I just built a guitar with two humbuckers a switch and a volume pots. It hums like mad unless I'm touching the metal volume knob. Everything appears to be grounded. Will adding a tone pots help? Any suggestions?
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I wonder if all of these types of problems are really down to shielding or if some of them are actually ground loop problems? Shielding materials are typically conductive, and if applied to the areas to which the pots and switches are attached, might indirectly solve ground loop problems too. I don't know for sure, and I expect the majority really are shielding issues, but, well.. just saying "maybe"!
If you take the (-) ground lead (black ) from the 1/4" jack and solder it to the back of the pot body and the (-) of your pickup to the same spot then put a small jumper from the tab on the pot to the back of the pot. You may have to scratch the back of the pot to solder to it. That should work.
I like the shape of the lap steel. If you haven't put the fret board on it got to Lowes and get a piece of 1/8" x 3" x 36" oak board) and get a water slide fret decal from E-Bay http://www.ebay.com/itm/220896933382?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_... This guy from the UK sells them for $13.00. That way you won't have to fret with a sharpie or cut frets ...etc P.I.T.A ss.. It is like the little decals from a model car. You wet it and slide it on the fretboard. How easy is that. That is what I am going to use. Check out my No.2 build. My name is Paul Monaco. I just joined the forum.
I'm going to start sheilding the entire inside of every box. Chasing this problem was a huge waste of time and energy (although I did learn something).
Special thanks to the Phrygian Kid. Your advice is always spot on and this isn't the first time you helped me out.
Wow, the entire inside of the box. I'll keep that in mind should I have a similar problem. I'm getting more into the electronics with my guitars and am sure I will at some point encounter a similar problem. Glad to have been of some use :) Have fun.
Chris Gotshall > Robert PhillipsSeptember 5, 2012 at 5:07pm
I had a similar problem and solved it by painting the entire inside of the box and the backside of the tailpiece with shielding paint from Stewmac.
Thank you all for your suggestions. All of them were helpful. I finally fixed it by sheilding the entire inside of the box . I think there was actually magnetic interference from my body when the guitar rested against it and when I would touch the knob it would settle down. It sounds awesome now. Thanks again for allowing me the tap into the Nations think tank.
would the polarity of the humbuckers have an effect? I don't know, its just a suggesiton. I'm afraid i'll have to leave it to other more experienced electricians out there.
The pickups are would in a certain direction, clockwise or anticlockwise. because the humbuckers are 2 coils together, would the direction of their coils create feedback if they were wired up wrong? you could try just swapping over the wires on one of the coils.
and if its a specific pot that is making it stop humming when you touch it, try removing that pot from the circuit to see if it has an effect. you need to isolate where the problem is in the circuit.
Replies
Here is some information that goes into a little greater detail about humming problems.
http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=example+of+an+electrical+ground...
I wonder if all of these types of problems are really down to shielding or if some of them are actually ground loop problems? Shielding materials are typically conductive, and if applied to the areas to which the pots and switches are attached, might indirectly solve ground loop problems too. I don't know for sure, and I expect the majority really are shielding issues, but, well.. just saying "maybe"!
If you take the (-) ground lead (black ) from the 1/4" jack and solder it to the back of the pot body and the (-) of your pickup to the same spot then put a small jumper from the tab on the pot to the back of the pot. You may have to scratch the back of the pot to solder to it. That should work.
I like the shape of the lap steel. If you haven't put the fret board on it got to Lowes and get a piece of 1/8" x 3" x 36" oak board) and get a water slide fret decal from E-Bay http://www.ebay.com/itm/220896933382?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_... This guy from the UK sells them for $13.00. That way you won't have to fret with a sharpie or cut frets ...etc P.I.T.A ss.. It is like the little decals from a model car. You wet it and slide it on the fretboard. How easy is that. That is what I am going to use. Check out my No.2 build. My name is Paul Monaco. I just joined the forum.
I'm going to start sheilding the entire inside of every box. Chasing this problem was a huge waste of time and energy (although I did learn something).
Special thanks to the Phrygian Kid. Your advice is always spot on and this isn't the first time you helped me out.
Thanks again.
Wow, the entire inside of the box. I'll keep that in mind should I have a similar problem. I'm getting more into the electronics with my guitars and am sure I will at some point encounter a similar problem. Glad to have been of some use :) Have fun.
I had a similar problem and solved it by painting the entire inside of the box and the backside of the tailpiece with shielding paint from Stewmac.
Can you post pics of what it looks like with the shielding in place?
would the polarity of the humbuckers have an effect? I don't know, its just a suggesiton. I'm afraid i'll have to leave it to other more experienced electricians out there.
The pickups are would in a certain direction, clockwise or anticlockwise. because the humbuckers are 2 coils together, would the direction of their coils create feedback if they were wired up wrong? you could try just swapping over the wires on one of the coils.
and if its a specific pot that is making it stop humming when you touch it, try removing that pot from the circuit to see if it has an effect. you need to isolate where the problem is in the circuit.
good luck :D
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