indecks Posted May 10, 2015 Share Posted May 10, 2015 I've got an 01 P90 Special that - as of late - has started to buzz quite a bit more than usual, and it's pretty grating on my earballs. For an example, you can hear it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MRqXM5cD1xA at the very beginning. I'm the fat guy. Mind you I'm not trying to promote my band, it's just literally one video that I have that showcases the buzz that I'm trying to get rid of. At any rate, a friend of mine told me to check if its a bad cable, maybe the amp is doing it, etc but my other guitar (96 LP Studio) doesn't exhibit this behavior. Additionally, when the selector switch is on "rhythm" it doesn't buzz. When I have it in them middle, or on 'treble', (especially treble, obviously) it gets much worse. He also suggested I take the back cover off and look around to see if something's come loose, or maybe making contact where it shouldn't be, etc etc. So I removed the cover and I saw a jumbled mess. To verify, I opened up my 96 Studio, and the pot bay is MUCH cleaner and more "professionally done" if you will. I love my Special more than my Studio (not a fan of the fat neck) but I really hate that buzz. I've thought about investing in a noise gate but I dont want to eat any of my tone. Here's a pic of the two tone bays, does anything seem amiss on the special? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drog Posted May 10, 2015 Share Posted May 10, 2015 That bottom left pot is a mess. Probbably cold solder joints and the one black lead looks really terrible and barely even soldered. Imwould replace that pot and wire. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaygl Posted May 10, 2015 Share Posted May 10, 2015 Sounds like a grounding issue. It's hard to say just by looking unless it's blatantly obvious...like a wire hanging loose. Where the green, red, and white wires come together, are they just twisted together or soldered? Check that the quarter inch input is tight and that the little metal prong is making good contact with the cable (just push it(the prong) in towards the centre of the hole gently to tighten the contact up). Otherwise just wiggle the wires with the guitar pluged in and buzzing, and see if you can isolate the issue. If it's a bad solder joint, you'll have to knock it off and resolder. Drog is right. That bottom pot is a hot mess. Incedentaly, that is the volume for the bridge pickup which is the one that has the hum....Band sounds wicked too man. Love me sum punk. Oy! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
indecks Posted May 10, 2015 Author Share Posted May 10, 2015 Heh, thanks for the kind words jaygl. Well, I plugged in the 'tar and poked around with a chopstick, and it doesn't seem like there's anything loose, and nothing worsens when I touch things w/ the chopstick. I agree that the bottom left pot looks awful. I can solder, but I'm no professional and I'm not sure I want to operate on my guitar a couple days before two shows this week. I may just end up using my Studio for those gigs. Bummer. I love my Studio but its so much heavier, and that fat neck just makes playing a chore for me. I have short stubby fingers, lol. I'll check the 1/4 inch connection as well, hadn't thought about that. Thanks for the tips, fellas. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaygl Posted May 10, 2015 Share Posted May 10, 2015 Heh, thanks for the kind words jaygl. Well, I plugged in the 'tar and poked around with a chopstick, and it doesn't seem like there's anything loose, and nothing worsens when I touch things w/ the chopstick. I agree that the bottom left pot looks awful. I can solder, but I'm no professional and I'm not sure I want to operate on my guitar a couple days before two shows this week. I may just end up using my Studio for those gigs. Bummer. I love my Studio but its so much heavier, and that fat neck just makes playing a chore for me. I have short stubby fingers, lol. I'll check the 1/4 inch connection as well, hadn't thought about that. Thanks for the tips, fellas. Glad to try and help. Check out the pickup switch too by taking the back cover off it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Farnsbarns Posted May 10, 2015 Share Posted May 10, 2015 The yellow ground wire joint on the bridge volume pot looks like a suspect but as said, it's not wired incorrectly as far as i can see and it's hard to spot a bad joint in a picture. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
L8_4thesh0w Posted May 11, 2015 Share Posted May 11, 2015 The yellow ground wire joint on the bridge volume pot looks like a suspect but as said, it's not wired incorrectly as far as i can see and it's hard to spot a bad joint in a picture. What he said... and the black wire at the at the side lug on the same pot. Those look like someone reheated the existing solder and stuck them in. I'd try just re-soldering first unless the pot is noisy plugged in. If you use flux it will flow quicker and reduce the heat needed, and will create a better joint. When did they stop using a ground plate? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Farnsbarns Posted May 11, 2015 Share Posted May 11, 2015 What he said... and the black wire at the at the side lug on the same pot. Those look like someone reheated the existing solder and stuck them in. I'd try just re-soldering first unless the pot is noisy plugged in. If you use flux it will flow quicker and reduce the heat needed, and will create a better joint. When did they stop using a ground plate? It's more a question of when they started. This was an 01 model. The black wire is the pup + so it won't be effecting hum although I agree the pup + looks a bit iffy on both volume pots. