Aw hell... what now?

[B2D]

I finally yanked those PAF Pros out of my MIA strat and loaded it with a JB/Jazz set... the pickups sound FABULOUS (worth another thread in and of itself) but now there's a LOT of noise flying around. Enough so that it causes a feedback-type noise when I'm playing with my POD. This didn't happen with the PAF Pros, so I must've messed up with the wiring and such. All the pickup selections work in their correct ways and all the leads are solidly connected as if the grounf but this sounds for all the world like a grounding problem.

It's always a little hard to fit those wires into that narrow space between the bridge pickup cavity and the control cavity... do you think the edges of two bare contactsa could be touching each other and messing up the ground?

Heeelp! The guitar sounds great but the noise needs to GO.

 

[B2D]

Re: Aw hell... what now?

I poked around the insides but couldn't find the problem... I think I'll just take it to the local tech and see if they can work their magic and beef up the sheilding while they're at it.

 

[stevie_bees]

Re: Aw hell... what now?

There's nothing quite like the anticipation of firing up your guitar after changing pickups. And nothing as bad as the feeling you get when theres a problem!!

 

[Breaking the law]

Re: Aw hell... what now?

I had too may problems with my frankenbass.. I re-routed it, so The wires would have more space.. I hate it when something is not working.. But it's always been my own fault.. I hope the tech can firugre it out..

 

[Jag513]

Re: Aw hell... what now?

Sounds like a grounding issue. Did you make sure the ground wire's properly soldered to the trem plate?

 

[That90'sGuy]

Re: Aw hell... what now?

Before sending to a tech, make sure you've got one common grounding point (usually on the back of a potentiometer) and make sure that the ground from the trem is attached to it as well. Good solid connections make a huge difference as well (when I used to solder, I had cold solder joints and the noise would be terrible).

 

[B2D]

Re: Aw hell... what now?

What's a "cold" solder joint? All the connections are firmly attached...

 

[JB_From_Hell]

Re: Aw hell... what now?

What's a "cold" solder joint?

+1

 

[Artie]

Re: Aw hell... what now?

A "cold" solder joint occurs when you physically have solder holding the wires together, but the actual electrical connection isn't made. This often happens if a wire or something moves slightly, just as the solder is cooling out of its molten state. Generally, the connection will look dull, or rough, instead of smooth and shiny.

Usually, you can fix it by just re-flowing the connection.

 

[DeadSkinSlayer3]

Re: Aw hell... what now?

Ohh...I always thought a cold solder joint was where you didn't heat up the wire to heat the solder, but rather melted the solder onto the piece. I guess that could cause a cold solder joint, but that's what I do, as it's much faster, and my joints are always shiny.

 

[B2D]

Re: Aw hell... what now?

I'll try and re-do it... there's a few cold joints on there.

 

[B2D]

Re: Aw hell... what now?

BTW what CAUSES a cold solder joint? Is there a certain method to do it that won't (or will) cause it?

 

[ankalar]

Re: Aw hell... what now?

BTW what CAUSES a cold solder joint? Is there a certain method to do it that won't (or will) cause it?

This often happens if a wire or something moves slightly, just as the solder is cooling out of its molten state. Usually, you can fix it by just re-flowing the connection.

Read, my Southern Californian brother!

 

[Gearjoneser]

Re: Aw hell... what now?

If you check all the connections, to make sure you didn't disrupt something else when you installed the pickups, just re-wet all the solder connections, and make sure your red and white's are soldered together, and taped down.....or connected to whatever splits your humbuckers. Last week, my blue strat's middle pickup just stopped working. I reheated the grounds for all 3 pickups, and the problem went away.

 

[B2D]

Re: Aw hell... what now?

Read, my Southern Californian brother!

Wow, I'm a dumbass LOL thanks for pointing that out.

 

[ankalar]

Re: Aw hell... what now?

Wow, I'm a dumbass LOL thanks for pointing that out.

It happens to the second best of us...second best being you. :dance:

Go play with your new cab!

 

[BigBazz]

Re: Aw hell... what now?

just for a check, make sure the jack plate wiring is correct, if its wired wrong (i.e backwards or oposite) it will still work but will create a lot more noise than usual.

 

[B2D]

Re: Aw hell... what now?

Well I reflowed a few cold solder joints on my MIA and while I was at it restrung and reflowed a few joints on my MIM as well (the MIM has always had this problem but to a lesser extent).

Well the problem on the MIA is STILL THERE and it got WORSE with the MIM!! What gives?

Could i have accidentaly overheated a pot or something? All the connections are good and solid and NOT cold.

some observations of the problem...

1. Noise gets louder with increased volume and gain and developes in a high-pitched squeal under high gain..

2. Noise diminishes slightly when I touch anything metal on the guitar or the metal barrels on each end of the cable.

I'm thinking I should just take both guitars to a good tech for a complete rewire... I don't think there's anything else I can do.

 

[DeadSkinSlayer3]

Re: Aw hell... what now?

Sounds like a bad grounding and the high pitched squeal sounds like microphonic feedback to me, like unpotted pickups. Try blasting a hairdryer over the pickups to reset the wax, and see if that helps the feedback. I know they're brand new, but you never know...

 

[B2D]

Re: Aw hell... what now?

I've gotten microphonics from bad pots before, that could be the problem. But usually the pot in question cuts out or is scratchy.

My only theory at this point is that I've damaged a pot with excessive heat. In any case, I'm willing to drop $25 per guitar for a complete rewire at this point.