Do you guys "fix" the ground loops?

[JoeV]

Hey guys, I've got a 2004 Standard that buzzes like a saw. I'm thinking of rewiring the guts to get rid of the loops and shield the cavity a little. Have any of you done this? I'm going to use the guitarnuts.com method. I've already swapped out a pickup, so I guess the "mint" vibe is gone anyway, might as well make it play properly.

I still find it annoying that Gibson still uses the old, noisy ground scheme on these expensive guitars.... But what can I do? I love LPs....

JoeV

 

[doodman]

I just turn the gain up and- POOF- its gone!

 

[modoc_333]

i've never had the problem to start with..... are you sure there isn't something else funny going on in there?

 

[dwagar]

did it have that problem before you swapped the pickup? Did you buy it new?

 

[toxpert]

Re: Do you guys "fix" the ground loops?

get a volt-ohm meter at a hardware or electronics store and start checking point to point for problems with connections. Be sure to include the ground wire to the tailpiece.

I have not needed to do shielding in my Les Pauls. I prefer to remove (put in baggie and save in case pocket) the pots mounted on the shield plate and the shield plate itself. Instead, I make sure my Lesters have the old fashioned pots mounted to wood and then use braided shield wiring to wire up the geetar from point to point. Be sure to keep the length of wiring not covered up by the braided shielding to an absolute minimum.

Using this approach, my Lesters are quiet as a mouse.
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[jrfisher]

Are you playing near a fluorescent light?

Fluorescent lights produce a lot of electrical noise that is picked up by the guitar's pickups. Only thing you can do is move away from the light.

Computers, monitors, and televisions all produce electrical noise as well. Most of this noise is around 60 hertz and difficult to filter out.

 

[JoeV]

Hi all,

First, thanks for the replies. No, this is an inordinate amount of buzz we're talking about. Happened before and after the new pickup. I got the guitar used, but the electronics were stock from the factory.

It's interesting, because my 1984 Custom has a metal shield covering all the controls within the cavity. Too bad Gibson doesn't do that with all its higher priced guitars.

I'm going to shield the cavity with rubber cement/foil (so I can remove it easily if needed), and remove all the ground loops (i.e. unsolder the connections to the pot bodies and use a star grounding scheme) and see if that helps.

Joe V

 

[dwagar]

I think before you go thru the effort of shielding the cavity, you should try a meter in there. Sure sounds like a ground problem.

 

[JoeV]

Dwager, point well made and I will indeed take your advice. Even in my ampbuilding debugging adventures I sometimes forget the golden rule: "check the simple crap first." Thanks for reminding me of it! :salude

 

[Wilko]

Right. Humbucker equiped Les Pauls don't have a problem with noise and never require extra shielding. Something isn't right in there.

 

[DonP]

Hey guys, I've got a 2004 Standard that buzzes like a saw. I'm thinking of rewiring the guts to get rid of the loops and shield the cavity a little. Have any of you done this? I'm going to use the guitarnuts.com method. I've already swapped out a pickup, so I guess the "mint" vibe is gone anyway, might as well make it play properly.

I still find it annoying that Gibson still uses the old, noisy ground scheme on these expensive guitars.... But what can I do? I love LPs....

JoeV

I have 3 100% original factory Gibsons - a 2002 LP, a 1998 SG, and a 1977 LP Custom. No problems with any of these. I have three other Gibsons I've customized. No issues with those either.

My 1977 Custom is shielded. If I play close to a TV or monitor, it will buzz as well.

 

[LPCrafty]

My 2004 Classic with DiMarzios has only a little buzz around my TV when it's turned on. Conventional grounding is fine if you keep the leads short and use proper soldering techniques, too.

 

[guitargary]

Just from experience, its always a good bet to check the outlet you are using also. If there's a grounding problem on the outlet, the higher output humbuckers will buzz like crazy.

 

[toxpert]

Re: Do you guys "fix" the ground loops?

good point about the electric service...
I always keep a polarity/ground checker in my gig bag. I plug it into the electric service (especially important when playing outside) and check that the cicuit is gounded and that the polarity is correct. The little devices sell for just a few buck at any hardware store.
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