Sho~Bud Hum

Nathan Emerson · From: Des Moines, Iowa, USA

Went into the studio with my single coil and was forced to use the "HumDeBugger" by Electro harmonics. My answer was for them to pull the mic back from the cab but of course I'm just a silly steel guitarist. At first I thought the pedal was amazing.....but then I noticed shrill string noise on every slide. I had brand new strings on and a good slide. It was the pedal. How would have you handled the situation?

I love my Shobud and don't want to change the pickups.
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Emmons Lashley LeGrande, Still borrowing my uncle's Sho-Bud Pro-I he never thought I'd learn!
Webb 6-14-E and Milkman | The Amp 100

http://www.thatthingthatsound.com

Tom Gorr · From: Three Hills, Alberta

Sure the pedal may amplify the frequency spectrum notching at 60 Hz. But it's probably not the source oftthe string screech.

Frenchy's noiseless strings is the only near perfect solution to dealing the shrill sliding sounds. Getting a super high quality bar like the Telonic's black bar...what material is it again...zirconia. ..or some Nasa space shuttle coating....will help a lot.

Tony Prior · From: Charlotte NC

Well I have an answer but you may not like it.

If and when I do any session work which is now and then, I bring the Carter with H'buckers. No more taking chances with SC's.
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Emmons L-II , Fender Telecasters, B-Benders , Eastman Mandolin ,
Pro Tools 12 on WIN 7 !
jobless- but not homeless- now retired 9 years

CURRENT MUSIC TRACKS AT > https://tprior2241.wixsite.com/website

Nathan Emerson · From: Des Moines, Iowa, USA

The noise wasn't just in slides but even vibrato. Just plain scratchy.

Has anyone put different pickups in a Bud and got similar classic tone.

May seem like a dumb question. But I just realized this problem over the weekend. My whole world is upside down!
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Emmons Lashley LeGrande, Still borrowing my uncle's Sho-Bud Pro-I he never thought I'd learn!
Webb 6-14-E and Milkman | The Amp 100

http://www.thatthingthatsound.com

Lane Gray · From: Topeka, KS

Are you using a stainless bar on stainless strings? It sounds like you're hearing bar scrape. Try a chromed bar. They're quieter.
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2 pedal steels, a lapStrat, and an 8-string Dobro (and 3 ukes)
More amps than guitars, and not many effects

Richard Sinkler · From: aka: Rusty Strings -- Missoula, Montana

I put Bill Lawrence 710's in both the Buds I used to have. While they were quieter, and sounded great, it did take a little of the Sho~Bud mojo away.
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Carter D10 8p/8k, Dekley S10 3p/4k C6 setup,Regal RD40 Dobro, Recording King Professional Dobro, NV400, NV112,Ibanez Gio guitar, Epiphone SG Special (open D slide guitar) . Playing for 55 years and still counting.

Roger Miller · From: Cedar Falls, Ia.

I think your whole problem is just the single coil. You have good cords, great amp, studio is quiet, I believe the problem is the PU's. Unless you were facing the wrong direction, it's the PU's, that's my story and sticking to it.
Thanks for coming over for supper the other night.

Donny Hinson · From: Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.

"Scratchiness" is never caused by a pickup! Winking

I also don't believe that a pedal could cause any shrill noises when you slide the bar. That's either the strings or the bar...period.

Single coils are noisy. They hum. That's the main reason many players don't use them.

chris ivey · From: california (deceased)

i've used only single coils for 40 years with lots of studio time..emmons and sho-bud. never really had a problem aside from maybe bad wiring in a studio or two.

you may be way beyond this, but my first concern would be good bar pressure, damping behind the bar, and good volume pedal control.
you will hear more little things in a studio setting.

i've never had different strings or bars cause this.

Dave Beaty · From: Mesa, Arizona, USA

Nathan,
You are receiving some very good points from the other members here, remember "everything matters" in a case like this.

For one thing, your single coil pickup is acting as if it was the secondary winding of a transformer, with the house wiring being the primary winding. If you have a primarily single source that the radiated 60 cycle field is radiating from in the room (and that is generally the case), there will be an orientation for your pickup (and hence your guitar) which will yield maximum hum pickup, and another which will produce the minimum hum, or a 'null' orientation/position. Each of these two cases will repeat every 180 degrees of rotation of your steel's position. It may not be convenient, but is worth your trouble to turn your pedal up so that you are hearing the hum really well through your amp. then pick up your steel and rotate it one half turn in each direction to determine if you can find this more quiet null position. I'm surprised your engineer didn't explain this to you.
If you can do it, try moving your steel to one or two other spots in the studio, and rotate it while in each spot to determine if you can find a location with a better null.

