The Steel Guitar Forum

Sorry to bring this up again everybody. I'm at the end of the rope trying to fix this problem. I'm getting a nasty hum and buzz from my guitar. I do mean HUM and BUZZ! I have tried everything I can think of. Different amps, different cables, turned off and unplugged everything in the house including the lights. The only way I can even reduce the hum is to turn the bass and mid controls on my amp all the way down but it's still there. I really believe I have a pickup problem. One thing I have noticed is that if I tap on the pickup with my finger, I can hear it out of my amp. I think thats what is called 'microphonic' or something like that. Bottom line is that I think I have done everything I know how to do with no success. The pickup is original ShoBud single coil and about 25 or so years old. Is it just worn out, gone bad, or working right and just put up with it? I know a single coil will hum a bit but my problem goes way past 'a bit'. What else can I look for? Bad jack, bad solder joints, bad ground, or just a bad pickup. Except for all this, it sounds pretty nice! Go figure..Like I said, sorry to be a pest about this. Really need some advice!
Thanks everybody!

Definitely sounds like you've narrowed it down to the pickup.

Next step would be to try a different one. If that fixes it, send the old pickup to someone like Jerry Wallace and have it rewound...

I'd first make sure that the pickup is wired correctly and especially, make sure the guitar and strings are grounded. It sounds like the guitar isn't grounded from what you describe.

Brad Sarno

Thanks Brad. How can I tell if it's properly grounded? I have two wires going to the jack thats attached to the end plate. Where do I start looking?
Darrell

START AT THE GUITAR=AMP PATCH CORD. REPLACE IT WITH A KNOWN GOOD ONE. I HAV REPAIRED OR CURED PROBLEMS SUCH AS YOURS BY CHECKING HE WINDINGS ON THE PICK UP, IF THEY ARE LOOSE, IT WILL CAUSE ALL AND MORE OF THE PROBLEMS YOU DESCRIBE...... IF THE WIRES ARE LOOSE, DIP IT IN HOT PARIFIN WAX, JUST HOT ENOUGH TO MELT THE WAX, NOT BOILING, DO IT QUICK, DONT BURN OFF THE ENAMEL ON THE OICKUP WIRE,, GOES WITHOUT SAYING,,,RE SOLDER ALL, I MEAN ALL COLDER CONNECTION UNDER YOUR GITUAR...THIS SHOULD SHOW A GREAT IMPROVEMENT....GOOD LUCK,,,, JENNINGS, INCAPS AGAIN............

Jennings, ya need to lose the "CAPS" thing or we'll have to pay your computer a visit and eliminate the caps lock all together

Caps Thing? Kevin..guess I don't get it....

Darrell - Mr. Ward seems to get a lot of enjoyment by using all caps (capital letters) in his posts.

------------------
Lee, from South Texas
Down On The Rio Grande

GENTALEMEN: THE CAPS THING IS FOR A REASON. NOT TO JUST "P---" U OFF. DIABETIES HAS DESTOYED MY SIGHT , ONLY ON EYE. VERY BLURED. 5 HEART ATTACKS SINCE LAST NOV. A QUAD BY PASS 10 YRS AGO, AND 3 STINTS, AND 3 BALOONS IN MY ARRERIES. NOW I HAVE HAD A BOUT WITH CANCER, HAD THE ROTORUTER DONE TO THE POSTRATE.. JUST RECIENTLY MY WIFE HAS HAD BOTH HIPS REPLACED..SO IF MY CAPS UPSET YOU , OR DOES NOT COMPLY WITH YOUR IDEA OF COMPUTER ETTIQUETT, I REALLY DONT GIVE A RATS @-- AS I HAVE ENOUGH TO WORRY ABOUT, WHILE I AM TRYING TO KEEP BREATHING, EMPHSYIMA {CHK. SPELLING} . JUST REMEMBER THAT GOD AN I LOVE YOU, SO THAT SHOULD GIVE YOU ENOUGH REASON TO KEEP YOUR SNOTTY LITTLE REMARKS TO YOURSELF. ASK WINNIE WINSTON WHAT I TOLD HIM. LV YA. JENNINGS INCAPS AGAIN...................

