Unrelenting Les Paul Static... Bad Wiring?

[kidblast]

I can definitely say that the nitro on my guitar is not cured. When I was testing different things, I temporarily taped the back cavity cover on with painters tape (so as not to put screws in and out, wearing the holes). I even used the yellow painters tape, which is the delicate version of what is meant to not peel paint off the walls.

 

Well, when I pulled it off, the tape had left an indent on the finish! I had to use 3000 grit sand paper and swirl remover to polish it out. You could actually feel the impression when you ran your hand over it!

 

So are you confident that this will go away over time? Respectfully, I've heard so many answers to this question I don't know which way is up...

 

yea, not surprised, nitro is very malleable while it's curing.

 

regarding the static, it's been most of our experiences that as the nitro cures, this will dissipate. Warmer and more humid weather is coming where I'm located (Boston area) and that makes a difference too.

[merciful-evans]

I can definitely say that the nitro on my guitar is not cured. When I was testing different things, I temporarily taped the back cavity cover on with painters tape (so as not to put screws in and out, wearing the holes). I even used the yellow painters tape, which is the delicate version of what is meant to not peel paint off the walls.

 

Well, when I pulled it off, the tape had left an indent on the finish! I had to use 3000 grit sand paper and swirl remover to polish it out. You could actually feel the impression when you ran your hand over it!

 

So are you confident that this will go away over time? Respectfully, I've heard so many answers to this question I don't know which way is up...

 

Look for 'patina'. Its a crazed pattern that develops when nitro is fully cured.

[mihcmac]

Threads on static have been showing up in here since at least 2012.

 

Gibson is one of the few that still uses Nitrocellulose to get a thin hard finish, many other manufacturers use Polyurethane, Fender currently uses Polyester.

 

Any guitar no matter the finish can, under the right conditions, be effected by static charge. The charge comes from your environment, your guitar is just very sensitive to it.

Edited April 28, 2018 by mihcmac

[newfiesig]

I should clarify my intent, as I came in here with my first post essentially complaining.

 

I absolutely love my LPC. I have been through a lot of guitars, and have scaled down to my favourite three that I want to keep for good. The Les Paul is one of them. I just want it to be playable without so much static that it's distracting.

 

I already had a scare when I damaged the back with anti-static spray (didn't let the cloth dry when I sprayed it on and it chewed away at the finish), but thankfully I was able to recover with 3000 grit sand paper and polishing compound. It was a bit of a relief, really. Now I don't have to baby the guitar to a fault, while it is still in exceptional shape.

 

I will be heading out of town for a couple of weeks, but when I return I will be taking the GT to the top guitar tech here in Edmonton.

 

 

 

Edited April 27, 2018 by newfiesig

[Eracer_Team]

Clean your guitar with Naphtha

 

That will clean the surface

[mkj]

I bought a 2014 Studio Pro that had a bad static problem. Sent it back to Gibson, they sent me a new one. Same static problem. After a year, traded for a 2016 Traditional. Same problem. I learned you can get about an hour's relief by cleaning the guitar with a good guitar cleaning product, but it comes back. Never had any explanation from Gibson. After talking to a lot of techs and luthiers, I finally decided it's a combination of the nitro finish and the environment. After two years, I still have problems every once in a while but it's definitely going away. It drives you nuts. Great guitar though. Guess that's why I kept it. There's no way Gibson doesn't know about it.

[Guest Farnsbarns]

I've had this on new Gibsons. I give them a damned good polish with Gibson pump polish and keep them out of the case for a few weeks and it goes away.

 

You'll probably have noticed you can kind of wipe the static away with your hand but only temporarily.

 

When the nitro has gassed off it will stop. We're not actually certain what causes triboelectric charges to migrate from material to material when one or both substances are insulators. It's an area of research.

Edited April 30, 2018 by Farnsbarns

[Eracer_Team]

We're not actually certain what causes triboelectric charges to migrate from material to material

 

Actually we do... it's a differential of electrical potential between two materials

 

That differential has to be strong enough to jump the air gap

At low voltage a static discharge.

