SlagJones Posted July 31, 2008 Share Posted July 31, 2008 I am having a little problem with my Epiphone and a new roland 20x amp. I hear a slight click or pop when my fingers hit the strings. It is not loud but noticeable and I never heard it with my previous amp. I emailed Roland and got this response: This sounds like it may be related to a grounding issue, which can be quite common actually. Your guitar's pickups, cables, power source, electronic appliances, florescent lighting etc. can all play a role in ground noise. Most of the time, it's related to the pickups/wiring in the guitar. You can try switching cables, or using a different guitar. You may also want to move your setup to a different room or location. It most likely isn't a problem with the amp. Any thoughts on the pickups and wiring in the guitar? I didn't notice this on other amps with the same guitar. If I were going to take a look at the wiring what should I be looking for? OR just get a different amp? I already switched cables, tried other outlets, etc... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RotcanX Posted July 31, 2008 Share Posted July 31, 2008 Hmmm... does this happen all the time or just the first time your fingers contact the strings? The Roland Cube amps have a noise gate circuit in them; perhaps what you are hearing is the noise gate switching 'on' as it detects that first tiny signal. I'll check out one of the 20X amps in the store tonight and see if I can get the same effect. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SlagJones Posted July 31, 2008 Author Share Posted July 31, 2008 Anytime I change chords I hear the click or pop. If tap one string with my finger it makes the sound on every tap. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
51xt33 Posted July 31, 2008 Share Posted July 31, 2008 Sounds like a grounding problem to me. Every time that you touch the strings you become the ground path. Have someone else touch a string or your bridge. Then you touch the strings and see if it continues to pop when you touch the string. Or due a palm mute and touch the strings with your other hand. If it's a grounding issue, you should not hear the pop since you already are grounding the signal with the first hand. I had the same problem on one of my guitars. After I shielded and put new p'ups and pots in it, and put the new string through bridge on I didn't have the problem. The factory must not have made good contact with a ground some where in the signal path, or maybe the bridge ground wire wasn't making a good connection. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RotcanX Posted July 31, 2008 Share Posted July 31, 2008 Something fishy somewhere. I just tried out our floor model 20X and I can't get it to pop at all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SlagJones Posted August 1, 2008 Author Share Posted August 1, 2008 Sounds like a grounding problem to me. Every time that you touch the strings you become the ground path. Have someone else touch a string or your bridge. Then you touch the strings and see if it continues to pop when you touch the string. Or due a palm mute and touch the strings with your other hand. If it's a grounding issue' date=' you should not hear the pop since you already are grounding the signal with the first hand.I had the same problem on one of my guitars. After I shielded and put new p'ups and pots in it, and put the new string through bridge on I didn't have the problem. The factory must not have made good contact with a ground some where in the signal path, or maybe the bridge ground wire wasn't making a good connection.[/quote'] Well, when I tried the palm mute and the noise goes away. However, when I plug into a different amp, everything is fine. The electric wiring in my house is fairly old, so I don't know if there is something weird with that. I'm thinking I need an amp that has a 3 prong plug in order for it to work ok in my house. I don't think there is anything wrong with the Roland, it is just some weird idiosincrasy with the existing wiring in the house. But really, I have no idea... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Biff Posted August 2, 2008 Share Posted August 2, 2008 Every time that you touch the strings you become the ground path. Have someone else touch a string or your bridge. Then you touch the strings and see if it continues to pop when you touch the string. Or due a palm mute and touch the strings with your other hand. Sounds like a good advice, but only if you're looking for possible death by electrocution for you and/or your friend. NEVER use yourself or another being to test gear and circuits that are in any way connected to the mains. If you and your friend happen to have a couple of guitar amps and a PA connected and you start touching each other's gear, only bad things will happen :) Seriously, grounding issues may kill people. Some good articles on shock hazard safety, among other things: http://www.guitarnuts.com/technical/electrical/safety/index.php From the same site, "troubleshooting noise": "Popping" / A popping noise / Soft popping when touching strings or other metal parts on the guitar. Your body is probably discharging a capacitor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.