SD 59s - Question for those who use them in a Les Paul

[GazzaBloom]

Just put a set of 59s in my Gibson Les Paul Classic - what a remarkable improvement in tone - they sound great...

but...

have any of you guys got 59s in and managed to not get an annoying buzz that goes away when you touch the strings...?

It's driving me mad.

I'm convinced it not the wiring as it also goes away when I touch something metal in the room around me!

Are these pups super sensitive to noise or is it a trait of open coil pups in general...?

Gazza

 

[Benjy_26]

Re: SD 59s - Question for those who use them in a Les Paul

Are your amp, cables, and effects grounded? I ask because you say that it goeas away when you tough something metal in the room. Also, did you follow the standardt SD wiring schematics?

 

[GazzaBloom]

Re: SD 59s - Question for those who use them in a Les Paul

Are your amp, cables, and effects grounded? I ask because you say that it goeas away when you tough something metal in the room. Also, did you follow the standard SD wiring schematics?

I wired them in exactly as the ones coming out. Connect pup to lug of vol pot & solder the braid to back of vol pot.

Is there any other way...?

Gazza

 

[dr.barlo]

Re: SD 59s - Question for those who use them in a Les Paul

It is probably a bad solder, provided that your amp is properly grounded!

B

 

[Dooogz]

Re: SD 59s - Question for those who use them in a Les Paul

I have one 59, and am sure it will not be the pups. It may well be soldering!!

 

[Surgeon]

Re: SD 59s - Question for those who use them in a Les Paul

You might also need shielding in your control cavity if it's not a bad solder...

 

[GazzaBloom]

Re: SD 59s - Question for those who use them in a Les Paul

If it's bad solder how come the buzz goes away when I touch something around me...?

Don't get me wrong it's not a huge loud buzz just a noticeable buzz when on high gain settings, most noticeably through headphones using PODXT

Gazza

 

[mrfjones]

Re: SD 59s - Question for those who use them in a Les Paul

something isn't grounded right. do you have any other guitars? if no other guitars are doing the same then it is in your wiring, you probably don't have a good connection to the back of a pot or the little wire that is connected to the bridge stud

 

[Artie]

Re: SD 59s - Question for those who use them in a Les Paul

I can't remember the exact percentage from my old high-school days, but your body is around 75%-80% water, which is an excellent conductor of electricity. It is your body that is acting as an antenna, picking up RF signals and transmitting them to the guitar. The fact that touching the strings makes it go away shows that your guitar is grounded properly.

It is the guitar that is grounding you. Probably, the only way to improve this situation is to add more shielding to the guitar. To shield it from you.

 

[GazzaBloom]

Re: SD 59s - Question for those who use them in a Les Paul

Artie - that's pretty much what I've concluded.

It's just that covered humbuckers don't buzz like the pen coils. Do the covers act as shielding...?

 

[mrfjones]

Re: SD 59s - Question for those who use them in a Les Paul

probably

 

[korinastratkyle]

Re: SD 59s - Question for those who use them in a Les Paul

You're probably around a lot of electromagnetic intereference. It comes from things such as TVs, computers, flourescent lights, transformers... and metal that goes ungrounded will make this interference worse. I believe what is happening is that YOU aren't grounded and you're grounding yourself when you touch the strings or other metal object. Sheilding your guitar can help remedy this problem. Just because their humbuckers doesn't mean their hum-free. The electronics besides the pickups are the normal culprit.

Also make sure your solder joints are done well, your need to let your soldering pen warm up for a while first, especially if you're soldering braided wire like that! I wish I had a pic to show you what it should look like, but I don't.

 

[korinastratkyle]

Re: SD 59s - Question for those who use them in a Les Paul

Do the covers act as shielding...?

Yes.