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kidblast Posted May 11, 2015 Share Posted May 11, 2015 Does the Buzzing REDUCE when you touch the stop bar or bridge? and of course, you do realize,, even if 100% perfectly grounded, P90s are going make noise right? Big ol Single Coils.. goes along with the territory. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Farnsbarns Posted May 11, 2015 Share Posted May 11, 2015 Does the Buzzing REDUCE when you touch the stop bar or bridge? and of course, you do realize,, even if 100% perfectly grounded, P90s are going make noise right? Big ol Single Coils.. goes along with the territory. The difficulty with that line of enquiry is that all electric guitars will buzz less if the strings or bridge are touched whether the ground to them is good or not. A better test is to run a single strand of copper wire from the bridge or tail posts (wrapped around) and run to the shaft of the jack plug (again, wrapped around, making sure it goes down between the sleeve and socket and contacts the shaft). If that effects the buzz without the player touching the strings or bridge you've diagnosed a bridge ground problem accurately. It sounds like the OP understands that P90s will buzz a little but that it has suddenly gotten worse. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kidblast Posted May 11, 2015 Share Posted May 11, 2015 The difficulty with that line of enquiry is that all electric guitars will buzz less if the strings or bridge are touched whether the ground to them is good or not. A better test is to run a single strand of copper wire from the bridge or tail posts (wrapped around) and run to the shaft of the jack plug (again, wrapped around, making sure it goes down between the sleeve and socket and contacts the shaft). If that effects the buzz without the player touching the strings or bridge you've diagnosed a bridge ground problem accurately. It sounds like the OP understands that P90s will buzz a little but that it has suddenly gotten worse. that's true Farns, there's no getting rid of all of it. I recently rewired one of my les pauls due to the buzzing, not getting worse, just drove me crazy. it was louder than my other one, (very quite). The problem that I wound up sorting out was I had the ground plate, but no other shielding (paint or otherwise). Solved it by strapping all the pots together which was not in the original wire scheme. it does sound like the problem here has been id'd as the bridge pup vol. pot. and it does look a bit of a fright as you guys across the pond might say. :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kaicho8888 Posted May 11, 2015 Share Posted May 11, 2015 Oh man, that rather's noisey for a P90. I have P90's and the hum minimal. Or if I reorient my guitar to the amp, it's gone. Like others mentioned it's probably a loose ground. You might try an easy check: hook up your amp, and use a wire that's touching the plate at the jack plate and touch the other end to all the ground points to see if the hum disappears. If it disappears then you know that point has a bad ground... usually, it's bad soldering corroding or loose wiring. Just curious, it that black conductive (shielding) paint in the control cavity? Good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
indecks Posted May 11, 2015 Author Share Posted May 11, 2015 Hey all, sorry I hadn't responded. Been kinda distracted with work. LAME. As far as I know the paint in the cavity is not shielding. Also yeah, heh Im aware that P90s are gonna hum a bit regardless. I just started noticing more of it probably a month ago at our last show which was back in mid April. For the tests suggestion, I want to make sure I know what you're saying. Are you saying to hook up the guitar as if I'm going to play it, amp, on etc etc. Then take a piece of wire, and touch the metal plate near the 1/4 jack on my guitar to one of the different ground points? @kidblast: I took a quick video of what you mentioned, touching the stop bar or bridge. In the video my pots are all dimed. Usually I play with my tone pots dimed, my treble volume pot (bottom left in the picture) dimed, and my rhythm pickup at about 2 or 3. Youtube is taking FOREVER to process this 45 second video so I'll post it up here as soon as it's done. edit: Finally... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b_3BldNukjE Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kaicho8888 Posted May 11, 2015 Share Posted May 11, 2015 ... For the tests suggestion, I want to make sure I know what you're saying. Are you saying to hook up the guitar as if I'm going to play it, amp, on etc etc. Then take a piece of wire, and touch the metal plate near the 1/4 jack on my guitar to one of the different ground points? ... Yes, and touch the pots, shield wires, etc that is suppose to be grounded. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kidblast Posted May 12, 2015 Share Posted May 12, 2015 @kidblast: I took a quick video of what you mentioned, touching the stop bar or bridge. In the video my pots are all dimed. Usually I play with my tone pots dimed, my treble volume pot (bottom left in the picture) dimed, and my rhythm pickup at about 2 or 3. Youtube is taking FOREVER to process this 45 second video so I'll post it up here as soon as it's done. edit: Finally... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b_3BldNukjE That second video was a real good demo. Based on that, I do not see/hear this as a ground issue. the difference when your touching the hardware vs. not would be A LOT more noticeable in my experience. To me, that seemed normal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ErickC Posted May 12, 2015 Share Posted May 12, 2015 You could always de-solder everything, pick up four 500K CTS pots from stew-mac, get some coloured wire, and rewire the whole thing to be less of a rat's nest. Then you could have a clean, orderly cavity, and sleep soundly knowing that everything was correct and in good repair. You could shield the cavities with some metal repair tape while everything is out, as well, which, done properly, will further reduce noise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
