All new electronics in Les Paul, getting buzz

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Matt300ZXT

Matt300ZXT

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So I installed my Legend Tone 50's wiring harness with grounding plate, new prewired Switchcraft 3 way toggle, Switchcraft jack, all from Legened Tone, and DiMarzio Super Distortion/36th PAF combo. I followed DiMarzio's diagram. I checked continuity on all wires as I was installing. The legs on the switch all terminate on the volume pots where they're supposed to. On the pickups, the green/bare were grounded to a pot, black/white soldered together and taped off, and then the hot wires were attached to the proper leg of either volume pot. I connected the bridge ground wire to a pot (they're all tied together with buss wire so they ground out properly) and then ran a wire from a pot to the ground of the jack, then connected the switch wire to the hot of the jack.

I plugged in to my amp, tapped the pole pieces with a screwdriver to make sure the switch was wired to the proper pot for bridge or neck and the switch is doing its job, but I'm getting a fairly loud buzz. It changes as I roll the proper volume pot up or down and goes away when it's at 0.

What did I miss or whatever?

https://www.dimarzio.com/media/656
 
Gibson-les-paul-modern-electronics@1400x1050.jpg
 
So sometimes the buzz is a little louder than other times when I turn it on, but by touching the bridge, it goes away. I don't think this place has the cleanest wall power to begin with, but my Warmoth I was jamming on last night was dead quiet. I'd have the volume turned up and the guitar just sitting on my lap while I was looking for a song and I'd forget it was even on because it was quiet. But, other quality guitars I've got will also sometimes buzz when not playing lightly, once again, because I think the wall power isn't super duper clean here.

Will it quiet down when strings are on it or something? I don't know if that helps or not.
 
I followed the directions on DiMarzio's diagram. All 4 pots have the wires connecting each other for ground. All 4 of them, the ground plate, the switch, and wire running to the bridge all have continuity to the ground part of the output jack.

I grounded the bridge wire to one of the tone pots, then the switch is grounded to one of the volume pots I think it is. And I ran 1 wire from another pot to the jack.
 
There an issue with the ground wire that connects the electronics to the bridge post. Probably isnt connecting to the bridge in the hole, so have to pull the post out
 
WarHed said:
There an issue with the ground wire that connects the electronics to the bridge post. Probably isnt connecting to the bridge in the hole, so have to pull the post out
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I did test that during installation. I put 1 probe of the multimeter in one of the holes that a string goes through and checked ground. It has continuity.
 
Matt300ZXT said:
So sometimes the buzz is a little louder than other times when I turn it on, but by touching the bridge, it goes away. I don't think this place has the cleanest wall power to begin with, but my Warmoth I was jamming on last night was dead quiet. I'd have the volume turned up and the guitar just sitting on my lap while I was looking for a song and I'd forget it was even on because it was quiet. But, other quality guitars I've got will also sometimes buzz when not playing lightly, once again, because I think the wall power isn't super duper clean here.

Will it quiet down when strings are on it or something? I don't know if that helps or not.
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You have to be touching the strings/bridge for it NOT to buzz. If you’re other guitar doesn’t buzz then I don’t what to tell you except that somehow your forearm/whatever is touching the strings/bridge/tuning pegs/output jack/sleeve of the cable/etc OR you have a magical guitar.
 
LP Freak said:
If you’re touching the bridge and it goes away, that’s a grounding problem
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That’s the way it’s supposed to work right? Take your hands off guitar = buzz; touch any grounded metal piece = no buzz. What am I missing? I don’t think he even has strings on the guitar yet.
 
SpiderWars said:
That’s the way it’s supposed to work right? Take your hands off guitar = buzz; touch any grounded metal piece = no buzz. What am I missing? I don’t think he even has strings on the guitar yet.
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not supposed to change with your hand hitting metal parts on the guitar. My guitars don't do that, especially with no strings.
 
Erock said:
not supposed to change with your hand hitting metal parts on the guitar. My guitars don't do that, especially with no strings.
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Every guitar I’ve owned buzzed when you took your hands off the guitar, especially with gain. Put your hands/forearm/etc on any grounded metal part and the buzz goes away.

I must be missing something here. This thread is bizarro world.
 
SpiderWars said:
Every guitar I’ve owned buzzed when you took your hands off the guitar, especially with gain. Put your hands/forearm/etc on any grounded metal part and the buzz goes away.

I must be missing something here. This thread is bizarro world.
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I dunno, maybe I'm nuts? You have me questioning reality now. :LOL:


edit: I take it back, I just tried it, and I do get some difference in sound.
 
Erock said:
I dunno, maybe I'm nuts? You have me questioning reality now. :LOL:
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I might just be druck but the last sentence in post #3 makes me think he has no strings on the guitar yet.

You guys realize that right?
 
Yeah, I said in one of the posts there weren't any strings on it yet. Does that change the grounding somehow or something?
 
Matt300ZXT said:
Yeah, I said in one of the posts there weren't any strings on it yet. Does that change the grounding somehow or something?
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The ground wire usually goes to a stud, which touches the bridge (or stop bar, doesn’t matter). When you string it up the strings make contact with the bridge (or stop bar) and that grounds the strings. Anything the strings contact (like tuners or a metal nut) will then also be grounded.

So once strung up you should be able to touch any of these metal parts to stop the buzz. But NOT touching any of them will always get buzz. The more gain the more buzz.
 
I had this problem on one guitar and it was because the ground wire wasn't connected properly to the bridge... it actually came off and was hard to solder back on but once I did solder it back on, the buzz was gone completely. Didn't have to keep touching the strings or metal to get it to stop... it was just quiet on its own.
 
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