[Lou Cipher]

I don't know. Maybe I had it when I bought the Strat (didn't know a thing about guitars back then), or maybe I introduced it when I changed the neck and bridge pickups. But, I'm an electronic technicain, so i know all about grounds and circuts and pots and schematics and how to solders, etc. etc., so I followed all the rules and precautions on making sure everything was connected just right, and all the grounds where connected to the pot and output jack, but at the time, I could swear that there still was a hum in there somewhere after I was finished.

Well, a couple of years later, I had to change on of the tension springs, so I took the whole guitar apart again, rechecked every single wire according the the guitar and pickup schematics, and then I metered every connection that was supposed to be grounded to ground (including the strings, which are connected to the bridge, and even the sheilding they put on the back of the pick gaurd), and everything check out just fine. Yesterday, on one of my power amp settings (which I haven't done in a while), there was definatly a hum... and when I touched my strings, it was gone. Lift my fingers off the strings, and it was there again. So, I definatly have a grouding problem somewhere.

So what gives??? Is there anything I'm missing here? Do I possibly have a defective pickup coil, or is it an amp problem (Line 6 modeling amp is plugged into a dedeicated circuit breaker which has been checked)?

Louie

 

[GuitaristZ]

I think it is because...


there are martians inside of your amp...or line6 put a timed "amp destroyer" inside so that, when they came up with the new line 6 spider valve, the old spider amps would malfunction, causing users to buy the new spider valve, causing the company to make millions in dollars!!!!!!!!1


Actually...its probably fluorescent lights or something...or maybe you have dirty electricity? power conditioner?

or maybe...you should star ground the guitar instead of the ground loop common with the normal strat circuit (If I remember correctly) I think I read something on www.guitarnuts.com

they can tell you why its humming. sorry for the longwinded useless post...but seriously check out guitarnuts.com

 

[Lou Cipher]

I think it is because...
...its probably fluorescent lights or something...

hummmmm (no pun intended). Never thought of that. GuitarNuts recommends that a full body-cavity shielding be performed before trying anything else. I thought of doing that many times when I had the guitar apart, so maybe that's the next thing I'll try.

MNY THNX for your input. I didn't mind the long response - I tend to be long typed myself.


(Louie thinks to himself. . . Martians in my amp? How the hell does he know we're hinding in there.)

Louie
You're Just Jealous Because The Voices Are Talking To Me.

 

[GuitaristZ]

yeah the main reason I thought fluorescent lights is, I have them

I have a strat loaded with 3 single coils. Pretty moderate output. The control cavity is shielded but the rest of it is not. I did the wiring myself...full rewire with new pots, caps, pickups, etc etc... so yeah I made sure the wiring was perfect. I too have had this phenomenon of hum when playing my amps (especially my marshall dsl50 halfstack) and yeah, when I touch the strings the hum goes away. Pretty weird. It cant be the grounds as the guitar is grounded extremely well, so I think its probably just picking up noise from some other electronic devices I guess.

 

[Soupbone]

Normal

Well every single coil guitar Ive ever played "hummed". It the nature of the beast.
If on the outside chance yours is humming more than normal make sure the centre p/u is magnetically reversed. In other words check the polarity if the poles are the same on all three reverse the centre one by physically tuning it upside down, this will reduce it somewhat.
Only thing I can think of.

 

[Wild Bill]

Single coil pickups will pick up hum. It's what they do. It's just physics!

Why do you think Les Paul invented humbuckers?

:food-smiley-004:

 

[YJMUJRSRV]

Why do you think the ground is attached to the bridge?

YOU are part of the circuit. THats why when you touch the strings the hum goes down. Thats also why concerts spend money of electricians to ensure the venue is wired correctly. So no one dies. Othwerwise what would be the point of grounding to strings? Get it?

Single coils make noise. THere are plenty of ways to reduce that noise. I can do it with a few components added. But it changes the tone. Stacked single coils again - cancels hum but tone changes. Its a big change too. Oddly enough the noisy strats also sound the best. All you can do is sheild well. This reduces it quite a bit but even that changes tone. Yes it does. Try it out.

 

[david henman]

...there is another option, one that DOES NOT mess with your single coil mojo:

http://www.suhrguitars.com/pickups.aspx#bpssc

not at all cheap but, in my opinion, worth every penny.

-dh

 

[Robboman]

...there is another option, one that DOES NOT mess with your single coil mojo:

http://www.suhrguitars.com/pickups.aspx#bpssc

not at all cheap but, in my opinion, worth every penny.

-dh

+1, actually I've yet to try the backplate version but my Suhr S with the built-in internal SSC blows me away every time I plug in. Pure tone, ZERO hum.

 

[Stratin2traynor]

Holy s*&^ that isn't cheap. I have the same problem with my Strat 57 reissue. I think I'll just put up with it.

 

[Mooh]

Good suggestions folks. Gotta love this place!

Playing a Strat is like walking around with a transmitter implanted in your brain. Shield everything possible, including the backplate, jackplate, pickguard, and cavity. Ground check your axe, amp, and your house. If it still bothers you, try stacked humbuckers, noiseless pickups, noisegates (oh my, I can't believe I said that), or hypnosis.

Every Strat I've owned buzzzzzzzed, and every one sounded great. Teles too.

Peace, Mooh.

 

[Lou Cipher]

ty, everyone. a lot a great information, here. i guess i just gotta put more effort into and improve on my muting techniques. LOL

louie