Re: HumBucker Pickup For Bass? Which one?

rboy wrote:
> On Jul 15, 8:48 pm, Romeo Rondeau <[email protected]> wrote:
>> A single coil hums period. The only way to get to stop humming is by
>> wiring it in a humbucking mode. Don't believe me? Take a look at a strat
>> 's wiring. Know why they did that? It hums. That's why they invented
>> humbuckers, Scott. I have 2 Jazz basses, one is mexican with regular
>> single coil pickups, if I use one of them it hums, both of them will not
>> hum... because they are reverse wired to one another. The american Jazz
>> bass I have has pickups that look like single coil pickups, but are
>> actually 2 different coils reverse wired with each other, neither one
>> hums and there ain't shit wrong with my wiring. There ain't nothing
>> crazy about changing pickups to make the bass quit humming, people do it
>> all the time. Blaming it on the power don't cut it.
>
>
> Single coils CAN hum, but nothing says they have to. If both of your
> Jazz basses hum with one pickup on, they shouldn't. Mine don't.

Bullshit, if they are true single coils they hum.

On Jul 16, 1:16 am, Romeo Rondeau <[email protected]> wrote:
> rboy wrote:
> > On Jul 15, 8:48 pm, Romeo Rondeau <[email protected]> wrote:
> >> A single coil hums period. The only way to get to stop humming is by
> >> wiring it in a humbucking mode. Don't believe me? Take a look at a strat
> >> 's wiring. Know why they did that? It hums. That's why they invented
> >> humbuckers
>
> > Single coils CAN hum, but nothing says they have to. If both of your
> > Jazz basses hum with one pickup on, they shouldn't.  Mine don't.
>
> Bullshit, if they are true single coils they hum.


Geez. All those clean strat tracks throughout the history of recorded
music over the years. I had no idea they had intrusive hum on them.
And every Jazz Bass track must have had both pickups wide open or they
could never have been recorded with the hum.

Sorry. If they truly hum under a microscope below the noise floor,
unnoticeable unless you solo everything and turn the track up to the
ceiling, it ain't any kind of hum they invented humbuckers over.

rboy wrote:
> On Jul 16, 1:16 am, Romeo Rondeau <[email protected]> wrote:
>> rboy wrote:
>>> On Jul 15, 8:48 pm, Romeo Rondeau <[email protected]> wrote:
>>>> A single coil hums period. The only way to get to stop humming is by
>>>> wiring it in a humbucking mode. Don't believe me? Take a look at a strat
>>>> 's wiring. Know why they did that? It hums. That's why they invented
>>>> humbuckers
>>> Single coils CAN hum, but nothing says they have to. If both of your
>>> Jazz basses hum with one pickup on, they shouldn't. Mine don't.
>> Bullshit, if they are true single coils they hum.
>
>
> Geez. All those clean strat tracks throughout the history of recorded
> music over the years. I had no idea they had intrusive hum on them.
> And every Jazz Bass track must have had both pickups wide open or they
> could never have been recorded with the hum.

They all hum, whether it's intrusive or not is a matter of how it's done.

>
> Sorry. If they truly hum under a microscope below the noise floor,
> unnoticeable unless you solo everything and turn the track up to the
> ceiling, it ain't any kind of hum they invented humbuckers over.
>

Well, why don't you enlighten us as to why they invented humbuckers then?

On Jul 16, 10:19 pm, Romeo Rondeau <[email protected]> wrote:

> They all hum, whether it's intrusive or not is a matter of how it's done.
>
>
>
> > Sorry.  If they truly hum under a microscope below the noise floor,
> > unnoticeable unless you solo everything and turn the track up to the
> > ceiling, it ain't any kind of hum they invented humbuckers over.
>
> Well, why don't you enlighten us as to why they invented humbuckers then?


Because humbuckers cancel noise. It's a choice. They invented
faster cars to go faster. But you're making a blanket statement that
doesn't connect the dots. A little noise is not an issue. Hum? 60
cycle hum? You're saying all single calls hum enough that you always
hear it? Over the music? Wow. I'm sorry if you can't use any of
your single coil guitars and can only use your J Bass with both full
on. Doesn't that bother you? I'd hate that.

rboy wrote:
> On Jul 16, 1:16 am, Romeo Rondeau <[email protected]> wrote:
>> rboy wrote:
>>> On Jul 15, 8:48 pm, Romeo Rondeau <[email protected]> wrote:
>>>> A single coil hums period. The only way to get to stop humming is by
>>>> wiring it in a humbucking mode. Don't believe me? Take a look at a strat
>>>> 's wiring. Know why they did that? It hums. That's why they invented
>>>> humbuckers
>>> Single coils CAN hum, but nothing says they have to. If both of your
>>> Jazz basses hum with one pickup on, they shouldn't. Mine don't.
>> Bullshit, if they are true single coils they hum.
>
>
> Geez. All those clean strat tracks throughout the history of recorded
> music over the years. I had no idea they had intrusive hum on them.

They were recorded in studios free of ambient electric fields. Or, as
I often do to get rid of stray monitor noise, single-ended noise
reduction was used on 'em. The noise is usually relatively narrowband
so SE NR can be pretty good.

I usually turn the monitor off, but not always. Yes, I know - buy
an LCD. I will when this one breaks.

> And every Jazz Bass track must have had both pickups wide open or they
> could never have been recorded with the hum.
>

And then somebody turns on the Neon "Budweiser" sign at Bob's Burger
and Bourbon Beeratorium...


> Sorry. If they truly hum under a microscope below the noise floor,
> unnoticeable unless you solo everything and turn the track up to the
> ceiling, it ain't any kind of hum they invented humbuckers over.
>

I have a P90 class pickup on the neck of a guitar. It will find
hum like a bloodhound finds deer.

--
Les Cargill

On Jul 16, 10:52 pm, Les Cargill <[email protected]> wrote:
>>Geez.  All those clean strat tracks throughout the history of recorded
> > music over the years.  I had no idea they had intrusive hum on them.
>
> They were recorded in studios free of ambient electric fields.

So what's the problem, then? The pickup or the field? : )

Single coils aren't quiet, but you need the field for humming. If it
hums with one amp and not when direct, the pickup is the least of the
problem. Single coil has inherent sound issues, but with a solid
shield job if you can't use it there's bigger issues afoot.

I should add that before recording a part with a guitar without
humbuckers, I move through a half-circle of rotation -- there usually
will be one angle where hum and other interference from my surroundings
is minimized.

Then you have to stay at that angle, which for those who like to bounce
around while playing, can be a big trick.

--
"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."

In article <GD5fk.12514$LG4.4344@nlpi065.nbdc.sbc.com>,
Romeo Rondeau <[email protected]> wrote:

> Jenn wrote:
> > In article <3PTek.119000$102.33167@bgtnsc05-news.ops.worldnet.att.net>,
> > "Paul Stamler" <[email protected]> wrote:
> >
> >> Have you considered switching
> >> to a synth bass?
> >>
> >> Peace,
> >> Paul
> >
> > Will probably require a different player, of course.
>
> CHange to synth bass because the one he's using is making a humming
> noise? Shit! What great advice :-)

Arny has evidently solved the problem. He informed me that the solution
is of "no interest to you."

On Tue, 15 Jul 2008 02:19:43 +0000, Paul Stamler wrote:


> You may be seriously up the well-known creek. Have you considered
> switching to a synth bass?

The Line 6 Variax bass doesn't hum. It uses piezo pickups in the bridge.

They sound good too. I think the resynthesis that the Variax and Roland
VG8 do works better if the instrument is designed for it.

"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.