indecks Posted May 12, 2015 Author Share Posted May 12, 2015 You could always de-solder everything, pick up four 500K CTS pots from stew-mac, get some coloured wire, and rewire the whole thing to be less of a rat's nest. Then you could have a clean, orderly cavity, and sleep soundly knowing that everything was correct and in good repair. You could shield the cavities with some metal repair tape while everything is out, as well, which, done properly, will further reduce noise. *like* Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
badbluesplayer Posted May 13, 2015 Share Posted May 13, 2015 Make sure that the capacitor - the little orange thing- between the two lower controls is not loose. It kind of looks like maybe one of the wires on the thing is broken? Or maybe not. It's hard to see in the picture. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
indecks Posted May 13, 2015 Author Share Posted May 13, 2015 yeah the capacitor is solid. It does look weird, but they are both pretty solidly soldered on there. So last night I had a show and realized that it might be a combination of the guitar, AND the amp. I used my Studio which has some humbuckers, and the buzz was still there. Not as bad, mind you but still there. So I think there might be something else going on. I guess I didn't notice it as much since, when in my office, I didn't have the amp turned up that high. *sigh* I have some other research to do, I guess. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brantobrien Posted May 14, 2015 Share Posted May 14, 2015 That looks pretty bad…but!!! This may seem stupid, but have you tried a different cable? A guy in my band had a bad cable and it buzzed something terrible. Swapped it out and everything was good. Either way if redo the control cavity. Hope it works out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
indecks Posted May 18, 2015 Author Share Posted May 18, 2015 Hey all, sorry I haven't come up to update anyone. I've been crazy busy with work/practice/shows (and attending shows - saw Rush on Saturday) but I WILL sit down and run these quick tests. I'll need to get out to a shop and get a new high quality cable, that could also be the culprit. Will update soon. Thanks for all the help and suggestions! You guys rule! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bryan Sutherland Posted May 19, 2015 Share Posted May 19, 2015 Hey all, sorry I haven't come up to update anyone. I've been crazy busy with work/practice/shows (and attending shows - saw Rush on Saturday) but I WILL sit down and run these quick tests. I'll need to get out to a shop and get a new high quality cable, that could also be the culprit. Will update soon. Thanks for all the help and suggestions! You guys rule! Just out of curiosity are you running a pedal board? And more importantly, if you are, what are you using to power the pedals? Or it could be as simple as a new cable. Hope you solve the mystery! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eracer_Team Posted May 19, 2015 Share Posted May 19, 2015 Indeck's in case somebody missed it.. you did a video test for us Indeck's Buzz Video Test I can hear from the rhythm pickup selection it sounds pretty ok with just a slight variation when you touch the stop tail same goes for the middle position. but when you switch to the bridge, the buzz jumps out at you and it doesn't really change when you touch the stop tail. I would think that the ground wires are working since touching the stop tail doesn't change the volume of the buzz at all. I'm not sure on how 'hot' that bridge pickup is it may pick up more interference but it is going threw that mess of solder on the volume pot; have you had a chance to re-do the solder (BTW anyone know how to stop this double spacing on my post?) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
badbluesplayer Posted May 19, 2015 Share Posted May 19, 2015 Yeah - It's most likely something to do with the bridge pickup wiring. The pickups look like they have different wiring schemes - one has one conductor wire and the other has two. The bridge pickup wiring does not look original and looks a little butchered up. The insulation on the white wire is scraped off right where the shielding ends. You might want to check the black wire right there and make sure it's still intact. If you have a multimeter, make sure the black and white wires are not shorted. You need to know what kind of pickup it is to be sure it's wired the right way. Dimarzios are generally wired white to hot and black to ground, so it's possibly wired backwards. Take the pickup off and see if it has a label on the underside. Check the switch wiring too. You can pull the plate off and exercise the switch back and forth and clean it if you can with some alcohol and a rag to get any grease or dirt out of there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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