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Eliminating pick-up hum

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  • 18-12-2004 9:30pm
    #1
    Ancient1
    Registered Users Posts: 2,592 ✭✭✭


    I dont know what to do about the annoying hum i get from my strat coils.
    At first i thought it was the amp, but it looks like it's the pick-up wiring or something. When i try all 5 positions i get:

    neck - hum
    neck/middle - no hum
    middle - hum
    middle/bridge - no hum
    bridge - hum

    Does anyone know why this is happening and what i can do about it?


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    #2
    Giblet
    Registered Users Posts: 11,977 ✭✭✭✭Giblet


    Ancient1 wrote:
    I dont know what to do about the annoying hum i get from my strat coils.
    At first i thought it was the amp, but it looks like it's the pick-up wiring or something. When i try all 5 positions i get:

    neck - hum
    neck/middle - no hum
    middle - hum
    middle/bridge - no hum
    bridge - hum

    Does anyone know why this is happening and what i can do about it?

    It's because they are single coils. The reason they don't hum in certain positions, is because you have two pickups selected which cancel each other out (basic explantion)

    There only two solutions, get used to it or get single coil sized humbuckers.

    You can shield up the pickup cavity, and use all types of wires, but you'll never truely get rid of it.


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    #3
    Ancient1
    Registered Users Posts: 2,592 ✭✭✭Ancient1


    Thanks Giblet - i know i'll always get some hum with single coils, but the way i'm getting it is a bit too much. I have to find a way to reduce it - the hum is bad enough at room-volume, when i crank up the amp it's just ridiculous.


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    #4
    Giblet
    Registered Users Posts: 11,977 ✭✭✭✭Giblet


    Are you using distortion, standing too close to a TV/PC/Radio ?


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    #5
    Ancient1
    Registered Users Posts: 2,592 ✭✭✭Ancient1


    No, just the Strat plugged straight into the Marshall (G80).

    There's nothing near the amp that can interfere.


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    #6
    calis
    Closed Accounts Posts: 283 ✭✭calis


    sometimes it can be lights or ur amp may not b earthed properly?

    try taaking it into the back garden and try


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    #7
    Giblet
    Registered Users Posts: 11,977 ✭✭✭✭Giblet


    Heres a way to test. Get a piece of wire, and touch the tone pot (underneath the plastic tone knob) while holding the wire. If the buzz does not go away, it could be an earthing problem. Also check the tone pot connection to the back of the trem.


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    #8
    Spookster
    Closed Accounts Posts: 10 ✭Spookster


    it might just be fret buzz you playin long?
    push harder lol

    or your pickups are knackered


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    #9
    feylya
    Moderators, Music Moderators Posts: 23,359 Mod ✭✭✭✭feylya


    Wrong and wrong.

    If it was fret buzz, it wouldn't disappear by changing the pickup selector.

    The pickups are probably not knackered. Single coils are buzzy. It can be reduced.

    http://www.guitarnuts.com/wiring/shielding/shield3.php


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    #10
    Ancient1
    Registered Users Posts: 2,592 ✭✭✭Ancient1


    Giblet, will try that tomorrow, it could well be an earthing issue (my amp is crap too...)

    Spookster - i got this strat 4 weeks ago, i dont think the pick-ups are "knackered" :D

    Feylya - cheers for that link. (Love your sig! :D )


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    #11
    -=al=-
    Registered Users Posts: 4,280 ✭✭✭-=al=-


    single single single coils and possily amp settings causing the prob, get some humbuckers in there


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    #12
    dpmasunder
    Closed Accounts Posts: 21 ✭dpmasunder


    If you want hum-free strat pickups check out DiMarzio's Virtual Vintage and VirtuAl2 series. The VirtuAl2 set pretty much nails all the best Strat tones. If you want a nice humbucker sound too then use a ToneZone S or Pro Track in the bridge. Add a series/parallel switch for that and you'll have an extremely toneful, versatile and hum-free guitar.

    If you want to keep those pickups then look into getting the guitar shielded. A lot of guitars are shielded at the factory but rarely is it done well enough to actually work. A good shielding job can take a bit of time.


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    #13
    Shank
    Closed Accounts Posts: 71 ✭✭Shank


    If you are over/under or near one of those energy efficient light bulbs they will be murder on your strat pickups also pc monitors mess them up. Strat pickups hum so learn to love it, gives it character :)


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    #14
    John
    Registered Users Posts: 12,135 ✭✭✭✭John


    Or what about a noise gate pedal? that might be a bit much (money and effort) for hum though.


