under "7"
it was a humbucker above that, one coil gradually faded out leaving a
single coil.

There are pickups with multiple wiring schemes that can give
humbucking, single coil, in polarity, out of polarity, and multiple
combinations of the above,

Arny, also check into the shielding of the bass, within the cavity
where the electronics drop in and around the input. I've done
homemade shield jobs on cheap guitars that I didn't want to spend
money on a guitar tech doing it and it made lots of difference.

My inclination is to first the bass and take a look. There might not
be ANY shielding in there (happens : ) )


v

Arny Krueger wrote:
> Are humbucker bass pickups really effective?
>
> We've got big problems with power line hum + harmonics our bass guitar, ever
> since we started dimming our lights. Unfortunately, most of the lighting
> power runs under the stage and there is a big break in the conduit right
> where our guys stand to play.
>
> Yes, I need to fix the power wiring, but I suspect that I could change
> pickups on the Bass with a lot less effort, if it was effective.
>
> Are Hum Bucker pickups really effective, and which ones work the best?
>
>

Make sure nothing hums when the bass has the volume control all
the way down.

EMGs on a Pbass. I got a set specifically to beat
neon lights. It worked.

--
Les Cargill

"Arny Krueger" wrote:

> Are humbucker bass pickups really effective?
>
> We've got big problems with power line hum + harmonics our bass guitar

My brother's had DiMarzio side-by-side humbuckers on his bass for ages,
and they seem to work well and sound good. In this case one coil covers
two strings and the other the other two -- so you still get single-coil
sound.


--
"Coloured and animated, the concerts and spectacles are as
many invitations to discover the universes of musicians and
artists who tint with happiness our reality."

On Jul 14, 9:48 am, "Arny Krueger" <[email protected]> wrote:
> Are humbucker bass pickups really effective?
>
> We've got big problems with power line hum + harmonics our bass guitar, ever
> since we started dimming our lights. Unfortunately, most of the lighting
> power runs under the stage and there is a big break in the conduit right
> where our guys stand to play.
>
> Yes, I need to fix the power wiring, but I suspect that I could change
> pickups on the Bass with a lot less effort, if it was effective.
>
> Are Hum Bucker pickups really effective, and which ones work the best?

http://www.fretnotguitarrepair.com/ElectronicsRepair.htm

There's a picture of a shielded PUP cavity. Foil available from
"crafts" stores (Michael's here in Austin) and possibly real hardware
stores.

Can also be done with paint.

By shielding, you keep the sound of the bass, and if it's a Jazz or
similar, you don't have to run both PUP volumes the same (limiting
tone choices) to eliminate noise.

Some people like EMG's, some hate them with a purple passion (like
everything in ng's <g>).

Shielding is a PITA and more work (but much cheaper for materials!)
than changing "drop-in" PUPs. Suggestions include making templates
from stiff paper to be used for layout on the adhesive foil. And
grounding everything.

Once it's carved (routed, with "routes"), it's carved.

OK, maybe this will help me get off the dime and get my own project
(Bronco bass, Seymore Duncan Hot Rails bridge PUP) actually done, or
something.

There are some interesting possibilities here:

http://www.seymourduncan.com/support/wiring-diagrams/

FWIW, second on the Duncans; I used a set of Quarter Pounder Pbass
PUPs in a 70's Pbass that were impressive for increased "smooth" esp.
on the top end compared to stock Fender. Improvement in the ear of the
behearer. They worked for a particular gig, but I didn't get rid of
the old ones, which have a certain useful (funky) sound of their own.
--D-y