Love the sound of the Kingfisher Bass

[Jamook#4]

I Love the sound of the G&B pickups in the Kingfisher Bass. I dont even mind the low output. But I'm struggling with the noise and hum that I'm getting especially at bigger shows where sound guys are fairly unimpressed. PRS Tech dept has been quite amazing in trying to help with this but unfortunately even after a replacement pair I cant get rid of the noise. I really dont want to swap the pups out because they sound so damn good.

Here's an example.

 

[markd21]

Whatelse is in your rig - effect, amp, cab, etc? Are driving anything else to make up for the low output? Proper gain staging could be the issue. I haven't used a passive bass in ages, but I always used a DI box between it and whatever amplification I was using. Now I use active Warwick and EBMM basses with no signal:noise issues.

While you like the factory pickups, maybe install some active replacements and a preamp?

 

[Jamook#4]

Whatelse is in your rig - effect, amp, cab, etc? Are driving anything else to make up for the low output? Proper gain staging could be the issue. I haven't used a passive bass in ages, but I always used a DI box between it and whatever amplification I was using. Now I use active Warwick and EBMM basses with no signal:noise issues.

While you like the factory pickups, maybe install some active replacements and a preamp?

I've got a lot of basses. My main player for over 40 years before the Kingfisher was a 74 Jazz bass with Active EMG's. When I wanted passive tones I went to my NR Thunderbird or a number of other basses.

Thanks for the suggestion and I do get where you're coming from having played my 74 for so long but the Kingfisher's output isn't really the problem. Its the single coil RF that it picks up. I'm having the same problem that you see Strat guitarists have but sound guys just aren't used to hearing this from a bass player. Changing to Active and going preamp will only bring me back to the kind of sound I already have on a number of other basses.

My basses go straight into an Ampeg SVP-Pro with all Telefunken tubes. I could use a line driver but amp noise is not the problem, its the RF from the pickups that is my problem. I've shielded the cavities and replaced the Alpha pots with CTS, and the wire with shielded cable. It made no difference.

 

[markd21]

Cool. Maybe a noise gate, then? That's what I use with single coils.

 

[garrett]

Hey mate!

That's disappointing for humbuckers. I wonder if some shielding in the electronics cavity would help.

I've got a Donner Noise Killer that works great with my Strat. Cheap and small, so worth a try if they're available there.

 

[Jamook#4]

Hey mate!

That's disappointing for humbuckers. I wonder if some shielding in the electronics cavity would help.

I've got a Donner Noise Killer that works great with my Strat. Cheap and small, so worth a try if they're available there.

Thanks Garrett, I didnt see your post here before I contacted you re the Audere classic. Thanks for your help with that too.
We've had the conversation but for others reading this they're not humbuckers as such. More like a single coil and a dummy coil in a humbucker cover.