dirty power or ...?

[Aaron Robinson]

just got my brand new S2 and put in a ticket with PRS because i thought it had a grounding issue. hum thats louder in middle and neck positions but go away when i touch the bridge or any metal. also popping as if static is building up in the instrument. .. i am very ornery when it comes to this sort of stuff.

Then i went and tried my other guitars and they did it too. which leads me to think its just dirty power in my walls which i knew about. didnt think it would cause the popping though and i thought HB were not prone to EMI..? i haven't noticed the popping and quietness when touching until now. Can the cold cause more crap to happen too?

 

[andy474x]

Pickguards can build up static, especially in the dry winter weather, so if your S2 has a pickguard, that could be part of it.

How much hum? Is it loud through a clean tone, or with lots of gain? Humbucker will still have a little hum, just much less than the single coils. If the problem persists when your guitar volume is turned off, it could be a power issue. Otherwise, either grounding in the guitar, or you just have lots of interference in your playing space?

 

[Aaron Robinson]

Pickguards can build up static, especially in the dry winter weather, so if your S2 has a pickguard, that could be part of it.

How much hum? Is it loud through a clean tone, or with lots of gain? Humbucker will still have a little hum, just much less than the single coils. If the problem persists when your guitar volume is turned off, it could be a power issue. Otherwise, either grounding in the guitar, or you just have lots of interference in your playing space?

its still there when playing clean. im thinking the pickguard and everything is just picking alot of EMI up. its pretty crudely done in the room i have set up. it was an old garage. its just frustrating. there is always something keeping a guitar from being perfect.

 

[andy474x]

its still there when playing clean. im thinking the pickguard and everything is just picking alot of EMI up. its pretty crudely done in the room i have set up. it was an old garage. its just frustrating. there is always something keeping a guitar from being perfect.

Ain’t that the truth!

Rubbing a dryer sheet on the pickguard sometimes helps. Also, just trying to position yourself away from those sources of hum - computers, lights, tv, other electronics.

 

[bodia]

Ain’t that the truth!

Rubbing a dryer sheet on the pickguard sometimes helps. Also, just trying to position yourself away from those sources of hum - computers, lights, tv, other electronics.

Solid advice.

Sometimes, you just can't get around it. I was at a Forum brother's house over the summer playing through some really high end amps, with quality guitars. Hum-tastic! He told me how he had even hired an electrician to try and troubleshoot/locate the source. Turns out to be the device the local water department installs in your house so they can get a meter reading while just driving around the neighborhood.

 

[mad monk]

My dirty power woes would take too long to fully describe. Almost a full year in the discovery/diagnosis/partial fix/complete fix. It can be frustrating to the point of going full on acoustic for a while. Sometimes, it can't be fixed because of problems on down the line.
I feel your pain and frustration.

 

[TwelfthTangent]

Have you tried using a power conditioner, specifically one that offers noise filtering?

Although, now that I re-read your post, it sure does sound like a ground issue. Apparently not one with that particular guitar, but seemingly with either the amp or the wiring in your house. If you haven’t tried different amps, outlets and rooms, I would start there. If that doesn’t do it, take your amp to a different building and try it. It also could be with any electronics, effects or pedals, etc that you have connected.

 

[László]

Turns out to be the device the local water department installs in your house so they can get a meter reading while just driving around the neighborhood.

I have this same issue. It’s really annoying, and it’s even able to affect sensitive condenser microphones.

Although, now that I re-read your post, it sure does sound like a ground issue. Apparently not one with that particular guitar, but seemingly with either the amp or the wiring in your house. If you haven’t tried different amps, outlets and rooms, I would start there. If that doesn’t do it, take your amp to a different building and try it. It also could be with any electronics, effects or pedals, etc that you have connected.

While grounding issues can exacerbate EMI/RFI problems, this sounds like a straight-up EMI/RFI issue that isn’t about grounding, or dirty AC power.

All kinds of contraptions can cause this, from electromechanical appliances like refrigerators, to dimmers, to some LED bulbs, fluorescent lights, TVs, the water meter device, AC circuit breaker boxes, computer monitors...the list goes on and on.