“My guitar is buzzing” can mean a nightmare job and this bass proved to be difficult. The owner complained that when he had taken it into a recording studio there was a buzz that disappeared when he put his hands on the strings. You would first think that the issue was something to do with the strings or bridge not being grounded but there was continuity to ground from the strings when I tested it with a multimeter. Electronically the bass was sound but someone at some point had put copper tape in the control cavity so maybe this had been an issue for the previous owner? I also discovered the tone pot was coming apart and I guess this could have been causing issues.
I removed the copper screening as I was worried there was a short circuit that was somehow causing it to be hot. There was an audible tapping noise when I hit the control plate with my finger. In the end I re-wired the bass so ensure there were no dry joints and added a ground between the pots and output jack.
I would be interested to see how the bass reacts in the studio, it’s possible that the Neve pre amp that was being used in the studio amplified noise that was always there, but it’s also possible there was a ground loop somewhere. In the workshop however, the bass is quiet.
I gave it a setup was there wasn’t enough relief on the neck. The nut had been cut very low but was still passable. If the owner wanted to take it further this would require a fret-level and a new nut.
