Noisy guitar

[anomaly]

I have a Tele copy that is really noisy and I can't figure out the cause. It seems like a grounding issue. I touch the pots, switch, output jack or bridge and it quiets down, but doesn't that rule out a bad solder joint? What else could it be? The pickups? It's got a JB in the bridge and a stock single coil in the neck position.

 

[gudbrand]

Hard to say just from a description if it's more than the usual single coil noise from excessive EMI. Noisier than other single coils in the same setup? Is the cavity shielded? Does it get quieter if you orient the guitar in different directions?

 

[rstites]

It doesn't rule out a bad solder joint. I'd check the jack and the bridge solder joints before going any further. Those are the most common culprits.

 

[RaceU4her]

i was actually going to make a thread asking this same question as my Carvin is doing the same thing, i get a bunch of noise and then i touch the volume knob and it goes away

 

[cardinal]

If there's loud as hell buzzing that stops when you touch the strings, it may just be the output jack is wired backwards. I just went through this on a partscaster.

 

[S̷͖͑m̵͎͂á̵̺s̸͚̈́h̴̬̑]

Another thing that can happen is the ground on the bridge comes loose.

However, shielding is the most often fix for a guitar that starts doing it out of nowhere

 

[Dave L]

The thing a lot of folks get backwards is when it gets quiet when you touch metal. That means the ground basically works and whatever you´re touching is connected to it, and it is dumping all the ambient noise and interference your body is acting like a giant antenna for to ground. You can test this by backing away from the guitar and see if the noise gets weaker. What you need is to increase the amount of shielding that is connected to ground, or check if the shielding and everything that should be connected is properly connected to ground.

 

[anomaly]

Hard to say just from a description if it's more than the usual single coil noise from excessive EMI. Noisier than other single coils in the same setup? Is the cavity shielded? Does it get quieter if you orient the guitar in different directions?

The noise gets quieter the further I am away from my amp, but it's still there and excessive IMO. It's more than the typical single coil buzz and it's still there when I am using the humbucker.

 

[anomaly]

It doesn't rule out a bad solder joint. I'd check the jack and the bridge solder joints before going any further. Those are the most common culprits.

I actually installed a new jack thinking that would fix it, but nope. I will check the bridge next.

 

[gudbrand]

The noise gets quieter the further I am away from my amp, but it's still there and excessive IMO. It's more than the typical single coil buzz and it's still there when I am using the humbucker.

I missed that it was happening with the humbucker too. Usually humbuckers with shielded coax cable should be pretty quiet, so even if the cavity is not shielded it sounds like something else is going on.

That's all assuming the humbucker is wired correctly.

 

[Music&Chaos]

Sounds like something is not properly hitting ground or you have a lead wire very close to the ground causing interference, like they are almost touching. Make sure you didnt accidentally touch a bit of ground to lead, which is what comes to mind with humbucker making excess noise.

I mounted one forever ago and had issues like this, checked, and found one of the mounting screws went through the braid and was pressing ground and lead together a bit. Whoops!


Also, there are debates on the quietest tele setups, due to the metal control plate.

I use the control plate as a shared ground, like with an LP metal plate, and do no run *extra* grounds between pots. This pulled the noise down on tele a bit.

Running an extra ground to the body will reduce ambient noise.

I hate to be this guy but.....I also test and install caps in a specific, quietest operational direction.

Heatshrinking caps and the lead and ground on the jack will also reduce background noise.

 

[CPGearHead]

Use your DMM and make sure the sleeve on the output jack has continuity to all pot bodies and the strings. Real basic check...

 

[Shreddy Mercury]

What else is on the circuit that's powering your amp? Florescent lights in the room?