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jazzmaster owners - hum


trinilopez

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i've had my CIJ jazzmaster for a couple years, and would like to reduce the 60 cycle hum in single pickup positions. is it possible? i'm tempted to take it apart and do extensive copper sheilding - but would like to know if this is an effective approach.

 

to the same end - does anyone make JM pickups that have less hum (while remaining single coil)?

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No, no real way to reduce hum, due to the size of the pickups and their placement in the 'guard. You COULD try to use copper tape on the inside of the pickup covers, but that would pretty drastically change the sound...

Of course, that only applies to REAL JM pickups. The CIJ's come stock with pickups that more closely resemble strat pickups, tall and thinner.

I just learned to live with it - Live it doesn't bother me, and in the studio I can just cut out the parts where it is really noticeable, and mitigate it somewhat by placing myself adventageously with regards to the lights.

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my pickups are novaks vintage - wide and flat like the originals. and that makes sense, it is the pickup thats picking up the hum. so getting away from the amp and lights is my only strategy..

 

still i might experiment with some grounded copper rings around the pickup - a change in sound is not always a bad thing...

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I have the CIJ J.Mascis signature Jazzmaster. I was very surprised by the lack of hum (especially with the crappy stock pickups.) It has an metal anodized gold pick guard (which I'm sure helps quite a bit) and the inside of the cavities are painted with black shielded paint. I replaced the stock pickups with Lollars and it is very quiet.

 

JMJM-BLK.jpg

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mine has the tortoise pickguard with sheilding on the back of the guard as well as the black paint inside (probably how all CIJs are now). perhaps its not enough thickness? i'll open it up this weekend to see if i can improve the situation.

 

does anyone sell anodized pickguards that fit CIJ models?

 

btw - that j mascis model looks very nice!

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This place has a metal plate you can put under your pickguard. I got one for my MIJ Jag and it fit.

 

http://www.guitarpartsresource.com/electrical_shield.htm

 

Lots of other shielding items for Jazzmasters too they don't really specify US or Jp though.

 

I've seen a few places selling the metal Jazzmaster pickguards on ebay they all seem to be for the US ones.

 

There is a thread reviewing a few different gold guards here...

http://www.offsetguitars.com/forums/index.php?topic=1930.0

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The middle position should be noise canceling if it's a normal Jazzmaster setup. I use that position for intros and quiet passages when I play in our church band, and then kick in the neck pickup (my favorite) when the band gets going.

 

I put Seymour Duncan Vintage pickups on my CIJ Jazzmaster, and they are a bit less noisy than the Japanese OEM's. But they key is to use the middle position along with the tone control when hum is most noticeable.

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my pickups are novaks vintage - wide and flat like the originals. and that makes sense, it is the pickup thats picking up the hum. so getting away from the amp and lights is my only strategy..

 

 

 

How are the Novak's? I've been toying around with upgrading my CIJ JM with both a bridge and a neck pup.

 

(Other than the hum which I think is just an unavoidable artifact with the JM)

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