No sound

DaveJames

I have an Ibanez semi acoustic SPT bass, when I plug it in there is no sound, however, it worked in the shop, any ideas.

ICBM

Do you mean an electro-acoustic with an SPT preamp? (A semi-acoustic is a normal electric bass with a semi-hollow body and f-holes.)

If so, do the lights come on? Do you have the tuner engaged?

Whistler

The bass' volume might be turned down, the tuner might be activated (which cuts the bass' output) or the battery might be flat. Check each accordingly.

Your cable might be faulty. test using a different cable.

Your amp might be off or have the volume down. Test something else through the amp.

DaveJames

Thanks, sorry for my ignorance, but where is the pickup?

ICBM

DaveJames said:

Thanks, sorry for my ignorance, but where is the pickup?

If it's an electro-acoustic, normally a piezo-electric strip under the bridge saddle.

DaveJames

Cheers mate.

BillDL

With most instruments that have a battery compartment you can only insert a 9 volt battery the right way, but I have encountered some that it is possible to push the battery in the wrong way.  Check the polarity of the battery.  It most often shows a + and - on the hinged lid or just inside the battery slot.

DaveJames

It's works now, I tried a thicker cable, no idea why.

BillDL

The cable has probably been bent or crushed near the jacks.  If it has moulded on jacks rather than metal bodied jacks that are soldered on I would consider it damaged and throw it out.  If it has metal bodied jacks with soldered on wires it is possible the cable has been jerked and pulled one of the wires off.  You can unscrew the body and have a look.  Thinner cables often cause crackling when you move them around and handle them with the instrument plugged into an amp because they tend to have less electronic shielding.  It is worthwhile buying a decent cable with good quality jacks.

DaveJames

OK, it plays my six string OK but it has not got Jack's that unscrew, thanks.

BillDL

It could be that the spring leaf on the socket of the electro-acoustic bass isn't as springy as the one on the socket of your electro-acoustic 6-string and therefore doesn't grip it as tightly.  I have some cheaper cables on which the diameter of the jack is definitely a little smaller than on better quality ones, and they don't click as positively into place in cheaper sockets leaving some margin for lack of contact depending whether the jack is pushed in all the way.

ICBM

Is the cable that doesn't work a Planet Waves, or any other with a sort of 'concertina' bit on the barrel? If so, throw it out - these are a very bad idea, they were intended to improve the ground contact but actually damage sockets and sometimes don't contact the ring terminal either.

Or is it a stereo cable? This won't work with an instrument which uses the ring to switch the battery.

DaveJames

JSAUX if that's helpfull.

ICBM

One of these? https://www.amazon.co.uk/Professional-JSAUX-Instrument-Electric-Keyboard/dp/B088PQHL3T/ref=asc_df_B088PQHL3T/

If so my second guess was right - that’s a stereo or TRS (Tip, Ring, Sleeve) cable, not a standard guitar cable despite the description! It will work with a passive guitar because only the tip and sleeve connections are used, but an active instrument which uses the ring connection to switch the battery on by connecting it to the sleeve when a mono plug is in the jack will not work. (Or not unless the ring and sleeve are connected together in whatever the other end is plugged into, which they sometimes are.)

It’s not faulty, just the wrong cable for the job.

DaveJames

Thanks, you live and learn.