Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Hi guys,

I have a gig coming up shortly where my band plays abut 3 times a year, It has a smallish stage which has 2 fluorescent lighting strips in the ceiling. I can never play my 4003 there as the lighting seems to bring out the worst of the hum from the pickups and I always have to play one of my other (non-Rick) basses instead. The venue do not turn the lights off during performances as they have coloured tubes and are part of their stage lighting! It really does come through the amp and PA quite noticeably and there's no way I could play with it as it is.

My 4003 is very quiet normally and this is the only place I ever have trouble with humming. I would really love to play my Ric there but at the moment it's a big no-no. Is there any way I can get around this issue? Is there an inline filter or something that you can use?

I would welcome any suggestions on how to resolve this so that my Ric doesn't have to get left at home again!

I have the same problem at my home. I use a noise gate and that really helps. Good luck,

--jack

Put HB-1s in it.

You could also try the RWRP mod.

--jack

The RWRP mod only works if both pickup volumes are all the way up. I have a pair of Ricnebacker HB1's in my main 4003. They're totally noisless, but require different wiring to get the most out of them.

I don't really fancy the idea of changing the pickups just because of the poor lighting arrangements on one venue.

A noise gate might be worth trying though, as suggested by JackTR.

I play other venues where they use fluorescent tubes and have no issues, I think it's possibly something to do with the power source for the tubes, ie have they taken the supply for the stage ceiling lighting from the same circuit as the mains sockets? When we are next there I might try running a mains extension off stage to see if it makes any difference. I'll try and borrow a noise gate as well.

Aren't there any mains adapters out there which would filter out this type of electrical interference?

You could change the lamp ballasts...

*** WARNING***
Techno-Nerd™ content ahead...


Modern, electronic "ballasts", generally "switch" at frequencies above audio so the noise they make can't be heard. The old magnetic ballasts basically create an arc in the tube that switches direction at line frequency, so produces 120Hz in 60Hz areas. That's well into the low audio range. Since it's electromagnetic noise, it travels through the air as well as the power lines so it's extremely difficult to filter out...

cjj wrote:You could change the lamp ballasts...

*** WARNING***
Techno-Nerd™ content ahead...


Modern, electronic "ballasts", generally "switch" at frequencies above audio so the noise they make can't be heard. The old magnetic ballasts basically create an arc in the tube that switches direction at line frequency, so produces 120Hz in 60Hz areas. That's well into the low audio range. Since it's electromagnetic noise, it travels through the air as well as the power lines so it's extremely difficult to filter out...

Wow, that was quite layman-like for a technical treatise!

He's a good technical writer. Ask me how I know!

I use one of these at all my gigs and run all my equipment through it.
It has reduced my issues with sketchy club lighting and power to virtually zero.

http://www.tripplite.com/line-condition ... t~LCR2400/


They make smaller less expensive units but make sure you get one that has the Automatic Voltage Regulation.

bassduke49 wrote:He's a good technical writer. Ask me how I know!

NZ must be mellowing out the techno-nerd in CJ.

aceonbass wrote:The RWRP mod only works if both pickup volumes are all the way up.

That's the only way I ever have mine set, so it works for me.

--jack

JackTR - We can't get the model you refer to here in the UK but there are similar units available. I know someone who has a noise gate pedal so I'm going to ask if I can borrow it to see if it helps before I think of getting a Mains Supply Cleaner as you have suggested.

I also tend to have everything "full on" on my 4003 as well BTW!

Steve, did you have any luck with the noise gate? If so, which one? I'm having horrible 60hz hum at a stage where I'm playing over the next month. Tried a power conditioner to no avail. It's clearly coming from the lights. Zoom B3 ZNR doesn't touch it either.

Rhetttuba wrote:Steve, did you have any luck with the noise gate? If so, which one? I'm having horrible 60hz hum at a stage where I'm playing over the next month. Tried a power conditioner to no avail. It's clearly coming from the lights. Zoom B3 ZNR doesn't touch it either.

Hi Rhett,

We aren't due to play at the venue where we experience this problem until the beginning of 2016 so there hasn't been any real urgency to resolve the issue yet.

I suspect the lighting to the ceiling of the stage was done "on the cheap" by a non-qualified electrician and they may somehow be linked into the same circuitry or supply as the mains sockets. If I were you I would try and run an extension cable from a power source off stage and see if it makes a difference.

Someone suggested as well not to have both pickups full on, don't know what difference that would make though?

Do the particular lights in question have to be on, see if you can identify if it is a particular light or set of lights and ask the venue if they can be disabled or switched off?