Amp noise...where's it coming from?

DeadandBuried

New member
I'm a guitar tutor and on Sunday I had a lesson with one of my students who had just bought a new guitar and amp. Its a Roland cube 40GX I think. Anyway I go in to start explaining to him how to use the controls, but when I turn it on there's a really loud humming/buzzing noise. I plug my guitar in and the noise is still there. I change the cables over and its still there. He took it back to the shop he bought it from after our lesson and they plugged it in, apparently there wasn't any noise or not as much. It could have possibly been bad electrics in the house, but I can't identify what else would cause that sound? It stops if you touch the strings and/or turn the volume pot down. Can't be the pickups cos I plugged mine in and it did the same thing.
 
Re: Amp noise...where's it coming from?

It seems to be a grounding problem in your house. I think you need to consult a technician about it.
 
Re: Amp noise...where's it coming from?

Its actually at his house but I asked him to try the amp in different room in the house, maybe its the downstairs rooms that have bad circuitry. Then I asked him to try it round someone else's house. Will see what he says.
 
Re: Amp noise...where's it coming from?

Bad quality of electricity service, dimmers, cell phones, some motors running. Anything that can cause electric fields around that are not necessary the 60Hz hum. Does the amp have a ground prong? was it removed? Does the electric outlet allows for the ground prong? Maybe the ground wire is not even connected in the installation.
 
Re: Amp noise...where's it coming from?

Go to the home store and get one of these at any rate. About 5 bucks.

 
Re: Amp noise...where's it coming from?

Bad quality of electricity service, dimmers, cell phones, some motors running. Anything that can cause electric fields around that are not necessary the 60Hz hum. Does the amp have a ground prong? was it removed? Does the electric outlet allows for the ground prong? Maybe the ground wire is not even connected in the installation.

Haven't heard back from him in response to trying it out at someone else's house. What's a ground prong?
 
Re: Amp noise...where's it coming from?

Haven't heard back from him in response to trying it out at someone else's house. What's a ground prong?

Taylor Guitars "Noise Reduction" (Part 1) - with David Hosler
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fCfa-I4SfiM

Taylor Guitars "Noise Reduction" (Part 2) - with David Hosler
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FrgupGEXKNs

Taylor Guitars "Audio Noise and Grounding" with David Hosler
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ZGokkrsO_Y
 
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