Slight buzz from pickup on Squier bass - normal?

[Ricklh]

I've got a new Squier Vintage Modified 70's Jazz bass that is awesome but when recording with it last night, I could hear an audible buzz coming from one of the pickups. It's not major loud but it's there and when I turn that pickup down, the buzz went away. Is this normal for a $300.00 Squier bass?

 

[darrin_h2000]

Some fenders will pickup noise from things like floresant lighting...good news is that there are pickup kits that will upgrade your instrument without any routing involved.

 

[BrentDomann]

J-Bass pickups are generally single coils, so you're probably noticing interference (60 cycle hum). It would be as much a problem on any J-Bass with traditional electronics, though you might be able to help cut the noise (short of a pickup swap to noiseless pickups) by shielding the body cavities or trying better-shielded wiring.

 

[rockstudio]

Yeah that's pretty standard jazz bass noise. Even my fender fretless jazz has the single coil noisy-thing going on. This is one of those things I've just learned to live with. And when it really bugs me, I just switch to a p-bass.

 

[bassbrad]

I have a Squier VM fretless jazz and there is a slight buzz especially when too close or facing a source of EM interference like a TV or computer. I have been thru the circuit to make sure all of the connections are good and there was one dicey connection as well as a cold solder joint. Once it was point to pointed it really sang, had a touch more output and was pretty quiet especially for a single coil pickup.

 

[Buzz001]

I got masses of buzz when recording with my Squire Jazz the other night, unfortunately it wasn't until afterwards I realised that the cable for my Audio Technica headphones was a little too close to the guitar cable. Having the extractor fan on in the kitchen is also a hazard!