Aster1 Posted January 5, 2011 Share Posted January 5, 2011 Hi Everyone, Now I'm really confused with my new J-160E 1962 Reissue. I'm getting a grounding hum & almost sounds like static pops (but it isn't static) when I touch my strings. Hum of course goes away when you are holding the strings, but as you just touch them it makes a pop in my Vox AC15C1 amp. No feedback, just that hum/pop stuff. My EJ-160E (P100 Pup) Epiphone doesn't do it thru that amp nor does my Casino Elitist (with a P90 pup. I was told by the dealer that I can't get good performance w/o using this git on an acoustic guitar amp. I would think that was so with a piezo style pickup, but not a nickel string electric guitar pickup. Anyone have any suggestions? Sounds great thru the Vox less dealing with the popping. Thanks Aster Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rar Posted January 6, 2011 Share Posted January 6, 2011 I was told by the dealer that I can't get good performance w/o using this git on an acoustic guitar amp. Sounds like your dealer would rather sell you an amp than fix the grounding problem, and maybe doesn't doesn't understand why you bought a J-160E. Your amp is pretty much ideal. Have a Gibson authorized repair facility check it out. (Or, if you don't mind paying a few bucks, go to any good shop works on wiring.) I don't think J-160E pickups get tested after installation at the factory -- I don't recall seeing any amps or multimeters or anything on the factory floor -- so a bad solder joint is a definite possibility. That's quite common with, for example, Teles. -- Bob R Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aster1 Posted January 6, 2011 Author Share Posted January 6, 2011 Thanks for the info. Is there some basic stuff available on testing( e.g. guitar wiring 101)for grounding issues with guitars. I'm an EE but haven't really worked with guitar audio issues at all and some simple pointers could save tons of time. Have all the test equip. I would need however to check it out. Thanks again. Aster Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
L5Larry Posted January 6, 2011 Share Posted January 6, 2011 Technically speaking your dealer is correct. You will get completely different performance out of your guitar through an "acoustic" amp. They are specifically "voiced" for acoustic guitars, and very different than your standard electric guitar amp, a completely different breed indeed. You should really try one. The difference is not the type of pickup being used, but the frequency range of the instrument (resonant, sympathetic, harmonic). Even my high dollar archtops sound like crap though "vintage" tube amps designed for "electric" guitars. That said, that is NOT your hum problem, and your dealer should have been a little more helpful toward your specific problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aster1 Posted January 6, 2011 Author Share Posted January 6, 2011 Thanks for the explanation. Are the Fender Frontman 65's or the little Marshall acoustic amps any good for the $$$? I also have an IB Texan & an EJ-300Ce in Epiphone acoustic guitars to use too. Aster Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tartanbeastie Posted January 6, 2011 Share Posted January 6, 2011 you will get a far better sound from an acoustic amp. heres the one i have http://www.fender.com/en-CA/products/search.php?partno=2213300010 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rar Posted January 6, 2011 Share Posted January 6, 2011 I think some of the responses miss the point of the J-160E. A J-160E isn't supposed to sound like an acoustic guitar when plugged in. It's supposed to sound pretty much like a P-90-equipped hollow-body electric. (That's why John Lennon could get away with using a J-160E as the backup for his Casino on late Beatles tours. Not identical tone, but in the same ballpark.) By the usual standards, a J-160E is a lousy sounding acoustic guitar. What else would you expect from an extra-stiff ladder-braced plywood top? No one buys buys one for "great acoustic tone". And even if it had great acoustic tone, there's no way to get great acoustic tone out of a signal chain when there's a P-90 at the head. That would require a magic amp. But it's a Beatle-y sounding acoustic guitar. That's why people buy 'em. And, if you want to sound like a Beatle, you plug into a Vox or Fender electric tube amp, not an acoustic amp. -- Bob R P.S. Sorry I can't help with specs or a wiring harness diagram. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grOOved Posted January 6, 2011 Share Posted January 6, 2011 Bob R nailed it.. Couldn't agree more. Now for the tips... There are only a few areas that could be causing issues. Either it's the pickup or the wiring. 1. Check the jack and make sure the solder joints are in tact and not shorting anywhere. 2. Check the bridge plate. There should be a brass plate that holds the ball ends of the strings and a wire connected to the ground signal on the jack end. This prevents the guitar from using you as a ground when touching the strings. 3. Check the pots and make sure the joints are solid and are that nothing came loose. 4. Last resort check the pick up to make sure the wires are in tact. You'll probably want a tech examine at this point though. Hope this helps... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aster1 Posted January 6, 2011 Author Share Posted January 6, 2011 Thanks for the trouble shooting tips. The dealer said my guitar doesn't have any hum shielding, neither does my EJ-160E or wouldn't think my Casino does either unless it's magnetic blocking paint. I'll check into that right away. My guitar is only 6 days old and I can take to a Gibby warranty station here in town. But, if it's an easy fix I can be playing instead of it sitting in their shop for 3 weeks or longer. Yes, I did want the Beatles sound from this guitar. I have heard others play some pretty nice sounding non Beatles music on the version I have w/ ladder bracing. Blues & jazz sounded really good IMHO. I have the other guitars to sound really bright. Thanks again. I can't remember if I had asked if there's a hum/wiring trouble shooting 101 guide anyone has seen. grOOved, the tip list you provided will be checked out asap with my VOM. Thanks everyone for the tips & help with the amp too. The Fender & small Marshall are in the price range that I would invest for home use to play the other gits thru. Aster Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aster1 Posted January 9, 2011 Author Share Posted January 9, 2011 Found the problem. The recepticle that I plugged my Vox into had lost it's ground connection and after fixing (no playing time on Saterday but it's done) that did the trick. Ground hum & popping went away on the Gibby J-160E. I looked inside of the 160 when I restrung it with Pymamid Gold Flats and saw a nice string ground plate that grounds the strings to the V&T controls & Pup. I think the service center had to add that to my EJ-160E Epiphone to get the hum out of that. Thanks again folks. Now I'll look into the Acoustic amps and play some. Aster Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JOESTONE Posted January 9, 2011 Share Posted January 9, 2011 I recently got an Acoustic AG60 Combo Amp you might want to check out. I plug my CF-100e into it and am very pleased with the sound. I use GHS White Bronze for a great tone acoustically or amplified. Found the problem. The recepticle that I plugged my Vox into had lost it's ground connection and after fixing (no playing time on Saterday but it's done) that did the trick. Ground hum & popping went away on the Gibby J-160E. I looked inside of the 160 when I restrung it with Pymamid Gold Flats and saw a nice string ground plate that grounds the strings to the V&T controls & Pup. I think the service center had to add that to my EJ-160E Epiphone to get the hum out of that. Thanks again folks. Now I'll look into the Acoustic amps and play some. Aster Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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