2020 Les Paul Classic

[Daxman]

Hey guys and Gals, looking for some help here.  Can anyone tell me if they ever had an issue with noise coming from their pickups on this model?  When I touch the pickup there is a static-like noise that it makes.  Also, it just seems more noisy than any other guitar, almost ground issue-like, lots of hum.  Also, when I turn the volume from off to on, or vice versa, you can here a very audible hum-like noise.  I'll also say this that I'm very unhappy with the tone of these pickups (61T & 61R). It's hard to even explain, just no balance to the tone, it's too bright and ice picky no matter how I set the bridge.  And just so you all know, I have narrowed it down to the guitar itself, experimenting with all possible scenarios (amp, cable, power, etc...).  Please help.

[Black Dog]

If I were in your situation, I'd return it.

[Daxman]

Thanks for the response Black Dog. In our current situation, it'd be tough to return it. It's a catch 22 I guess for me.  I'd be willing to take it to the store it was bought from and have them look at it first before I return it, but they're currently closed down like most businesses.  That's what I want to do first, but since that's not an option bat the moment, I figured I'd ask on here and see if it's something else like user error lol.  

[Sgt. Pepper]

Usually when you hear noise and then it goes away when you touch something metal (ground) on your guitar and the noise goes away its a ground issue, cause you just became the ground.  Not sure if your pups are going microphonic or not. 

Edited April 1, 2020 by Sgt. Pepper

[rct]

You have a ground problem.  You can narrow it down by fooling with each part until you are sure who is doing it.  Eliminate the switch first.  Then the jack/jack plate stuff.  Just touch them, tap them, with the volume up on the guitar and the amp, nice and loud.  If it doesn't change much with them two parts, move on.

Touch and tap the pickup covers if they have them.  If bare pickups, touch and tap the poles, nice and loud.  You should be able to determine one or the other or both.  Same for the bridge next.

After that, get the back off, start touching pots and solder points, volumes up.  The place that is no good will make itself(selves) apparent pretty quickly.  

From the sound of your bridge pickup, I would think that it is not grounded right, and it may be a crappy pot if you can't roll off the tinny ice pick.

rct

[Daxman]

Thanks for the responses guys. I'll give the ideas a try and report back.

[Daxman]

Well, did some tests.  I fooled with and touched everything inside the cavities and only two places made any real "extra" noise.  First was the switch where the two metal tabs coming from both sides solder together made a loud hum when I touched it.  The two individual sides (Treble and Rhythm) did make any noise.   I jiggled the input wires/plug for both pickups (where they plug into the PCB board) and at certain points it made a hum, but did not visibly seem/look loose.  Both plugs seemed pushed in fully.  Any thoughts? 

[rct]

It has a board in it?

I have no idea, disregard anything I said, it is probably all the wrong diagnostic tests for that guitar.  Yer one yer own buck.

rct

[Twang Gang]

There is certainly something wrong with the wiring or the PCB board.  I have a 2019 Classic with those pickups and have none of those problems.  With both volumes and tones all the way up to 10 there is no noise or hum, and no noise if I touch either pickup.  Each of us has our own interpretation of tone, but I find these 61 pickups to be very vintage sounding and not extremely bright or "ice pick" like at all.  I have another LP with Burstbucker Pros in it, and they are much brighter than the 61R and 61T.

So I guess you'll have to wait until the store where you purchased it re-opens and then take it in.  Even Gibson is shut down right now so returning it to them is probably not an option either.  At any rate I don't think you are doing anything wrong, something is just messed up in the wiring.

[Daxman]

Thanks guys, it's just frustrating.  I'll be taking to the dealer and have them take a look at it when this all blows over.

[capmaster]

Just did a little research on the current Les Paul Classic model. They come with four push/pull pots. The volume controls engage coil splits (incorrectly called "coil taps") when pulled; the neck pickup's tone pot reverses the the neck pickup polarity (incorrectly called"phase") when pulled, and the bridge pickup's tone control activates a control and toggle switch bypass for the bridge pickup without affecting the coil split function. Those switches might have collected residues that have gassed out of the finish, and switching them up and down a few times might help to remove the residues and the resulting transition resistances causing hum. 

In the past I had this kind of trouble with pots and toggle switches, too, and only on guitars with cellulose nitrate finish which all are Gibsons in my case. 

However, in case the hum problem exists with any pickup push/pull and toggle switch position, probably the ground connection of the output jack is bad. You may find out through taking DC resistance measurements between tip and sleeve of a guitar cable connected to the guitar. You will need a multimeter providing DC resistance readings between 0 Ohms and 2 MegOhms, and you won't even have to open any compartment of the guitar for these measurements.  With the volume pots turned all counterclockwise you should read a resistance close to zero, regardless of the positions of any switch except for a pulled bridge pickup tone pot which lets you read the half (with the bridge pickup's volume pot pulled) or the full (with the bridge pickup's volume pot pushed) DC resistance of the bridge pickup. 

Good luck! 

 

 

Edited April 3, 2020 by capmaster
typing error

[Daxman]

Thanks capmaster. I'll have to find my multimeter and check that out.

[Daxman]

I should also mention that there's a weird "static" noise when I'm touching the strings.  It goes away when I touch the bridge or tail piece.  I think I read about this happening to someone somewhere as well.

[Eracer_Team]

A few topics here on static.

Gibson and others mentioned to use dryer sheets on the plastic covers on the back.

Some knock it up to the nitro drying and reacting to the clothes until it dries more

[Black Dog]

2 hours ago, Daxman said:

I should also mention that there's a weird "static" noise when I'm touching the strings.  It goes away when I touch the bridge or tail piece.  I think I read about this happening to someone somewhere as well.

 

That's weird because from a circuit standpoint, the strings, bridge and tailpeicce should all be the same (presumably ground), unless you had nylon saddles or something.   But even then the tailpeice and strings would be the same electrically.

[Daxman]

On 4/17/2020 at 1:40 PM, Eracer_Team said:

A few topics here on static.

Gibson and others mentioned to use dryer sheets on the plastic covers on the back.

Some knock it up to the nitro drying and reacting to the clothes until it dries more

Hmmm, interesting.  I may put some shielding tape on the back covers and see where that gets me as well.  Thanks for the reply.

On 4/17/2020 at 2:59 PM, Black Dog said:

 

That's weird because from a circuit standpoint, the strings, bridge and tailpeicce should all be the same (presumably ground), unless you had nylon saddles or something.   But even then the tailpeice and strings would be the same electrically.

Yeah, you would think.  It's very weird and frustrating at the same time.