Guitar Pickups-Hum Question

[TechMetalMan]

So i got my A2P and Sh-5 installed...new pots, a completely new wiring setup, new pickup selector switch, and a new input jack.

Everything seems more solid and quality.

The Sh-5 really pushes my Rectoverb...much better than the HZ's...more agressive too-i think i really love this pickup. My A2p sounds great with my cleans with some reverb, full, round and lush.


Now...on a more serious note...i notice i am getting a hum through my amp now that i have these new pickups in here, and when i touch anyone metal on the guitar (a string, knob, metal around the pups) it stops. Is my guitar not grounded correctly? Is it just not shielded 100%? The hum isn't too loud or bothersome, i just noticed it. I won't end up getting shocked will I?

[Kent S.]

Re: Guitar Pickups-Hum Question

Some noise is normal when your body is not in connection with any of the grounds, did you remember to ground the bare drain wires on the pups (the shield wires)?

[dc_mally]

Re: Guitar Pickups-Hum Question

i think it is posible to get shocked, if you get an electricity surge or something, im not totally sure about this but you should check your grouding on one of the pots, their should be a wire coming from inside the body leading to the brigde to the cavity where the pots are.

[Kent S.]

Re: Guitar Pickups-Hum Question

It's always posssible to get shocked, about the only condition I can thing of (off hand) is if you have no string ground, nothing on the guitar that's grounded at all, anything that's grounded is inside where it can't be touched.
That's also a bit noisy as well, if one is concerning with getting shocked, make sure the outlet you are plugged into is grounded correctly, and two that your amp is grounded correctly, then you can add a capacitor to the string ground, or an resistor and capacitor paralleled. Any pot shafts that conduct ground thru them, and output jack could still be live though.
It's not that big of a deal though, generally you only run into it if you touch another musician or piece of equipment ...(which can be dangerous, hence the cap or RC to knock down the current if it happens). Yet another reason for owning a good (not expensive, they are pretty economical these days) multi meter, you can check for voltage between things that aren't supposed to have any ... always a good thing.