Investigating Noise issues in live guitar setup - Humbuckers still causing it?

[doctadre]

Hey guys,

I've experienced noise issues from live band playing for years, and certain venues have more noise than others. I have done a lot of research on this and think it is a combination of bad wiring, lights, TVs, etc.

I use humbucker guitars primarily, and most of my pickups are pretty balanced but I do use many Zhangbuckers and other non-balanced humbucker winds. I play through a Mesa Mark V 25 high gain amp, which I know also amplifies noise picked up by the guitar.

I have not yet purchased a power conditioner or ground lift thing, as I think these will help but will not solve the issue.

Would lower output pickups help this issue, or is it not much of a change? I typically have pickups anywhere from 10k to 14kOhms in the bridge, which I use most of the time. Gain on the Mesa in Mark IV mode is at like 2 o clock. I typically bring the mode to Mark IIc+ and bring gain down to 12-1, but it thins out my sound and is not as heavy as I like. I also notice that just bumping the guitar volume down from max helps reduce the hum and buzz.

I use a gate to keep noise down in guitar parts with lots of breaks and pauses, but I really wish I could just do something to get rid of the noise. Any other tips? I am pretty sure it is being picked up from pickups since when I move around the noise changes, coming and going.

Should I do a combination of using a power conditioner, line filter, and tweaking gains, trying different pickups? Anything else I can do in these situations? Thanks,

Dre

 

[Dave Locher]

Re: Investigating Noise issues in live guitar setup - Humbuckers still causing it?

You might be able to reduce it some by carefully shielding the cavities of your guitar. You might be able to reduce it slightly by using different cables. But if you are running directly into the front of your amp with no other pedals besides the gate (or is that in the loop) then there is not much else you can do. It's your amp gain. Personally I run a somewhat lower-gain amp and it's quiet at hell but as soon as I boost the signal with a boost or overdrive it picks up all kinds of noise.

Aside from the noise gate I can think of three options:
1) If that amp has channel switching, switch to a clean channel when not playing
2) Kill switch, on the guitar or in a footswitch
3) lower your amp gain, use an OD pedal to get it back to the sound you like, and turn off the OD pedal when not playing

All three require stepping on something every time you start and stop playing, and really becomes a manual noise gate. Is there a reason you don't like using the gate??

(I assume this problem is the same with different guitars and different pickups. If it were just ONE guitar or pickup that would be a different matter.)

 

[Adieu]

Re: Investigating Noise issues in live guitar setup - Humbuckers still causing it?

Are your guitars shielded, grounded, etc. correctly?

If all your stuff is modded, especially if it has been done by the same person --- have you tried having someone plug in a decently hiend stock guitar from a reputable brand to see if the problem remains?

 

[Gtrjunior]

Re: Investigating Noise issues in live guitar setup - Humbuckers still causing it?

A noise gate in the loop is highly effective at quieting down an amp.
A gate out front will only quiet down whatever noise is being introduced by the guitar/the pedals before the gate.
Preamp hiss needs a gate in the loop to quiet that down.

 

[Dave Locher]

Re: Investigating Noise issues in live guitar setup - Humbuckers still causing it?

Are your guitars shielded, grounded, etc. correctly?

If all your stuff is modded, especially if it has been done by the same person --- have you tried having someone plug in a decent stock guitar from a reputable brand to see if the problem remains?

This. A bad ground or no ground in your guitar would produce all kids of stray noise. But if it's NOT guitar wiring, then I say gate, kill switch, or use a pedal for gain.

 

[doctadre]

Re: Investigating Noise issues in live guitar setup - Humbuckers still causing it?

Thanks all. Yes.i have shielded guitars I've customized myself, checked and double checked wirings and grounds, and even experience this with stock guitars like PRS and Gibson. I think it is picked up by pickups and accentuated by my high gain.

Noise gate works for between playing parts, but takes some time to dial in. I sometimes worry that the noise is noticable when playing but I know the main sound covers it up well. I just get self conscious.

Dre

 

[Gtrjunior]

Investigating Noise issues in live guitar setup - Humbuckers still causing it?

Put the gate in the loop
It will be dead silent.

 

[GuitarDoc]

Re: Investigating Noise issues in live guitar setup - Humbuckers still causing it?

Is there a ground lift switch on your amp? If so try reversing it.

Do you play through any pedals? Are all of your guitars still noisy if you plug directly into your amp?

I have been playing for 60 years through 9 or 10 different amps (sometimes through 2 or 3 simultaneously) and have never had the problem you are describing. I have over 50 guitars and only sometimes notice noise on the single coils, which is to be expected.

I have tried noise gates but I hate them. They are difficult to get perfectly dialed in and they usually rob tone. A little noise between songs is far more tolerable than a loss of tone quality.