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Topic: How do I eliminate buzz on my very simple guitar? |
Paul Seager
From:
Augsburg, Germany
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Posted 15 Jan 2015 3:12 am |
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My father built me a lap steel which has very simple electrics: One single coil pickup (tele neck type) and an output jack. There was a volume control but after the wood on which it and the jack were mounted split, I removed it and just wired the pickup straight to the jack and this works fine except for the buzz.
The buzz occurs when my fingers touch the pickup, which happens quite a lot when one is muting and so on.
I guess it's an earthing problem but I am a dunce on electronic stuff (so please answer at that level!) A friend suggested that I run a wire to the bridge but there is no channeling to pull a wire through to the bridge (a Les Paul Junior type).
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\paul
Bayern Hawaiians: https://www.youtube.com/@diebayernhawaiians3062
Other stuff: https://www.youtube.com/@paulseager3796/videos |
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Scott Duckworth
From:
Etowah, TN Western Foothills of the Smokies
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Posted 15 Jan 2015 4:47 am
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There will have to be a ground to the bridge...
_________________
Amateur Radio Operator NA4IT (Extra)
http://www.qsl.net/na4it
I may, in fact, be nuts. However, I am screwed onto the right bolt... Jesus! |
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Lane Gray
From:
Topeka, KS
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Posted 15 Jan 2015 4:56 am
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you're gonna have to run a wire to the bridge from the ground wire. There are ways to do it hidden
_________________
2 pedal steels, a lapStrat, and an 8-string Dobro (and 3 ukes)
More amps than guitars, and not many effects |
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Jerry Jones
From:
Franklin, Tenn.
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Posted 15 Jan 2015 7:08 am
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My guess is a pole piece shorting to the inner coil wire as well as the pickup cover. Try reversing the wiring at the jack and yes ground the bridge.
Edited to add that if your Tele neck pickup already has one of its lead wires connected to the pickup cover, that's the wire that connects to the output ground…..you might have them reversed.
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Jerry Jones
Last edited by Jerry Jones on 15 Jan 2015 12:40 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Glenn Uhler
From:
Trenton, New Jersey, USA
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Posted 15 Jan 2015 12:18 pm Grounding problem
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Sounds like grounding the bridge to the ground side of the pickup will help a lot. Lining the pickup cavity with metal foil and grounding that will also help.
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1974 Marlen S-12 1968 Tele 1969 Martin D-35H |
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Paul Seager
From:
Augsburg, Germany
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Posted 16 Jan 2015 8:40 am
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Many thanks, I'll experiment before drilling! Couple of questions:
Do I have to solder the ground wire to the bridge or is it enough to just place the wire between some screwed point?
If I had say a stacked single coil, would that eliminate the buzz or just lessen the problem? (... and I suspect the answer is "neither"!)
Have a good weekend.
\ paul
_________________
\paul
Bayern Hawaiians: https://www.youtube.com/@diebayernhawaiians3062
Other stuff: https://www.youtube.com/@paulseager3796/videos |
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Lane Gray
From:
Topeka, KS
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Posted 16 Jan 2015 12:05 pm
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If the bridge is metal, just smooshing the wire between bridge and guitar should be adequate.
Since the hum/buzz is a grounding problem, pickup choice might reduce, but not eliminate it.
_________________
2 pedal steels, a lapStrat, and an 8-string Dobro (and 3 ukes)
More amps than guitars, and not many effects |
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Stephen Cowell
From:
Round Rock, Texas, USA
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Posted 17 Jan 2015 7:50 am
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You tell us it's a Tele neck pickup type... this means that it has a chrome metal cover. You get bad hum when you touch this cover.
You need to ohm the cover to the pickup wires... I'm guessing that one of these wires is directly connected to the cover... this is the one that should be grounded. I'm betting you just have the wires reversed.
If this is not helping, try grounding the cover of the pickup somehow.
_________________
New FB Page: Lap Steel Licks And Stuff: https://www.facebook.com/groups/195394851800329 |
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Peter Harris
From:
South Australia, Australia
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Posted 18 Jan 2015 3:31 am
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| Lane Gray wrote: |
If the bridge is metal, just smooshing the wire between bridge and guitar should be adequate.
Since the hum/buzz is a grounding problem, pickup choice might reduce, but not eliminate it. |
...and you just might find that 'smooshing' a strip of adhesive-backed conductive copper tape (stuck to the body of the instrument) is an easy way of accomplishing all this without drilling holes anywhere....assuming you can let the other end dive down into the pickup cavity to make the other end of the connection where no-one can see how you did it.. 
..the bridge on my vintage reissue Jazz Bass gets its ground that way via about an eighth-inch wide strip of tape which never gets in the way or lifts off after 30 years.. 
HTH
Peter
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If my wife is reading this, I don't have much stuff....really! |
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Lane Gray
From:
Topeka, KS
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Posted 18 Jan 2015 5:17 am
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Adhesive-backed copper tape would not need to be hidden. Sculpt a tail of it decoratively, trailing from bridge foot to pickup.
Copper is pretty.
_________________
2 pedal steels, a lapStrat, and an 8-string Dobro (and 3 ukes)
More amps than guitars, and not many effects |
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