Rickenbacker - bass feedback? Or is my amp broken.

4string

Bit of an odd one. On a couple of occasions, once in rehearsals and once during a gig, I have a low booming sound come from my amp. Like very low frequency feedback. Is there such a thing as bass feedback? 

Rickie bass pickups are un-potted, so any suggestions on trying to reduce the feedback (if it is indeed that). I have heard talk of foam under the pickup? Any other smart ideas? And @ICBM thanks in advance for whatever thoughtful and on the money suggestions you have :-)

ICBM

Get Ash to make you some decent pickups for it .

Actually, I'm not sure it is the pickups... microphonic feedback is rarely low-frequency. What amp is it?

I've replaced the pickups in mine, by the way - largely because the originals aren't hum-cancelling, and I like fuzz... I have a SeiQ 'toasterbucker' in the neck and an old Kent Armstrong ceramic bar magnet guitar humbucker (originally from the neck position of an Eggle New York) in the bridge, just because it fitted when I was looking for a temporary replacement - it sounded so good that it stayed.

I also use feedback, on purpose - the kind you get by holding that neat little hook on the end of the headstock onto the top edge of the bass cab .

4string

I have the dreaded TC Electronics BH250, through a TCE 2 x 12... My first thought was that it was an amp fault, but I got a similar-ish 'feedback' sound when I borrowed the rehearsal spaces Peavey TNT 120 - if it did not weigh the same as a small planet I would have one at the drop of the hat. Fantastic sound with all the bright and presence gain stages engaged at about 8. Still could be the amp the BH250 I suppose. Thoughts? 

prowla

It wasn't after a curry night, was it?

prowla

in seriousness, though, years back I put a SD humbucker on my Ric because it was picking up RF interference.

LF is not something I would've immediately thought of, though.

Funkfingers

Bass guitars can feedback. Extreme volume and proximity of pickup(s) to loudspeaker(s) help. 

ICBM

4string said:

I have the dreaded TC Electronics BH250, through a TCE 2 x 12... My first thought was that it was an amp fault, but I got a similar-ish 'feedback' sound when I borrowed the rehearsal spaces Peavey TNT 120 - if it did not weigh the same as a small planet I would have one at the drop of the hat. Fantastic sound with all the bright and presence gain stages engaged at about 8. Still could be the amp the BH250 I suppose. Thoughts?

Must be the bass - or the cable or any pedals - if it did it through two totally different amps.

Does it do it on both pickups? It’s highly unlikely that both would be microphonic in the same way, so if it does it’s probably not that.

Funkfingers

4string said:

Rickie bass pickups are un-potted

Erm, tedious but necessary question. Which exact RIC model is under discussion? Solidbody 4001/4003 or one of the hollow ones? 

It might help to know the frequency of the feedback "note". 

4string

Funkfingers said:

4string said:

Rickie bass pickups are un-potted

Erm, tedious but necessary question. Which exact RIC model is under discussion? Solidbody 4001/4003 or one of the hollow ones? 

It might help to know the frequency of the feedback "note". 

 Thank you everyone for your responses. It is a 2000 4003S. I think E flat got it to boom the most...  I suspect the bridge pickup and will pack some felt under it. I might also take my Precision to the gig on Saturday. It was loud in rehearsals and I was driving the amp on 8 when it started, but it seemed to persist. I was straight into the amp, no Zoom B3 in the way as there is too much interference from the Fleetwood Mac covers band that play next door, with their fancy wireless set up. ;-) 

I might also get @OilCityPickups to wind me something else for the bridge. We have discussed it before, but Ash eyes up guitars in the same way an Igor would eye up a cadaver - as something else to be modified and improved by their handiwork.

It is working bass, not one to be looked at, so I need to have confidence in it. 

fretmeister

Could sell it and get a good bass instead?

OilCityPickups

4string said:

Funkfingers said:

4string said:

Rickie bass pickups are un-potted

Erm, tedious but necessary question. Which exact RIC model is under discussion? Solidbody 4001/4003 or one of the hollow ones? 

It might help to know the frequency of the feedback "note". 

 Thank you everyone for your responses. It is a 2000 4003S. I think E flat got it to boom the most...  I suspect the bridge pickup and will pack some felt under it. I might also take my Precision to the gig on Saturday. It was loud in rehearsals and I was driving the amp on 8 when it started, but it seemed to persist. I was straight into the amp, no Zoom B3 in the way as there is too much interference from the Fleetwood Mac covers band that play next door, with their fancy wireless set up. ;-) 

I might also get @OilCityPickups to wind me something else for the bridge. We have discussed it before, but Ash eyes up guitars in the same way an Igor would eye up a cadaver - as something else to be modified and improved by their handiwork.

It is working bass, not one to be looked at, so I need to have confidence in it. 

A simple idea Tim ... why not take the Oil City Demo bass to rehearsal with the Rick clone pickup I wound in? That punches on the same frequencies as your Rick and should prove if it's your rig or your bass.  

ICBM

fretmeister said:

Could sell it and get a good bass instead?

Sell the best bass and buy just a good one? Shirley Nott.

4string

OilCityPickups said:

A simple idea Tim ... why not take the Oil City Demo bass to rehearsal with the Rick clone pickup I wound in? That punches on the same frequencies as your Rick and should prove if it's your rig or your bass.  

An excellent idea. I will ring you tomorrow.