Buzzy wiring problem, grounding issues?

[devilfish]

Re: Buzzy wiring problem, grounding issues?

RIGHT! Progress = 0!

I replaced the 4 conductor wire on the Custom Custom. Put it in my Highway strat and it's still buzzing. put my JB back in and it's also buzzing. this grounding problem is REALLY getting to me.

I tried doing a 'Continuity' test on all parts I could get a prob too, and according to my meter everything has a clear signal to ground!

Short of rewiring BOTH guitars... what can I try? and what could this problem be?

Thanks

 

[devilfish]

Re: Buzzy wiring problem, grounding issues?

bump

 

[Karmadog777]

Re: Buzzy wiring problem, grounding issues?

Short of rewiring BOTH guitars... what can I try? and what could this problem be?

Thanks

Seriously, at this point you might have to accept that the problem is with the guy doing the soldering/wiring, take it to a tech.

 

[devilfish]

Re: Buzzy wiring problem, grounding issues?

Hey,

But I haven't wired my highway... I'm not saying ''It can't be my soldering'' because I'm quite sure on my project strat it IS my soldering. but on my highway, I've only replaced the humbucker and I've tried re-stripping and soldering the ground wires.

I'm just asking if there's anything else I can try as the continuity test with a meter says every part of my guitar has a clear path to ground..

Thanks

 

[Karmadog777]

Re: Buzzy wiring problem, grounding issues?

I dont know, Like I said I have a similar problem with one of my guitars that I have learned to live with,If I could not live with it I would spend a few bucks and take it to a tech and put the problem on him, as I have tried everything I know of atleast twice to silence the thing.
Good Luck

 

[devilfish]

Re: Buzzy wiring problem, grounding issues?

Hi,

Okay, I was under the impression the meter continuity test would highlight any problems in the circuit but according to my meter every ground wire/component has a clear signal... Maybe I'll start a new thread as this one has developed quite a bit.

Thanks for all the help!

 

[Robert S.]

Re: Buzzy wiring problem, grounding issues?

Devilfish, a continuity test won't help. I'll bet a quarter that you have a pot or switch that is causing the problem. This problem used to drive me nuts until I found out that an over heated/damaged pot or switch will create this problem.

You have to isolate the bad pot. This means pulling all the electronics and wiring a pickups directly to the jack with the string ground also attached to the jack. Your guitar will then become magically hum-free!

Then add 1 component back into the guitar at a time until you find the noisy one.

When I get a guitar like yours I usually just replace all the pots instead of putting the labor in to find the bad one.My time is worth more than the price of the pots when I have someone elses guitar on the bench.

It's a funky pot Bro. Been there and done that.

 

[devilfish]

Re: Buzzy wiring problem, grounding issues?

Hey,

Okay, thanks for the advice This isn't something I don't understand just something I'm hoping someone else may be able to give me some advice one.

I wired up my strat project with new electrics and the same CC humbucker. buzz/grounding problem present. I wired the CC into my highway strat... buzz/grounding problem. I replaced the 4 conductor wire, same problem. I put the JB back into my highway... problem.

I'll wire the humbucker directly to the output jack to eliminate it from the problem, and I'm going to solder a solder tag to the back of each pot to gather ground wires to avoid overheating the pots.

any idea how I can check the switch is bad other than replacing it?

Thanks

 

[Robert S.]

Re: Buzzy wiring problem, grounding issues?

Bypass the switch.

Does the switch sit on shielding on the pick guard? If the switch body isn't grounded this could be the cause of your problem.

 

[devilfish]

Re: Buzzy wiring problem, grounding issues?

hey,

Yeah the switch does sit on the shielding and it is 'technically' grounded. How would I go about bypassing the switch in this current circuit?

I've got a humbucker and 2 singles. I'm a little unsure of how I can test it without a switch.