At high voltage... poof

[Guest Farnsbarns]

Actually we do... it's a differential of electrical potential between two materials

 

That differential has to be strong enough to jump the air gap

At low voltage a static discharge.

At high voltage... poof

 

All electrical charges are in fact not charges, just a potential difference. That's elementary but I will repeat, we're not actually certain what causes triboelectric charges to migrate from material to material.

 

For the potential difference to exist electrons must pass from one material to the other, FIRST. We now how ESD works, just not the actual mechanism by which triboelectric exchange accurs in 2 insulators.

 

If you feel you do, please explain it. There's a $500,000 price on the problem's head.

[newfiesig]

So im at my witts end. Home now and took the les paul to the best tech in the cuty. He has no clue. And im not throwing money away for him to chase ghosts.

 

Why woukd Gibson sell sonething like this? I can’t even get rid of it as no one woukd ever buy this mess of static popping,

 

What do I do?

[newfiesig]

Just called Gibson again, the static is getting worse.

 

They told me to rub dryer sheets on the guitar.. which of course doesn’t actually address the problem, only helps for a couple minutes until it builds up again.

 

This is ridiculous. Gibson should be ashamed. How can I purchase another Gibson or recommend anyone else does so when I can’t even play the one I have? And I can’t even sell the one I have here.

[Eracer_Team]

Read what I said to do above

[newfiesig]

Read what I said to do above

 

I’ve gotten rid of the static, but it’s just a temp fix. It keeps coming back.

[Mr. C.O. Jones]

I had that with both Gibson LP's.

Tried lots of things in the end in my case it was a mix of things.

I shielded all cavities with copper and got rid of it. Really gone for good.

Expansive and time consuming but worth it.

[newfiesig]

Herein lies the problem.

 

Everyone has different opinions (which I appreciate), but this problem should be identified AND solved by Gibson.

 

Some say that shielding the cavities take off high end. I don’t want to do anything that would hurt the sound without a guarantee that it will work.

[Mr. C.O. Jones]

Herein lies the problem.

 

Everyone has different opinions (which I appreciate), but this problem should be identified AND solved by Gibson.

 

Some say that shielding the cavities take off high end. I don’t want to do anything that would hurt the sound without a guarantee that it will work.

 

One of them has a 57 Classic/Angus Young combo in it and the other 59 Tribute Humbuckers and trust me I almost never play with my tone at 10.

Both are pretty bright even in the neck position.

Shielding doesn't affect the sound.

[newfiesig]

One of them has a 57 Classic/Angus Young combo in it and the other 59 Tribute Humbuckers and trust me I almost never play with my tone at 10.

Both are pretty bright even in the neck position.

Shielding doesn't affect the sound.

 

You recommend copper tape over shielding paint?

[Mr. C.O. Jones]

You recommend copper tape over shielding paint?

 

Nope I would have loved to paint instead of shielding both guitars with copper. Believe me it was a time consuming major PITA. But I couldn't find any shielding paint locally and the cost ordering it online would have by far surpassed the cost of the copper foil.

[Mr. C.O. Jones]

Here's a nice video I saw once. If I remember it right he shows a before and after the shielding at the end of it.

 

[Mr. C.O. Jones]

No it was at the end of part 3 I think.

[budglo]

Sorry to bring up an old thread, but I had this same problem with ny 2017 Les Paul Classic . I tried everything here listed, dryer sheets, cleaned it with naphtha, waxed it and even ordered all parts cover plates which were recommended by someone else. None of that worked. I finally ordered some shielding tape. Started by shielding the cover plates. Nope ...it didnt help. Finally shielded the control and switch cavities and guess what? Worked like a charm. No static whatsoever.

 

This problem was not a humidity issue as the humidity has been no lower than 45 percent at any time. Apparently Gibson is aware of the problem , but dont offer a solution at this point. I was on the verge of selling that guitar I was so frustrated, but glad I took the time to try everything because its the best Les Paul I have ever owned.

Edited April 26, 2019 by budglo

[2000 lp classic]

Hi guys, long time guitar owner, but first time on this forum.

