14 year old Fender Jazzbass has developed pickup squeal overnight!

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JCA2550JCA2550 Frets: 431
I got back from playing a festival gig on Friday night, plugged my Fender Jazzbass in yesterday at band rehearsal and the stock bridge pickup has apparently gone "very" microphonic overnight? Unless both pickups are set to the same, hum cancelling output, it squeals like a piglet, even at relatively modest volume levels, not a sound I want to encourage :/ 

So, any suggestions, These a normally great sounding lowish output pickups that really suit the bass (Japanese 2003 Geddy Lee Fender Jazz'). Is there a straight forward home fix, does it need wax potting oris time to replace the set?

Help please,

C

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Comments

  • Winny_PoohWinny_Pooh Frets: 7731
    You can diy wax pot but its a slight faff, have done it myself. 
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  • ICBMICBM Frets: 71952
    Is it definitely the pickup? If setting both pickups to cancel the hum stops it, it sounds more like it may be an external noise problem rather than microphonics.

    "Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski

    "Just because I don't care, doesn't mean I don't understand." - Homer Simpson

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  • FunkfingersFunkfingers Frets: 14320
    edited July 2017
    JCA2550 said:
    I got back from playing a festival gig on Friday night
    Outdoor stage? Damp or humid weather conditions? Moisture in the pickup could create a temporary short between the turns of the coil. Drying the instrument thoroughly may solve this. On the other hand, I would expect it to take something more corrosive than plain water to attack the insulation coating on the copper wire. Are the polepieces of the offending pickup corroded at all?

    Does the instrument have metal screening plates in the bottom of the pickup and control cavities? These can resonate. That would introduce mechanical squeal. It does not explain why balancing the volume of the two pickups negates the squeal.

    Has the bridge been unscrewed at any time?
    Be seeing you.
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  • BridgehouseBridgehouse Frets: 24578
    JCA2550 said:
    I got back from playing a festival gig on Friday night
    Outdoor stage? Damp or humid weather conditions? Moisture in the pickup could create a temporary short between the turns of the coil. Drying the instrument thoroughly may solve this. On the other hand, I would expect it to take something more corrosive than plain water to attack the insulation coating on the copper wire. Are the polepieces of the offending pickup corroded at all?

    Does the instrument have metal screening plates in the bottom of the pickup and control cavities? These can resonate. That would introduce mechanical squeal. It does not explain why balancing the volume of the two pickups negates the squeal.

    Has the bridge been unscrewed at any time?
    I was tempted to say get the electronics out (pickup covers off etc) and check for water or dampness. Let it have a good dry out if there is and then check again..
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  • JCA2550JCA2550 Frets: 431
    JCA2550 said:
    I got back from playing a festival gig on Friday night
    Outdoor stage? Damp or humid weather conditions? Moisture in the pickup could create a temporary short between the turns of the coil. Drying the instrument thoroughly may solve this. On the other hand, I would expect it to take something more corrosive than plain water to attack the insulation coating on the copper wire. Are the polepieces of the offending pickup corroded at all?

    Does the instrument have metal screening plates in the bottom of the pickup and control cavities? These can resonate. That would introduce mechanical squeal. It does not explain why balancing the volume of the two pickups negates the squeal.

    Has the bridge been unscrewed at any time?
    I was tempted to say get the electronics out (pickup covers off etc) and check for water or dampness. Let it have a good dry out if there is and then check again..


    It did start to rain quite heavily after we played, but I'm fairly certain the bass didn't get wet, could be the humidity or a stray unnoticed splash or raindrop  I guess?

    ICBM said:
    Is it definitely the pickup? If setting both pickups to cancel the hum stops it, it sounds more like it may be an external noise problem rather than microphonics.
    The squeal does sound like the howling feedback of a very microphonic pickup through a cranked amp or pedal, and the bridge pickup picks up a lot of handling noise when tapped with fingers or pick, which it didn't until yesterday ( the neck pickup is almost silent when tapped).

    I'll leave the bass out on a stand to "dry out" on the off chance and try again tomorrow night
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  • JCA2550JCA2550 Frets: 431
    Well after a few days drying out I'm relieved to say it's right as rain.  Must have been moisture finding it's way into the workings of the bass as squeal has completely disappeared even though overdriven Sansamp Bass DI.
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