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Grounding issue...


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27 posts to to solve a non-existent problem. This topic gotta be turned into a sticky before we move onto the "Why are my single coil pickups making so much noise?" discussion. lol

 

If this humming/buzzing bothers anyone, which it does me too sometimes, then either buy a good quality noise gate, they work very well or learn to get quick with your volume knobs, ala, Ted Nugent. Watch some of his early vids and see how much he touches his volume knob. This is why.

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As was mentioned previously, I'd re-check all the wiring first. Then make sure that you used the correct

wires from the pickup coils and connected the correct wires together from the pickups. The diagram

sometimes shows different colors for the pickup wires. The two wires that are connected together are

the + and - poles of the pickup so that they are connected in opposite polarity for humbucking operation.

You might find that the colors on the wires don't match the instructions you used to wire it. Then, I'd

connect an ohmmeter to the ground at the output jack and set it on the lowest ohm setting and touch

each ground connection in the diagram and make sure that all your grounds are secure. Also, make sure

that you read continuity to the bridge from the ground connection on the output jack. As the post link in

the 2nd or so post suggests, you may have a broken ground wire that is supposed to contact the bridge.

That's what grounds the strings. If you don't read ground on the strings, check the red? wire that goes

from the bridge to the ground wiring at the pots.

 

I'm thinking that you might have the poles connected in a non humbucking manner or no ground to the

bridge. You want the - and + connected together between the poles. That's what gives you humbucker

operation. If one is reversed, it's like having two parallel single coils.

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27 posts to to solve a non-existent problem.

This topic gotta be turned into a sticky before we move onto the

"Why are my single coil pickups making so much noise?" discussion. lol

 

 

Thread alrady included in the Epi Lounge "Do it Yourself" STICKY' date=' under

the "Electrical Hum/Buzz" from guitar sub-section.[/b']

 

In hindsight, one question WE didn't ask was HOW BAD a hum is it?

I've installed all my own pickups, from the Gibby Pups on my current

LPs to various project guitars. My Epis do not hum at all, even with hands

off strings.

 

I DID run into a Hum problem when I installed a set of overwound pups

(16K ohms each) into a 70's Hondo II as an experiment. With hands off

strings, the Hum was so noticeable I said : "Man, something is NOT right".

I rechecked ALL wiring, all correct.

 

During this process I noticed a bit of solder on one of the Vol pots between tabs.

This was one of the few gits I actually swapped pups with all components STILL

in guitar, rather than on a cardboard template. Getting to the point, I eventually

pulled the pot from the git, removed rear metal cover, and discovered that a "whisker thin"

bit of solder had splashed onto the pot and had gone INSIDE the pot cover.

Once I removed solder from inside cover and reassembled, hum was GONE.

 

Just one of those "Freaky-Deaky" things that happen. On this forum, we actually

DO try to help each other and learn from the experiences! The info in this thread

will be used by someone else in the future, so all is good...

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Just one of those "Freaky-Deaky" things that happen. On this forum' date=' we actually

DO try to help each other and learn from the experiences! The info in this thread

will be used by someone else in the future, so all is good...[/quote']

 

You are darn right, animalfarm!

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