noise from bad ground? or would the pickups be too high?

E

esandes

Well-known member
my setup is making a louder hiss sound when not playing and even with the volume all the way down when my hands aren't touching the strings. when i touch the strings, the hiss is less loud.

i never noticed this with my old setup. the amp also crackles and the hiss intensity is sometimes varied. it's also a bit microphonic-i have no idea what radio show i pick up but it really sucks. time to upgrade the caps, as recommended by aspen pittman for an amp that age.

anyways. maybe even the patch cord can be contributing. it's 20 or 30 feet and always gets stepped on and stretched and tangled up.
 
Re: noise from bad ground? or would the pickups be too high?

Yeah check the cable and the grounding of the guitar. If it persists re-wire.
 
Re: noise from bad ground? or would the pickups be too high?

Troubleshoot systematically.

1. Does the amp make the same hiss or crackling noise when nothing is plugged into it? If so, could be bad caps or tubes.
2. The guitar cable is the most likely culprit from what you've described. A 30' cable is a bit long, and if it's tangled may be more susceptible to picking up interference. If it's old or abused, check the ends to make sure the wires are solid and the connections to the plugs are good. Use an ohmmeter to check the cable for breaks. Or more simply, try with a different cable.
3. The guitar itself could be at fault. It could be a broken ground wire or a failing connection in the guitar. Do you get the same noise from all pickup combinations?

I think the best clue is that you still hear it when the volume is turned down on the guitar. My money's on a bad guitar cable, with failed wiring inside the guitar as a close second.
 
Re: noise from bad ground? or would the pickups be too high?

The grounding is basically OK, otherwise it wouldn't quiet down when you touch the strings.

Sounds like an amp problem mixed with regular noise from unshielded guitar.
 
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