EBTECH 2 channel (1\4") hum eliminator question

Steel guitar amplifiers, effects, etc.

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Tim Lucas
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Location: Cleveland, Ohio

EBTECH 2 channel (1\4") hum eliminator question

Post by Tim Lucas »

Hello friends,
Does anyone have experience with this unit? I have ground loop problem I think. Amp is quiet. I plug Mullen direct to amp and get 60 cycle hum. When volume pedal is added the hum exists unless pedal is completely down. The amp has its "normal" common settings in place. I've heard that the EBTECH hum eliminator box should solve this. Any comments would be appreciated. Also, any comments on products you have been using to fix the same problem I'm having. Thanks all.
Tim
Tim Lucas (aka) Worked many years locally and professionally. All kinds of equipment. I play '68 Sho Bud "Professional" and Mullin RP. Use both Session 400 and Nashville 112 mostly...also Magnatone lap steel.
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Jack Stoner
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Post by Jack Stoner »

If you get hum plugging the guitar directly to the amp, that is NOT a ground loop problem and the Ebtech will not fix that.

Sounds like either a bad guitar cord, or a ground connection has come loose in the guitar.

A "ground loop" hum develops when two AC powered devices are plugged together and there is a "difference of AC ground potential" between the two. That is not your problem.
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Richard Sinkler
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Post by Richard Sinkler »

I tried mine with just a single Nashville 400, and it did absolutely nothing. Does work in a 2 amp setup as Jack mentioned.
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Jerry Overstreet
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Post by Jerry Overstreet »

I have one of these. It works OK in some situations. I was using it in a racked system.

I don't believe it will do anything in your situation.

When you plug straight in, unless your steel has a volume control, you are at max. volume. I would expect some amount of hum at wide open throttle, especially with a Mullen single coil pup.

Under normal playing conditions with a volume pedal, you might hear some hum at louder volumes which is usually bearable in a live band situation, etc.

If it is otherwise terribly noisy, I would agree that you may have some type of grounding issue with the guitar, pickup, pedal, jacks or wiring....that is if you say the amp is completely quiet with nothing plugged in.
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Tim Lucas
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Location: Cleveland, Ohio

Ac Hum

Post by Tim Lucas »

Thank you one and all. Yup, I made some new cables and checked for the hum issue...All gone. I'm embarrassed to admit this. Again, thanks to everyone for your help and sorry for taking up your time.
Tim Lucas (aka) Worked many years locally and professionally. All kinds of equipment. I play '68 Sho Bud "Professional" and Mullin RP. Use both Session 400 and Nashville 112 mostly...also Magnatone lap steel.
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Mike Wheeler
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Post by Mike Wheeler »

No apology needed, Tim. We're all here to help each other, and we've all made dumb mistakes, or have said dumb things...we are just a bunch of addicts trying to make sense out of our addiction.
Best regards,
Mike
George Kimery
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Ebtech hum elimater (1/4" two channel) problem

Post by George Kimery »

No apology needed. You had a problem, you asked the forum for help, and your problem was resolved. Having a place to go to for a problem is one of the main benefits of the forum.

As a side note, I live in an old house that only has 2 prong outlets, no 3rd grounding prong. Every amp that I have ever owned has had a hum, due to a ground problem. I just got a Steelaire and no hum, at all. It is as quite as a mouse peeing on a cotton ball. When I first plugged it in and turned it on, I heard nothing and thought it wasn't working. I don't know what is different about the Steelaire wiring, but Pay Quilter has worked some real magic in eliminating my hum problem.
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