Welcome to the MacNN Forums.

If this is your first visit, be sure to check out the FAQ by clicking the link above. You may have to register before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below.

You are here: MacNN Forums > Community > MacNN Lounge > Guitar has irritating hum

Guitar has irritating hum
Thread Tools
JoshKurtz
Forum Regular
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Southaven, MS
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Aug 26, 2006, 09:39 AM
 
I know this isn't a guitar support forum but I also know that there's some extremely knowledgeable guitarists around here who may have experienced this problem before.

Last night my wife bought me a Tele that I have been wanting for awhile. When I plugged it up to my amp I got a lot of electrical hum that would stop completely if I touched the strings, pots or switch plate. It does this on all the settings.

I don't think it's the amp since my Les Paul doesn't hum at all.

I don't know if this will help or not but the pickups are Texas Specials.

I've googled and it seems like my strings may not be grounded properly. Does this sound about right? Should I start by reflowing the solder that connects a ground wire to the bridge?
iMac 17" 2GHz Core2Duo | 1GB RAM | 160GB hdd | Superdrive | Tiger and XP Pro
     
turtle777
Clinically Insane
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: planning a comeback !
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Aug 26, 2006, 09:53 AM
 
Yes, grounding.
Yes, the bridge to grounding wire has gone bad or something.

-t
     
JoshKurtz  (op)
Forum Regular
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Southaven, MS
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Aug 26, 2006, 11:17 AM
 
Thanks. I'll report back later on my results.
iMac 17" 2GHz Core2Duo | 1GB RAM | 160GB hdd | Superdrive | Tiger and XP Pro
     
JoshKurtz  (op)
Forum Regular
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Southaven, MS
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Aug 26, 2006, 08:04 PM
 
Okay, it's the grounding but not on my guitar. I took it to the guy who works on all my dad's instruments and it worked fine, no hum. It works at my parents' and my brother's houses too, no hum. So my dad's buddy says that it's probably some electrical outlets at my house that arent grounded properly and that the pickups are picking up the noise. He took it apart and checked all the connections and nothing was bad. The jack was okay too as are my instrument cables.

So, other than getting my house rewired, it looks like I need to get some Noiseless pickups or deal with the hum.

Does this sound right to everyone? Also, this is a little off-topic but would noise/EMI be responsible for my baby monitor being so static-ee?
iMac 17" 2GHz Core2Duo | 1GB RAM | 160GB hdd | Superdrive | Tiger and XP Pro
     
turtle777
Clinically Insane
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: planning a comeback !
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Aug 26, 2006, 08:10 PM
 
Maybe you should start checking your amp's power chord. Or the specific outlet. Have you tried the amp in different rooms ?
Have you tried the same amp and guitar combination at your parents house ?

-t
     
JoshKurtz  (op)
Forum Regular
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Southaven, MS
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Aug 26, 2006, 08:25 PM
 
The amp's power chord had a little exposed, yet sheilded wire, where it meets the plug. I taped it.

I did try the amp in different rooms with no change.

I didn't take it to my parents' house so that will be the next thing I try. Thanks.

With my Les Paul working fine when paired with this amp could it still be the amp though? With a noise problem on the amp, could the humbuckers on the Les Paul do away with the noise while the single coils on the Tele hums?

Also, now that you mentioned the amp, the Tele doesn't hum when I have it on the dirty channel. Shouldn't it get worse when it's dirty if there's nothing wrong with the amp?
iMac 17" 2GHz Core2Duo | 1GB RAM | 160GB hdd | Superdrive | Tiger and XP Pro
     
vmarks
Moderator Emeritus
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: Up In The Air
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Aug 26, 2006, 09:19 PM
 
Yes, single coils will make a little more hum. Yes, grounding.

Yes, 60hz notch filter. Why not?
     