OK JENNINGS I LOVE YA' TOO

Hey Darrell; If the two wires(black and white or black and red) are coming from the pickup straight to the input jack then THAT is the problem.
The pickup is NOT grounded to the strings....so here's what to do or look for.
The Black wire is your ground and from the pickup it should run under the raise spring bracket that is mounted to the bottom of the guitar with a small stripped area so that the bare wire is under the bracket.....then on to the input jack. And the hot wire(red or white) goes to the input jack. If you don't have a raise spring bracket....the run a extra wire from the ground of the input jack to a spot on the guitar that eventually goes to the strings....Like a lever bracket or changer mounting screw or something like that.
Check it out.
Ricky<FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Ricky Davis on 01 May 2004 at 11:04 PM.]</p></FONT>

Jennings, If you're having problems with the small print, at the top of your screen select VIEW, then TEXT SIZE. With this setting you can make the text real big. Right clicking on the desktop and selecting PREFERENCES will also get you to the APPEARENCE tab, where you can also adjust text size.
I hope this helps you out.

Jay

BTW, this is for Windows, I don't know about mac.....

Here's what I have done so far with no results.......
Tried 3 different amps
Bypassed the volume pedal
Tried different cords
Replaced the output jack
Checked all the grounds with a meter. Everything on the steel
has a good ground. The changer, strings, the end plate on the changer end, the
pull rods....Everything goes to ground except of course the hot side
of the pickup.
Turned off everything near the steel that uses electricity and moved
the steel to a different part of the house too.
Nothing helps. How can I check the pickup itself? If it had an open
winding would it still work?
Got me stumped for sure !

Darrell, let me throw my 2 cents worth in. I think you have an "open" in your pickup. They will sometimes still work. You'd save yourself a lot of time and trouble if you just temporarilly replaced the pickup with another. You didn't say how it sounded, other than the Hum, if it has a strong signal, then I'm wrong.
Jim

Thanks for the reply Jim....Other than the hum, it seems to be OK. If I turn the volume down real low and turn the low and mid controls on my amp all the way down, it almost goes away but of course I loose a lot of my tone doing that.

Is it possible the pickup is wired backward to the input jack? If not, its time to try a different pickup, or send yours to Jerry Wallace to be rewound.

I don't think it's backwards. Black to ground and red to hot.

Final .5%s worth. After you have done all of what you say, you definately have a defective transducer on your steel or a cracked potentiomenter. Either repair or replace all , including wire...... Good luck ...........jennings plays emmons..

How is that. Caps where required. Just remember, Jesus loves you, Even if you do pick on a boor old blind man for using CAPS all the time..And you should get to know anothers situation before degradeing and insultung him, that is just not good manners, nor the proper way for a steel player to conduct themselves even if you are from another Country. I forgive you, knowing we cant all be perfect all the time.. BTW what is so awful about usings CAPS? Dont you read well or are you just plain lazy? What is the problem?? Ill try to give you all the help I can, but you will have to try to help yourself, as we go through life.....This is an appology to any one that feel they deserve one....

SIncerly,,,,,,,,,,Jennings Ward .......


How is that? Only CAPS. where required

Here's what I have done so far with no results.......
Tried 3 different amps
Bypassed the volume pedal
Tried different cords
Replaced the output jack
Checked all the grounds with a meter. Everything on the steel
has a good ground. The changer, strings, the end plate on the changer end, the
pull rods....Everything goes to ground except of course the hot side
of the pickup.
Turned off everything near the steel that uses electricity and moved
the steel to a different part of the house too.
Nothing helps. How can I check the pickup itself? If it had an open
winding would it still work?
Got me stumped for sure !

Have you tried your whole rig at a friend's house or a music store? That would eliminate your house wiring. Have you tried another guitar into your rig? I think after you have tried these, the only thing it could be is your pickup.

Problem solved! Just had the input pot on my amp turned up WAY to high. Backed it down to about 1 and that did a lot to fix things right up.

Thanks to all you you that offered your help.

Great bunch of folks here on the forum !