Thanks

 

[scottish]

Re: Buzzy wiring problem, grounding issues?

hey,

Yeah the switch does sit on the shielding and it is 'technically' grounded. How would I go about bypassing the switch in this current circuit?

I've got a humbucker and 2 singles. I'm a little unsure of how I can test it without a switch.

Thanks

Are you getting the buzzing in all postions on the switch? Or only when the CC is active? If its only the CC then it might be the pup. If its all postions then it could be the switch.

First off, wire the pups to the switch and then to the output, bypassing all the tone/vol pots. If you have already done this and still have buzzing then proceed to next step.

To bypass the switch, just take the hot and ground leads of the CC and wire it directly to the jack. If you dont have any buzzing then its the switch. You can check all the pups individually by wiring them one at a time to the output jack. You will also need to run the trem ground to the jack, i think.

If you determine the problem to be the switch, look for a lug on it thats not connected to the switching but to the casing. If it has one then try running a wire to ground from that and see if the problem goes away.

If the problem is the switch and not the pickup then it probably means you also fried a pot/switch in your highway1.

Id do some reading on star grounding. Its the best way ive found to ground a strat but it does require the cavity to be shielded.

 

[devilfish]

Re: Buzzy wiring problem, grounding issues?

Are you getting the buzzing in all postions on the switch? Or only when the CC is active? If its only the CC then it might be the pup. If its all postions then it could be the switch.

Yeah it's in all positions, the CC and 2 singles all hum!

First off, wire the pups to the switch and then to the output, bypassing all the tone/vol pots. If you have already done this and still have buzzing then proceed to next step.

How do I go about this? I'm only used to following schematics, so not too sure on what needs to go where on the switch?

To bypass the switch, just take the hot and ground leads of the CC and wire it directly to the jack. If you dont have any buzzing then its the switch. You can check all the pups individually by wiring them one at a time to the output jack. You will also need to run the trem ground to the jack, i think.

Great! If you could answer the questions I have above then I'll be good to go and can check it all

Is it possible it's a problem with my amp at all? it seems unlikely to me but I don't have a stock guitar to test with my amp... Could a fault with my amp cause this problem with my guitars? or is it DEFINITELY a guitar wiring problem seeing as the buzz goes away when touching the bridge/strings etc?

Thanks

 

[scottish]

Re: Buzzy wiring problem, grounding issues?

Yeah it's in all positions, the CC and 2 singles all hum!



1. How do I go about this? I'm only used to following schematics, so not too sure on what needs to go where on the switch?



Great! If you could answer the questions I have above then I'll be good to go and can check it all

2. Is it possible it's a problem with my amp at all? it seems unlikely to me but I don't have a stock guitar to test with my amp... Could a fault with my amp cause this problem with my guitars? or is it DEFINITELY a guitar wiring problem seeing as the buzz goes away when touching the bridge/strings etc?

Thanks

1. wire the hot leads to the switch as you normally would. Then take the hot output of the switch (that would normally go to the vol pot, i think) to your output jack. Wire all the pup grounds and trem ground to the ground of the output jack. It might be easier to do the grounds if you just solder them all together and then run one wire to the jack. Disclaimer, lol, this all makes sense in my head but its still early and i havent had much coffee yet.

2. it doesnt sound like its you amp. if the buzzing goes away when you touch a metal part of your guitar then its almost certainly a guitar grounding issue.

Pics would be really helpful if you get it all wired up again and it still buzzes. Pick of the back of the pickguard and one of the jack.

 

[devilfish]

Re: Buzzy wiring problem, grounding issues?

haha no worries man! Thanks for all the help. I'll report back once I've tested the pickups to the jack, switch to the jack then pots to the jack!

Thanks

 

[devilfish]

Re: Buzzy wiring problem, grounding issues?

Right, I soldered my CC and my JB directly to the output jack and I get the same grounding problems... BUZZ

(I included the trem claw when grounding the humbuckers...)

Would I be right in thinking it's the output jack? Or is there anything else I can try?

Thanks