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    #15
    Giblet
    Registered Users Posts: 11,977 ✭✭✭✭Giblet


    They work well for hum, but take away tone. And feedback is really hard to get.


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    #16
    John
    Registered Users Posts: 12,135 ✭✭✭✭John


    I knew there'd be a reason not to, I'm just too ignorant to know why ;)


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    #17
    HusseinSarhan
    Closed Accounts Posts: 354 ✭✭HusseinSarhan


    Kinman Pickups are noise cancelling and the best I've heard.

    If you put singlecoil-sized humbuckers in you will loose those "in-between" sounds so make sure you think about this. You will still get them, they just wont be as authentic sounding as singlcoils or the Kinmans.


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    #18
    Doctor J
    Closed Accounts Posts: 11,848 ✭✭✭✭Doctor J


    It's a strat. Live with the hum :D


    ...oh yes, and move away from the television


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    #19
    Ancient1
    Registered Users Posts: 2,592 ✭✭✭Ancient1


    Cheers for the tips guys.

    Giblet - it's not an earthing issue, i put a wire to the tone pot - no difference.

    I dont want to replace the pick-ups at this stage, because even these stock pick-ups sound absolutely brilliant.
    But that link that Feylya posted was really useful, i will definitely have to look into having it properly shielded, and just settle for a reasonable level of hum.


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    #20
    Doctor J
    Closed Accounts Posts: 11,848 ✭✭✭✭Doctor J


    It may be where you live. It's electrical interference of some sort. Sometimes, even the direction you're facing can make a huge difference. Changing the pickups is a drastic action to take on a new guitar and should be a last resort.

    Try moving around the room with a single coil selected, try and figure out where the interference is coming from.


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    #21
    Ancient1
    Registered Users Posts: 2,592 ✭✭✭Ancient1


    It's electrical interference of some sort.

    I think it is coz my Thinline got hum-ingitis too. :(


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    #22
    Doctor J
    Closed Accounts Posts: 11,848 ✭✭✭✭Doctor J


    Gah :eek:

    Since when? Any new electrical appliances or electrical work been carried out recently?


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    #23
    Ancient1
    Registered Users Posts: 2,592 ✭✭✭Ancient1


    Yeah, place next door is being completely re-done, wiring etc, but i don't know if that's the issue even though the work is being carried out pretty close to the wall where my stuff is set up.
    I'll move it and see if that helps.


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    #24
    feylya
    Moderators, Music Moderators Posts: 23,359 Mod ✭✭✭✭feylya


    Hmm, I'm trying to think is there something like a surge protector that you can get to clean the electricity going into your amp. Might help a bit... Try out that shielding jazz anyway. Can't hurt :D


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    #25
    Doctor J
    Closed Accounts Posts: 11,848 ✭✭✭✭Doctor J


    A UPS would clean up the supply to the amp, but the noise is coming from the interference the pickups are picking up, not the power, I reckon. It's just the way it is with single coils, unfortunately.


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    #26
    feylya
    Moderators, Music Moderators Posts: 23,359 Mod ✭✭✭✭feylya


    Aye, I know they're noisy things. Nothing beats a single coil in the neck position of a strat though....

    Like the sig Doc?


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    #27
    Ancient1
    Registered Users Posts: 2,592 ✭✭✭Ancient1


    Nothing beats a single coil in the neck position of a strat though....
    Amen to that :D


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    #28
    Doctor J
    Closed Accounts Posts: 11,848 ✭✭✭✭Doctor J


    A good idea, let down in practice. Did ye have to make the logo so big it went over the model name?

    For shame ;)


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    #29
    feylya
    Moderators, Music Moderators Posts: 23,359 Mod ✭✭✭✭feylya


    Sionnach made it...

    Ah, I might redo an ESP head to have ESP feylya Custom or something...

    So, single coils eh? :p


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    #30
    Doctor J
    Closed Accounts Posts: 11,848 ✭✭✭✭Doctor J


    Ahhh, they're worth the grief in the long run. Jazz bass, mmmmmmmmmmm :)


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    #31
    Ancient1
    Registered Users Posts: 2,592 ✭✭✭Ancient1


    I'll have it properly shielded after this xmas extortion.
    Since im useless at fixing anything and dont want to butcher my strat i might take it to what's-yer-mans-name in Marlay Park.
    Does anyone know if he does that type of work?


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