Embarrassing Buzz

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by The Phrygian Kid on May 6, 2012 at 12:28am

Bad humbuckers don't work at all. Does it go away when he touch the strings? Think you need to shield it better

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Permalink Reply by Ron "Oily" Sprague on May 6, 2012 at 12:50am

Bad humming is a sign he's not singing loud enough.

 

>:-E

 

But seriously...round up the usual suspects. There's a grounding problem. If it goes away when he touches the strings, then your bridge may not be grounded well (or at all). Start at the HB and work your way toward the jack. Check all solder points. Then check 'em again, especially where all grounding terminates on the back of the vol pot (that is how you wired it, yes?). Put a multimeter on 'em. Then check 'em one more time. Send us a schematic of your wiring, and a semi-blurred photo of same inside the box. We will all take potshots at it, and nearly none of us will be absolutely right, because you will discover the answer yourself, slap your forehead, and say, "Doh!" Then this thread will be added to the Grounding Problems Lexicon. It's inevitable.

 

Then, get some of that shielding tape and shield the inside of the box, as the Kid suggests. There's also shielding paint that can be used.

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Permalink Reply by The Phrygian Kid on May 6, 2012 at 4:11am

Think u mean if it DOESN'T go away when he touch strings...

Re shielding..
You don't need to buy expensive copper tape. I use the aluminum trays that croissants come on. If you really want copper tape search eBay for 'slug tape' use tO keep snails out of the garden, it's half the price cos no 'luthiery premium surcharge' ;)

Also wen u shield, u needn't root around soldering to te back of pots anymore, just whack a nail in somewhere for your common earth

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Permalink Reply by Lonman on May 6, 2012 at 12:04pm

wow, nice looking  CBG.

I did my first wiring job recently and found that I had the hum and when I touched the strings or bridge, it went away- however, I plugged the guitar in the basement to test after raising the p-90s closer to the strings and their was no longer a hum. I now wonder if the strings may have been to far away from the pickups to create the hum. Left me perplexed, but I am not electrician and am learning. LOL

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Permalink Reply by John Davidson on May 6, 2012 at 12:40pm

Small buzz at home is probably shielding/grounding in the guitar. Mass buzzing in the club is more likely the circut the amp was plugged into.

The problem might have been solved by simply plugging the amp into a different receptacle.

An AC Outlet Ground Tester can come in pretty handy.

 

John

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Permalink Reply by Hip Bone Bellaire on May 6, 2012 at 7:43pm

OK thanks all for the input.. should see him this week and get started...

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Permalink Reply by Hip Bone Bellaire on May 6, 2012 at 7:44pm

Forgot.. Bridge is NOT grounded.. this was my first with a Volume Pot and Yes grounded on the back...

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Permalink Reply by The Phrygian Kid on May 6, 2012 at 11:27pm

Unless you got emgs Or similar actives u must must ground the strings when u use magnetic pickups :)

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Permalink Reply by Ron "Oily" Sprague on May 7, 2012 at 12:56am

Aaaannnnd we have a winner! See? Told ya: figured it out yourself. "Has anybody seen The Bridge? Where's that confounded Bridge?"

 

Ground that sucka to the back of the Vol pot, make sure of your solder joint, and Problem will have found Solution.

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Permalink Reply by Hip Bone Bellaire on May 7, 2012 at 8:46am

NOT Yet, The bridge is sitting on pennies, with a brass Bolt... So Now what..

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Permalink Reply by The Phrygian Kid on May 7, 2012 at 8:48am

tunnel a wee cable up under one of the pennies, bobs ur fathers bruther.. but um.. are those strings not coming thru from inside??

the bridge is justs a means of earthing the strings, you dont gotta earth the bridge at all, make way to those ball ends captain !

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Permalink Reply by Hip Bone Bellaire on May 7, 2012 at 9:01am

The strings are through the entire Box and I just figured out to solder the Rivets that the strings are going through to the ground inside the box.. The no one will ever know, I was just learning about my first volume pot ground.....

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