Pickup problems at my girlfriend's house

[japes]

I have a simple system for demoing on the go: Alsesis Multimix 4 USB and my MacBook Pro. I have noticed that while at my gf's house I get that hissing and buzzing that gets worse depending on where I point my Jazz bass. I have heard this can be due to power problems with her old house or perhaps a near by transformer.

My questions:

1. Could the above statements be true?

2. How can I go about eliminating most of that unwanted sound?

Sorry if that isn't enough information, as the forum suggests, I am a recording noob.

 

[KineticSound]

1. Could the above statements be true?

2. How can I go about eliminating most of that unwanted sound?

1. Yes, if the electrical wiring in her house is not grounded properly, has nearby interference (power lines overhead/nearby), or has outlets within the room on dimmers or on different circuits, these could all cause hum problems. Remember that in this case, your guitar or bass is essentially a big antenna for interference.

2. How attached are you to the girlfriend?

In all seriousness, if old wiring or nearby interference are the culprit, there's not much you can do.

 

[Jay C]

I have a simple system for demoing on the go: Alsesis Multimix 4 USB and my MacBook Pro. I have noticed that while at my gf's house I get that hissing and buzzing that gets worse depending on where I point my Jazz bass. I have heard this can be due to power problems with her old house or perhaps a near by transformer.

My questions:

1. Could the above statements be true?

2. How can I go about eliminating most of that unwanted sound?

Sorry if that isn't enough information, as the forum suggests, I am a recording noob.

I'm going through this right now and it's the same thing, if i point my pickups at the floor or the ceiling i get horrible buzz, there is a sweet spot but still pretty buzzy. went through a lot of trouble shooting, the amp and guitar sound great with no buzz or hum at all at my buddy's place. i even said where the so called "inherent" buzz that comes with tube amps, b/c there was none at all even on high gain channel. someone mentioned that it's probably the ethernet cables for the point of sale system down stairs in the restaurant, but who knows. im moving soon anyway.. but my point is to save your self the pain and agony of trying to remedy this. some guys have to build a Faraday Cage. lol.. google that.

peace.

 

[RAMI]

That's weird. I didn't have that problem last time I was at her house.

 

[ashcat_lt]

You could try shielding the pickup and control cavities with foil or conductive paint and replace any unshielded runs of wire between cavities with shielded cable. This would help some in any situation with a lot of EM interference, and is a good idea for every guitar.

Also, I think the pickups in a Jazz are usually hum-cancelling when mixed evenly. Cant promise that'll give you the appropriate tone for whatever you're doing...

BTW - I got a hummer last time I was at her house, but I ain't complainin'!

 

[japes]

Thanks everyone! I'll try the aluminum shielding you mentioned ashcat_It, though I think my problem is magnetic. The humbuckers on my guitar are noticeably better but I still get a little interference depending on its orientation. If there's no quick fix, there's no quick fix.