Getting Bad Hum

[TreeSlayer]

I'm wiring up a strat style guitar. it was making a terrible humming noise. it actually played, but sounded awful. the wiring was butchered up, so I decided to start over. I'm using a Seymour Duncan diagram, 2 HB's, 2 Vol, 2 Tone and a three way. I got it finished up and together. now, the hum is worse, and it makes no sound! I touch the 3-way where it goes through the pick guard and it really raises cain! and I've tried another known good pup. maybe this will help...
Before...


After...


I'm only trying to get the neck working right now, as the bridge is built into the body. still get the same hum and no sound. any thoughts out there?

Thanks a million in advance!!

TS

 

[TreeSlayer]

Re: Getting Bad Hum

bump...
anybody have any ideas??

 

[beaubrummels]

Re: Getting Bad Hum

What are the two wires going into the outside lugs of the neck volume pot? It's like a red wire that turns black and splits into white and black?

It looks like ground is connected from the jack to the bridge tone, but nowhere else. You need to get the ground connection to each pot.

 

[TreeSlayer]

Re: Getting Bad Hum

What are the two wires going into the outside lugs of the neck volume pot? It's like a red wire that turns black and splits into white and black?

It looks like ground is connected from the jack to the bridge tone, but nowhere else. You need to get the ground connection to each pot.

thanks a million for your interest! the wires go to the neck pup. actually, the black wire is grounded. the lug is grounded to the back of the pot. I'm only working on the neck side of the circuit. I had the whole thing wired up, and it made the same amount of racket as if I only have one side wired in. I have the three way turned to the neck side. it's the same amount of noise and hum as if the whole circuit was wired in. if I can get this side working, I can get the bridge side working.

 

[TreeSlayer]

Re: Getting Bad Hum

bump...
how 'bout it, beaubrummels...

 

[CTN]

Re: Getting Bad Hum

Yup you're missing some grounds. All the backs of the pots should be connected to a common ground which terminates at the sleeve lug of the jack. At present you o ly have the bridge tone pot properly grounded. Connect the back of the other three pots to the back of the bridge tone pot and you should be fine. Also don't forget to include a ground wire for your bridge.

 

[CTN]

Re: Getting Bad Hum

Or you could connect bridge vol to neck vol, neck vol to neck tone and neck tone to bridge tone, which would accomplish the same thing.

 

[dr. ad]

Re: Getting Bad Hum

i agree with CTN's suggestion re connecting all your ground wires (bare wire from each pickup, bridge, selector, and each pot) to the big sleeve lug at the jack.
may be my imagination, but it seemed noticeably less noisy.

tidy work, by the way; that 'before' pic is nasty!

 

[greekdude]

Re: Getting Bad Hum

inspect each component individually. test the whole system as you add components.

 

[TreeSlayer]

Re: Getting Bad Hum

first off, I'd like to thank CTM for bringing my attention to the grounding situation. I did not have the ground to the ring sent over to the neck circuit I was working on. next, I'd like to thank dr. ad for the complement on my work. I build boutique pedals, by the numbers of coarse. otherwise this thread would not exist.
as it turns out, the three way I had was not like the SD schematic. as it turns out, I was hooking the input jack up backward.

notice the red and black wires at the three way are opposite from the previous photos...

 

[TreeSlayer]

Re: Getting Bad Hum

first off, I'd like to thank CTM for bringing my attention to the grounding situation. I did not have the ground to the ring sent over to the neck circuit I was working on. next, I'd like to thank dr. ad for the complement on my work. I build boutique pedals, by the numbers of coarse. otherwise this thread would not exist.
as it turns out, the three way I had was not like the SD schematic. as it turns out, I was hooking the input jack up backward.View attachment 56326

notice the red and black wires at the three way are opposite from the previous photos...

again, props to all that helped! if you need anything, just holler!

Layton