Frustrating buzz

M

musicmick

New member
Hi, new here so apologies if this is in the wrong place. I have a predicament that’s driving me crazy and really hope someone can help. I’ll try and keep this short...

I had the usual single coil buzz going on and on opening my guitar realised there was no shielding whatsoever inside so I proceeded to rectify that. Still the buzz went on, so I decided to invest in a duck-bucker, put in the neck position as it’s what I needed for now and I figured if it sounded right I’d stick one in the middle position to. (Hot rails on the bridge)

So anyway, bang, the buzz was gone and I was ecstatic. Now I have silence when the guitar is turned up and whether I’m touching the strings or not, it’s silence. However, as soon as I start playing it’s buzzing again and only when I’m actually playing. This is not fret buzz, it’s electrical.

I’m using my strat through a Kemper. I also tried going direct into my Apollo Twin direct and still the same buzz when playing. I’m familiar with the computer/guitar scenario and have tried all different positions with that to.

I’ve tried the earth loop thing, sitting in a different room, plugging gear in a different room etc etc... I think I have tried everything and I’m at my wits end. Does anyone have any suggestions please as to what this could be or maybe suggest a process of elimination that I may not have tried.

Thanks

Mick
 
Re: Frustrating buzz

Does it do it with every pickup? Does it buzz on clean settings? Have you tried it through another amp? Have you tried another cord?
 
Re: Frustrating buzz

VinceT, I’m using the cleanest of Kemper rigs, so clean the gain is literally off and my guitar volume pot is backed off a little too.

Mr.B, yes, with every pickup. I also have a line 6 spider III combo and it does it with that to.
 
Re: Frustrating buzz

Are you saying that you get the buzz only when you actually play or do you also have it when you just touch the strings?
 
Re: Frustrating buzz

Yes that's correct, only when I play. When the guitar is plugged in and turned up, whether I touch the strings or not there is silence. As soon as I actually strum (or pick a note) the buzz happens.
 
Re: Frustrating buzz

Any way you can get us a sound clip of it happening? I’ve never had this symptom (though I’ve dealt with every other type of buzz!) so it’d be good to hear it.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 
Re: Frustrating buzz

Just read your post and the whole electricity supply went down in my town. I’m beginning to think there’s a doll with my name on it and the king of buzz has a needle in his hand. Give me a few mins and I’ll see what I can do about getting you a sound clip.
 
Re: Frustrating buzz

I think this has attached? So the fluff at the start is just my hand on the strings then the chord and you can hear the buzz get louder as the chord dies out. It stops altogether when I stop the chord with my hand.

From start to finish of this clip the guitar is turned up so you can get an idea of how quiet it is when it's not being strummed.
 

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Re: Frustrating buzz

Yeah, that is weird. Fits thing is, the buzz itself sounds like typical single coil 60Hz hum, but the way it appears only in the note and not either side is weird.

I know this may be along Shot, but does the Kemper have a noise gate on it?


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 
Re: Frustrating buzz

Hi Vince, yes it does, and I had it on, 4.0 which is nearly half way but as you'll know the more you wind it up the more detrimental to the sound so I try and use it sparingly.
 
Re: Frustrating buzz

Hadn't tried that so just done it now, if I turn the Noise Gate off the buzz is there constantly, whether I play or not. Hmm...
 
Re: Frustrating buzz

So the silence you had before when you weren't playing was due to the noise gate. So, with the guitar plugged in and zero noise gate engaged, is the buzz louder or quieter when you touch the strings?
 
Re: Frustrating buzz

Based on your suggestion, there's no difference in buzz when I touch the strings when the noise gate is turned off.

Also I've just tried something else, I'm using a Universal Apollo for my sound card going in and I think I mentioned plugging directly into that still provides a constant hum. However I've plugged back into the Kemper and switched to the SD Hot Rails pickup on the bridge and there is no buzz hum etc whatsoever, that hot rails pickup is completely silent whether playing or not.

Do you think that could point to the wiring on the new pickup? Aren't these duckbuckers supposed to be noise free, like a stacked single coil?
 
Re: Frustrating buzz

I'm not sure, the in house guitar tech guy did it at my local guitar store.

Another process of elimination I hadn't tried... Took the Mac out of the equation (on the off chance it was a screen issue) and plugged headphones direct into the Kemper. This time if my guitar is on my knee and I tilt it back and forwards the buzz/hum comes and goes at different levels, and if I place the guitar down horizontal on my lap the noise goes altogether. However with the bridge pickup, silence in whichever position!
 
Re: Frustrating buzz

Sounds like normal single coil noise if it happens in certain positions and it doesn't happen at all with the bucker pup.
 
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