What do the pro's use?

M

marcg71

New member
Wasn't sure where to put this...

I am really curious what the pro's use to quiet 60 cycle hum down? People like Marc Ford, Doyle Bramhall, Chris Robinson, Philip Sayce, etc. Some of these guyz really use a lot of fuzz etc, and you never hear any noise in their performances.

Are they that fast with volume knob? Any insight would be greatly appreciated!
 
Re: What do the pro's use?

I know this...listen to Marc Ford's solo albums as well as Peace Machine by Philip Sayce and you hear 60 cycle hum/buzz from single coils all over the
place...

Live it is even worse...

So, it sounds like they do the same thing I do...NOTHING!!!

If you have to do do away with it a high quality noise gate is the answer but be warned, no matter how good of a gate you get and no matter how mild you set it you are going to kill off some of your tone.
 
Re: What do the pro's use?

Not exactly sure what you are getting at. 60 cycle would only be the heaters and pre rectifier power. That seems like something the studio or live venue would be on top of. But maybe I am way out of bounds......
 
Re: What do the pro's use?

try a noise reduction surge protector. i use one and i use a ton of fuzz/od with a phat cat and don't get that much noise.
 
Re: What do the pro's use?

I have thru history avoided true single coils because I played a show at Buddy Guys here in Chicago and the stage is located near an Elevated Train power conductor, I wasnt able to use any gain that day and was still beyond noisey. My typical venue is crappy old Chicago Bars. I just picked up a strat and am trying to understand the best route to go...I'd like to give the single coils a try but I play with a lot of gain....so I guess I am talking about 60 cycle hum and noise in general....from single coils...
 
Re: What do the pro's use?

marcg71 said:
I have thru history avoided true single coils because I played a show at Buddy Guys here in Chicago and the stage is located near an Elevated Train power conductor, I wasnt able to use any gain that day and was still beyond noisey. My typical venue is crappy old Chicago Bars. I just picked up a strat and am trying to understand the best route to go...I'd like to give the single coils a try but I play with a lot of gain....so I guess I am talking about 60 cycle hum and noise in general....from single coils...
Click to expand...

Might be time to go noiseless...I hate them by and large but they do have their place.
 
Re: What do the pro's use?

Shielding helps. Plenty of info on the net. Also the old fashioned volume knob in between songs!
 
Re: What do the pro's use?

Blackmore, Clapton, Gilmour, Jeff Beck, Yngwie, Buddy Guy - all went to noiseless pickups. Mark Knopfler used EMGs for a big part of his career (and he still got his famous tone).

So it seems that no one has a real trick up his sleeve to avoid it.
 
Re: What do the pro's use?

ISP Noise Decimator G-String, shield the guitar, and make sure you're running on clean power? And yes, ride that volume knob whenever you don't need sound coming out.

Or DiMarzio Areas/Duncan Stacks/Lace (not completely noiseless)/Kinman?
 
Re: What do the pro's use?

FAIR WARNING:

The Surh Silent Backplate System does NOT knock out all the noise...the factory system, set up from the facotry in a Suhr guitar it kills about 75-85% of the noise, the aftermarket, over the counter system installed in a Fender or whatever else guitar kills less buzz and hum than that....maybe 50-60% and thats completely normal. I have spoken with the people at Suhr as well as the designer of the system and he assures me that the operation I was getting was completely normal.

Also, you HAVE to use 3 matching polarity pickups, so no RW/RP middle pickup.

If you need dead silent pickups and single coil tone I suggest noiseless single coils. The Duncan Classic Stack Plus is real nice, I use Bardens myself but they are not a traditional sound and they are more money than most noiseless singles.

Just a warning...

Carry on
 
Re: What do the pro's use?

its a very simple skill to learn to roll the volume off when you arent playing.

knopfler got great tone with the emg loaded pensa but not as good as he gets with his old strats
 
Re: What do the pro's use?

Just curious, at its lowest setting does the decimator effect tone or trailing notes? When I say effect tone, I mean noticeable? I guess at the end of the day, I'd go with the volume knob approach, but in the event I am playing a really bad place...would like a backup approach.
 
Re: What do the pro's use?

Most of the time I don't find the SC noise much of a problem , but I have one guitar loaded with noisless pickups just in case. I use Bill and Becky's in that one. The noiseless pickups available today from Seymour, B&B, DMZ, Kinman..ect.. are so much better than the noiseless of years ago. At least 90% there. They are plenty usable today.
 
Re: What do the pro's use?

Alot of times the electrical supply in the place is out of phase and filters may be needed. I have went to a few places to find the wiring is reverse polarity or no Safety ground, yet the outlet showed it did. Tube amps are notoriuos for humming when the electrial supply is crappy in the house. Older wiring, certain type of lighting , heck we even had a hum when the phone would ring at a certain club.
 
Re: What do the pro's use?

You can try this:

http://guitars.musiciansfriend.com/...-Hum-Debugger-Hum-Eliminator-Pedal?sku=150136

I've read where people were complaining that this kills tone, but I got one at the NAMM show a few years ago, and it doesn't. It might affect tone a little bit, but it's very minor, and like TGWIF said any noise-reduction device (be it pedal, Suhr system, or pickup) will change the tone somewhat. The Hum Debugger I believe is a narrow notch filter, so it doesn't affect sustain. I play gigs with Strats and Teles, but usually the hum isn't so bad, and I turn the volume down between songs. But I wouldn't hesitate to use the HD if the hum was really bad. It's pretty simple, with two settings, depending on how bad the hum is. Well worth a try, and if you get one at GC or MF, you can return it if you don't dig it.
 
Re: What do the pro's use?

Hey all - I appreciate all the help and insight. There's a reason this venue is so good.
 
Re: What do the pro's use?

anytime i've tried to kill the noise of single coils i lost thet one i was after in the first place....

it's weird but if you listen to some of the offical Live WHO albums and DVD's recorded in the 2000's Petes guitar with the Lace Sensor's seems dead quiet... yet when you listen to soundboard recordings from the same tours when he has the OD pedal on and the mid boost on his customized Claptons you can hear it buzz like mad sometimes....
 
Re: What do the pro's use?

I haven't tried Joe Barden, but along the same lines, the Duncan Vintage Rails and Duckbuckers don't look traditional, but they sound very Stratty and noiseless.

Also, this depends on the source of the noise, but a parametric EQ can be really helpful. I like this approach better than a regular noise suppressor.
 
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