If this doesn't work, and if it is OK for you to change your pickup, we will loan you a humbucking pickup which will sound very much like your single coil. Just let us know what you find by moving and/or rotating your steel.

Hope that helps.

Walter Bowden · From: Wilmington, North Carolina, USA

If I could chime in this conversattion, consider that stratocasters/telecasters have single coil pups too but players and knowlegeable studio staff record them all the time.

I think Dave nailed the solution by finding the null by orientiing thepup in relation to the room. Of course we all know to avoid neon and fluoresent lights but it sttill surpeises me that some studios have neon signs thinking they make the studio look cool. JMHO.

Best wishes, Walter
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Emmons S10, p/p, Nashville 112, Zion 50 tele style guitar, Gibson LP Classic w/Vox AC30, Fender Deluxe De Ville and a Rawdon-Hall classical

Ronnie Boettcher · From: Brunswick Ohio, USA

On my LDG, I have the original P/U, and so far, never had any hum or noises out of the coil. And mine is a 77. I do get some hum, if I plug in some sound effects. Mainly the fish and chips, for a dobro sound.
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Sho-Bud LDG, Martin D28, Ome trilogy 5 string banjo, Ibanez 4-string bass, dobro, fiddle, and a tubal cain. Life Member of AFM local 142

Walter Bowden · From: Wilmington, North Carolina, USA

Another source of 60hz hum can be generated by using "of the shelf" rheostat type household wall dimmers for incandescent light fixtures. These are fine for lowering the living room or den lights but will really cause some serious hum in a studio setting in my experience.
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Emmons S10, p/p, Nashville 112, Zion 50 tele style guitar, Gibson LP Classic w/Vox AC30, Fender Deluxe De Ville and a Rawdon-Hall classical

Jan Strock · From: Pennsylvania, USA

I bought a new Mullen Discovery and play thru a Fender silver face Super Reverb. The hum was so bad that I was tempted to change to a Humbucker. First I removed the pickup and lined the cavity with copper shielding tape, reinstalled the original single coil pickup. The hum is gone! The tape is available at Stewart McDonald.

David Shepack · From: New Jersey, USA

Listen to the guy who said to avoid neon and florescent lights by unplugging them. Then make sure no lights with dimmer switches are on. Then find or buy the best, shortest SHIELDED cable to the amp you can possibly use. Sorry if I am stating the obvious.
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Maverick
Fender Blues Deville
Flatiron Mandolin
Gibson RB4 Banjo

John Billings · From: Ohio, USA

Jan, I've been thinking of doing just that with the '73 Bud I am currently restoring and updating. I never had any problems with any of my Buds or my Kline, but I have with my Teles. Did you ground the shielding tap, or was there enough contact with the pickup surround/changer housing, which is of course grounded?

Nathan Emerson · From: Des Moines, Iowa, USA

Thanks everyone! I love the Sho~Bud sound. I will try all this next time.
_________________
Emmons Lashley LeGrande, Still borrowing my uncle's Sho-Bud Pro-I he never thought I'd learn!
Webb 6-14-E and Milkman | The Amp 100

http://www.thatthingthatsound.com

Jake Hoffman · From: Idaho, USA

A notch filter will quickly and easily eliminate the hum from the ShoBud single-wound pickup. Ask at the studio. If they don't have one, you are at the wrong studio.

Tony Prior · From: Charlotte NC

Jon Light · From: Saugerties, NY

Just one more thing on any checklist in the event of unsolvable hum---

I once had a single coil hum situation that seemed to pop up out of nowhere and then didn't go away and it turned out that a stray hair of wire was shorting at the guitar's jack. A piece of the ground wire had been poorly tinned and was bridging over to the hot side. So slight that it did not destroy the signal but plenty substantial enough to introduce a ton of hum.

Jerry Kippola · From: UP Michigan, USA

Any studio running PTHD should also have Izotope --sounds like the engineer was green

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