Bass guitar... not working?

Tricord · Post by **Tricord** » Wed Sep 15, 2004 11:16 am

I borrowed a Peavey bass guitar and amp from a friend to fiddle with, see if I liked it better than a regular guitar...

At first, everything worked fine, then I noticed the volume was diminishing, and now the guitar doesn't make any sound at all! I know the amp is allright because it cracks and rattles the usual way when plugging or unplugging the jack from the guitar, however once the jack plugged, it's just dead silent.

Now, I opened the backpanel of the bass and there seems to be a fair bit of electronics. There are five knobs, a master volume, three for the 3-band equilizer (low - mid - high), and a fifth button I'm not sure of what it does.. All interconnected with plenty of wires inside.. And it doesn't look like anything is loose.

I've had this problem with my regular guitar before, I gave it to a shop to have it checked and restrung. However, the bass isn't mine and I'd like to know the cause of the problem along with the solution. I haven't done anything special with it, it's been in my room all the time and it used to work fine.. Then it faded a little, now nothing.

Any ideas anyone?

Testiculese · Post by **Testiculese** » Wed Sep 15, 2004 11:29 am

Pull the wires off the volume and connect them directly. Oh wait, it's not yours. Well..check the current at the volume control. It's probably corroded.

I removed the volume knob from all my guitars after the one started getting flakey. Ditto with the pickup selector (I only use the one anyway). The pickup selector loosens and breaks connection after a while.

Stryker · Post by **Stryker** » Wed Sep 15, 2004 11:43 am

I get this and it usually has something with the cord orientation. Try rotating/messing with the cord between the bass and amp.

Sligar · Post by **Sligar** » Wed Sep 15, 2004 12:04 pm

Yeh the cables are always wearing out on electric guitars/basses. Try wiggling the cables. Also, it doesn't have a battery in it does it? Some basses have active electronics that require a battery, as the battery dies the volume gradually fades out. Try another cable and/or amp.

Dedman · Post by **Dedman** » Wed Sep 15, 2004 12:05 pm

Sell your BMW and buy your friend a new bass.

Tricord · Post by **Tricord** » Wed Sep 15, 2004 12:25 pm

Nah, it's pretty recent so I highly doubt any contacts are corroded.

I opened the cover, fiddled a little with the wires, connected it and it worked fine again!
I screwed the cover back on, played a little, and it faded back to zero in like 5 minutes time.

It's not the fact that it doesn't work that worries me... it's the fading issue.

El Ka Bong · Post by **El Ka Bong** » Wed Sep 15, 2004 1:00 pm

How about a new 9 volt battery ..? ! Many guitars need them to power the pre-amp or eq electronics..?

Tricord · Post by **Tricord** » Wed Sep 15, 2004 1:36 pm

Ah yes, sorry about that... This particular bass has no battery

Stryker · Post by **Stryker** » Wed Sep 15, 2004 1:38 pm

The bass and amp connections may not be corroded, but what about the cable that goes between the bass and amp? Being unprotected on both ends, they can become almost unusable in a very short period of time (especially in high-humidity areas).

HaAGen DaZS · Post by **HaAGen DaZS** » Wed Sep 15, 2004 3:23 pm

O_o

sounds mor elike a dirty connection/loose on the jack or pot.

so take off the the /plate and have a look at at the solder joints. if you dont know what a dirty joint looks like, best bet imo is to resolder everything. there is the possibilty it is a crappy pot, which would be a coupla bux to replace.

however, on the other hand, it could be something wrong with the power amp, and that is where my expertise dies out i afraid.

if the bass is still duff after resoldering, check the capacitance/ohm on the pot, make sure it is working. if so, lemme know and ill have a look into what maybe up with the amp. i dont recommend pulling that apart if its relativly new!!!

AceCombat · Post by **AceCombat** » Wed Sep 15, 2004 4:33 pm

this Bass wouldnt happen to have digital pickups would it?

if so, there may be a battery (typicaly a 9v) that needs replaced.

i know by two Ibanez Bass's have 9v Batteries in a separate back panel. then there is a second panel for the wiring and the pickups themselves.

TheCops · Post by **TheCops** » Wed Sep 15, 2004 4:35 pm

don't be messing with someone else's guitar like that. just tell them it is acting funny.

i hate when people touch my stuff... it's like an insult.

Nitrofox125 · Post by **Nitrofox125** » Wed Sep 15, 2004 7:09 pm

Try hooking up your normal guitar (or is it acoustic?) to the amp with the same cord. That way you can isolate the problem to the bass. Otherwise borrow someone else's electric and test it out.

Testiculese · Post by **Testiculese** » Wed Sep 15, 2004 10:16 pm

Oh, if you want to test the amp, run a line from your stereo to the amp (at low volume), and see if it plays the music indefinitely.

HaAGen DaZS · Post by **HaAGen DaZS** » Thu Sep 16, 2004 1:18 am

TheCops wrote:don't be messing with someone else's guitar like that. just tell them it is acting funny.

i hate when people touch my stuff... it's like an insult.

also a good point...

*hugs equipment*

roid · Post by **roid** » Thu Sep 16, 2004 7:18 am

doesn't sound like the bass is at fault. sounds like an amp/cable problem to me. plug the bass into your PC instead (preferably with another cable), to see if it gets the same problem.

i know it sounds stupid, but i wonder if your problem is simply the volume turning gradually down and down on the bass. i'm always knocking the volume of my guitar.
perhaps something is knocking (or vibrating, it is a bass afterall) the knob gradually down, and the knob is stuffed so trying to use the knob to turn it back up using conventional means isn't doing any good.

if that fails, then hug HaAg's equipment. it will help, something.

Tricord · Post by **Tricord** » Thu Sep 16, 2004 9:51 am

I'm not dumb but probably ignorant

A friend used to have a bass with a battery, he had a little switch to power it on or off, and there was a little LED to indicate that. The bass I have doesn't have switch or light, just the standard passive knobs, so I figured there wouldn't be a battery. When I opened the compartment, I didn't trace all the wires at first (there were quite a lot of them) but I traced two wires to another, separate compartment, in which resided a battery!

So, a new bat and it plays like new again. I am teh noob!!1

I'm enjoying myself playing along MP3's now, this is definitely an instrument for me

Basses on the piano aren't all that great, but this is just phat.

roid · Post by **roid** » Thu Sep 16, 2004 10:22 am

zip up your pants haagy, you'll be getting no 'equipment' hugging tonight.

HaAGen DaZS · Post by **HaAGen DaZS** » Thu Sep 16, 2004 11:45 am

roid wrote: zip up your pants haagy, you'll be getting no 'equipment' hugging tonight.

says who?

mwuahaha