 

I have a 2017 Gibson Les Paul Classic (bought it used) and have had constant static electricity problems with it. If you're not familiar, there are many discussions on the topic and videos where just by running your hand up and down the neck, or rubbing your hand across the back (more so over the cavity covers) you can hear popping and crackling through your amp.

 

Gibson themselves recommend that you rub dryer sheets to discharge the guitar. Others recommend increasing the relative humidity as dry air exasperates the problem.

 

Here's the thing, I can get rid of the static, but I can't keep it from coming back. There's not enough dryer sheets made to keep the guitar static free.

 

I friend of mine (who has a PhD in physics) said that it actually sounds like a grounding issue with some of the Gibsons. He said that a dryer sheet essentially chemically coats everything you touch it with positively charged ions, which combines with the electrons statically built up and grounds them. Same as the humidifier, the electrons are grounded through the air. All this because the guitar can't ground itself properly.

 

Has anyone else experienced this? Is there a specific weak spot in the wiring that could be causing this?

 

Thanks! Hopefully this will lead to a good discussion.

[2000 lp classic]

I have a 2000 Gibson Les Paul classic.Some posts say it was afer a certain year,but my axe is a 2000,its 19 yrs old.Ive read that if its buzzing and you touch the tail peice,the bridge,the strings(because obviously they go thru the tail peice and ride on the saddles of the bridge that everything on the outside is grounded.(Does a abr-1 or nashville bridge make it different in anyway,I don't know because the way each are mounted differently)Also the tunner peg holes that the strings are wrapped around are grounded.I took it to gc and he ran a wire from one pot to the next type thing.In the store it was fine,at home it still humed,so i took a multimeter and touched the leads to the wires he soldied,and then unsoldierd each one,and it beeped the same,after desoldering all the wires everything was grounded good.WHY WOULDNT HE USE A MULTIMETER?He Didnt notice the plate each pot was on?He is the tech,not me.He made a quick $10.00 and now my wiring doesnt look original because you can see the difference in the soldier color and Now I need to get some wick to hopefully remove ugly left over soldier,also the tailpeice to the tunner peg holes all all beeped clearly.

Ive also read that if there is a hum and you touch anything thats grounded and it silences the hum that its grounded good.Now with the crackle and pop noise from rubbing my hand over the rear covers,I have no idea what to do but maybe use shielding tape and maybe run a peice from the metal plate and run the shieldind around where the plate lays on and that would be grounded also then......will this help? Like the back of a strat pickgaurd? Im frustrated as many are.Some Gibsons didnt even have the plate obviously,so they needed each pot to be soldiered together,also some didnt have a ground going from one of the pots to the pressed in tailpeice bushing that the tailpeice studs screw into. Thru the years they changed it alot,now everyone has a different answer to questions that are still unknown.Ive heard that the nitro finish,or clearcoat builds up static and that causes the crackling and popping.IM FRUSTRAITED,I COULDA GOT A FENDER,A PRS,OR A CUSTOM BUILT GUITAR,BUT I CHOSE THE GIBSON.MY DADS FRIEND BOUGHT IT IN 2001,AND IVE HAD IT FOR ABOUT 3 YRS,BUT NEVER NOTICED THIS.WHY IS IT DOING IT NOW?deoxit d5 didnt help,I cleaned the jack of guitar and amp,I cleaned the pots on the guitar and amp.Im lost,I LOVE MY LESTER😔

[2000 lp classic]

Nope I would have loved to paint instead of shielding both guitars with copper. Believe me it was a time consuming major PITA. But I couldn't find any shielding paint locally and the cost ordering it online would have by far surpassed the cost of the copper foil.

[2000 lp classic]

My 2000 les paul classic has a dark grey paste like substance over the wood,but only the bottom,and then there is a metal plate that the pots all are mounted too.Did Gibson use shielding or some type of paste or paint on the bottom of the control cavity?because its not bare wood and the sides are painted red like the color of the mahogany,or cherry sunburst.If I shield the plastic covers will it help with the crackling and pops?