Buzz, buzz, buzz...not talking about bees.

[timtwo]

Hi All,
I am the proud owner of a very clean late 60s early 70's 2 p/up mosrite bass.
My bass buzzes/hums pretty loudly...and it is not a constant or consistent sound either.
It changes intensity depending on the angle that I am playing in regards to my amp/speakers...up down left or right.
I could be right on top of the amp or 15 feet away and it wouldn't make any difference.
I don't believe it is a grounding issue...there is next to no popping/snapping when I touch metal parts.
I expect a bit of noise from old p/ups but not this much...is there anything I can do to remedy without slapping a bunch of
goop or adhesive in the body of the bass? Or is this just the nature of the beast.
Thanks in advance all!
Tim

[panther]

3 things come to mind.
1-Ground
2-cable
3-Feedback

I would try setting my amp at an angle, leaning back to see if that might help cut down on possible feedback. Try another cable.
I suspect a loose wire or bad ground.

Dan

[timtwo]

Hey Dan,
Thanks for your input.

The cable is a ok...I use it on a Jazz Bass and it sounds clean as a whistle.
The ground I am unsure of but I have taken off the pickguard and inspected the wiring to the
best of my ability and everything seems tight and connected...and I dont get that "pop" when touching
metal on the bass.

Looks like I may just have someone who knows what they are doing take a look and get some more
professional advice...my knowledge on the inner workings of electronics if minimal.

[rcblair]

There is a ground wire going to the bridge also. Check to see if the connection is intact. If the noise stops or decreases when you touch the strings that is a good indication that the bridge isn't grounded. The pickups are sensitive to noise from flourescent and neon lights also.

My 65 bass is a lot noisier than it used to be. I had hacked up the wiring before I knew anything about circuits so I need to check to see if anything is wonky. The potting in the pickup looks like it has dried out over time so I wonder if that might be a contributor also.

Rick B.