Question - surefire way to create a hum source?

[ThreeChordWonder]

I don't have any flourescent lights in my home. I replaced the curly wurley CFLs the builder installed room by room with LEDs as the CFLs blew.

So what's a surefire way of creating a hum source to check my wiring is indeed hum canceling?

 

[Securb]

Install single coils and find an old EHX pedal or two.

 

[PFDarkside]

How about an old CRT tv or monitor? Any dimmers in the house? How about a large motor like a washing machine? All of those induce noise of varying amounts depending on the age and design.

 

[Artie]

A simple 120 VAC relay works pretty good. One of the big ones in a clear plastic housing with an octal base. Like this:

 

[ThreeChordWonder]

Well, I'm not buying old pedals or trying to cart a washing machine around the house, and the last time I even saw a CRT TV was over a decade ago...

What about a small handheld floursecent light?

 

[Securb]

In all seriousness, the last time I got interference was when I left my cell phone on top of my amp. It got worse when I got noticicatons. But it doesn't happen every time.

 

[ThreeChordWonder]

Trying to check the guitars not the amp. My Marshall tube amp hums all on its own

 

[PFDarkside]

Why not just buy a CFL, install it and hold the guitar up near it?

in my current house I don’t need to search it out, my singles buzz like crazy. So much so that I almost exclusively use stacks or Humbuckers now. I hope my new house is better than this one. (The last two places I lived were much better)

 

[Juanhanglo]

I don't have any flourescent lights in my home. I replaced the curly wurley CFLs the builder installed room by room with LEDs as the CFLs blew.

So what's a surefire way of creating a hum source to check my wiring is indeed hum canceling?

the easiest way is to lay your guitar cable across a 110 volt power cable.

I use the line for my pedal board power module.

For interesting results, and a physics experiment, rotate the 2 leads from parallel to perpendicular and note the difference in hum.

 

[Artie]

What about a small handheld floursecent light?

That's not a bad idea. Probably better than the relay one that I use.