JoshKurtz  (op)
Forum Regular
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Southaven, MS
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Aug 27, 2006, 09:24 AM
 
Well, now I'm getting the hum on the dirty channel also. Oh well. I'll try the amp at some other places if I leave my house today just to make sure.
iMac 17" 2GHz Core2Duo | 1GB RAM | 160GB hdd | Superdrive | Tiger and XP Pro
     
seanc
Moderator Emeritus
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Cambridge, UK
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Aug 27, 2006, 09:49 AM
 
One place in your house where electrical outlets should definitely be earthed is the Kitchen. Tried it in there?
     
JoshKurtz  (op)
Forum Regular
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Southaven, MS
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Aug 27, 2006, 11:47 AM
 
I just put it in a kitchen outlet with the tester button and no hum on clean or dirty. I guess I'll install a CFGI outlet upstairs and see if that solves it.

Do I have to turn off the electricity at the breaker box when I do this?
iMac 17" 2GHz Core2Duo | 1GB RAM | 160GB hdd | Superdrive | Tiger and XP Pro
     
seanc
Moderator Emeritus
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Cambridge, UK
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Aug 27, 2006, 03:19 PM
 
Not if you have a high voltage/pain threshold
     
skalie
Mac Elite
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: Clogland
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Aug 27, 2006, 03:36 PM
 
Try slapping the amplifier.
     
Troll
Addicted to MacNN
Join Date: Feb 2001
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Aug 27, 2006, 04:23 PM
 
You probably have a ground loop. Look it up on the Internet and they'll suggest ways of getting rid of it. This happened to me when I moved house. Relatively simple to eliminate though.
     
JoshKurtz  (op)
Forum Regular
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Southaven, MS
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Aug 27, 2006, 05:28 PM
 
Yeah ground loop is probably what it is. I'll try to find a way to get rid of it. Everything I've found so far is a little expensive or dangerous. Troll, what did you do to get rid of yours?
iMac 17" 2GHz Core2Duo | 1GB RAM | 160GB hdd | Superdrive | Tiger and XP Pro
     
Oneota
Professional Poster
Join Date: May 2000
Location: Urbandale, IA
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Aug 27, 2006, 06:00 PM
 
Your guitar's humming?

Try teaching it the lyrics!!

(Ba-dum CHING!)
"Yields a falsehood when preceded by its quotation" yields a falsehood when preceded by its quotation.
     
turtle777
Clinically Insane
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: planning a comeback !
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Aug 27, 2006, 06:03 PM
 
Try this:



RadioShack.com - Car: Accessories: Car A/V accessories: Ground Loop Isolator

I'm not sure if it would work for a non-line signal, but it might.

-t
     
turtle777
Clinically Insane
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: planning a comeback !
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Aug 27, 2006, 06:04 PM
 
Originally Posted by Oneota
Your guitar's humming?
Try teaching it the lyrics!!


-t
     
Doofy
Clinically Insane
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Vacation.
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Aug 27, 2006, 06:06 PM
 
.
Originally Posted by Oneota
Your guitar's humming?

Try teaching it the lyrics!!
Been inclined to wander... off the beaten track.
That's where there's thunder... and the wind shouts back.
     
Troll
Addicted to MacNN
Join Date: Feb 2001
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Aug 28, 2006, 07:00 AM
 
Originally Posted by JoshKurtz
Yeah ground loop is probably what it is. I'll try to find a way to get rid of it. Everything I've found so far is a little expensive or dangerous. Troll, what did you do to get rid of yours?
Well, I managed to get rid of most of the hum just by rearranging the cables and plugging my amp into a different plug. But I then got one of those mulit-plugs that has a surge protector and a ground loop eliminator built in. Not cheap but it worked.
     
skalie
Mac Elite
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: Clogland
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Aug 28, 2006, 07:02 AM
 
Great amp forum here....

Vintage Amps Bulletin Board :: Index
     
   
Thread Tools
 
Forum Links
Forum Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts
BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Top
Privacy Policy
All times are GMT -4. The time now is 10:31 PM.
All contents of these forums © 1995-2017 MacNN. All rights reserved.
Branding + Design: www.gesamtbild.com
vBulletin v.3.8.8 © 2000-2017, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.,