Gibson Console Grande Repair

[Robert Jackson]

I have come in possession of a '51 GCG. Love it but is has a horrible buzz. Much more than just 60 cycle hum. I had my tech here in Philly check it out but he has no experience with these and he's scared to death to touch it. LoL.

According to him, the wiring is all original. He does not see anything wrong that stands out.

Who is he best at diagnosing and repairing these?

Bob

[Brad Davis]

A certain amount of hum is normal with these old single coils, as I don't think there was any shielding added to the cavities. They did use braided shield wiring. But maybe there is a ground fault in the wiring. Is there anything you can do to alleviate it, like touching strings/bridge/cover/control plate, or re-orienting the guitar or turning nearby lights and electronics off?

[Bob Hunter]

I had the same problem with my Double Neck too. I couldn't find a problem with the wiring either. I used electricians tape on the ends of the output jack and used copper shielding as best I could around the jack and hole. No more hum. I have a CG triple neck and it works just fine with no modifications.

[Jack Hanson]

Be sure there's a ground wire running under the bridge on each neck.

[Joe Elk]

Jack just wrote: "Be sure there's a ground wire running under the bridge on each neck."

Amen!! I have built several steels. The last one is double neck. Grounding the bridge will made a lot of difference. In terms of 60 cycle hum. I should be using hertz however, I am old!

Joe Elk Central Ohio

[Robert Jackson]

Guess that’s what happens when your 66 years old