electrical buzz

[zozz]

I'm new to the game, just got a new Squier Jagmaster with dual humbuckers, hooked into a Pignose 60 watt tube amp - anyway, I plug it in and theres a WICKED electrical buzz (it also does it through a small 10 watt Marshall practice amp), which gets markedly better if I touch any metal component of the guitar, the strings, bridge, pickup switch etc. Is this a normal problem or does it sound like it's not grounded properly? None of the wires inside are loose, should I take it in for warrantied service or what? My other guitar (Rickenbacker 650D) does NOT buzz like this through the amp, so I think it's got to be the Jagmaster not the Pignose. Any suggestions?

[gck]

hmm...
I don't know, but maybe the bridge and the strings aren't grounded properly.
Check if there is a ground wire going to the bridge somewhere. If not, solder one on and check if the buzz reduces...

www.guitarnuts.com has comprehensive instructions on how to reduce buzzing that comes from bad grounding. However, the manual is for Strats and Teles... but the basic knowledge can be applied to any type of instrument with magnetic pickups...

[zozz]

Thanks GCK, I checked out that site and it seems like a pretty easy home fix for me to do. I'll give it a try ASAP. I appreciate it muchly!

[ESP_Viper]

Well a buzz like that is normal... but if it's REALLY BAD then there's a wiring problem somewhere, could be in the guitar, the amp, or even your home wiring. Since you're new a little buzz may seem really bad whereas to me it's normal. If it's all new equipment, it's most likely normal or a flaw somewhere, and as I said before could be home grounding problem. If the two amps you said gave you the buzz were plugged into the same outlet, try a different outlet in the home or at someone else's house.

Try those fixes on that site, if they don't work or change anything, the buzz isn't avoidable and is most likely that normal buzz we all get when we don't touch the metal.

[zozz]

Hey guys, I followed part of the advice in the link GCK gave me - I removed the pickguard and took off all the gear, then covered the underside with heavy duty (standard supermarket issue) aluminum foil, and also coated the body cavity with it - WOW!! Problem SOLVED!!! It's absolutely quiet now, no buzz or hum AT ALL, and I didn't even do the rewiring part of the suggested fix. I figured I'd try one step at a time, and just the aluminum totally cleaned it up. It's literally a 30 minute home repair, takes about 10 bucks in materials and works like a dream, if you have any buzz or hum at all on your machines DO THIS and you will enjoy silent running forever. Thanks loads for all the help!

[gck]

I'm glad I could help!

It's nice, isn't it? But to my mind it's a shame that most manufacturers don't care about properly shielding their guitars. It would be just a few minutes of working time and a neglectable amount of material cost!

By the way, to get even less hum, I recommend to set up a low action so that you can install the pickups as deep as possible into the cavity. Also, only use a proper power outlet for your amp: not only will a well grounded outlet decrease the hum, it might also save your life when it comes to electric shocking.

[Chris Lohr]

Would this work for the normal American Standard Strat... (I guess all strat's) hum, not just the lower-end strats?

Cause I know that the hum is in all strats, but.... I doubt such a small fix doesnt have disadvantages, or Fender would do it.


Does it maybe quiet the pickup or something?

It must have SOME disadvantage.

[ESP_Viper]

I don't know. The buzz you get with single coils is just their typical qualities. They have lots of hum and they pickup lots of buzz. So the only way to get that out is a noise gate or different pickups. EMG singles are so silent it's not funny.

[gck]

it doesn't have any disadvantage at all. The only thing that would have a disadvantage is if you also wrap the pickups themselves with shielding foil: this would greatly reduce hum but will also alter the electric inductance of them so that the sound will change...
but shielding the cavity and wiring everything without ground loops doesn't have a disadvantage: therefore, it's a SHAME that Fender and most other companies don't do it per default on their guitars!!

[Chris Lohr]

Cool. I might try it.