Hum Issue with Custom 24 S2

[maggior]

Hi -

I have a 2014 Custom 24 S2 I bought a few weeks ago. I've recently noticed that if I remove my hands from the strings, I'll hear humming. I've encounted with with multiple amps and multiple settings (my house and somebody else's house). This is with the guitar in "humbucker" mode, i.e. haven't engaged the coil split.

From what I've read, this can be a grounding issue in the guitar. The hum goes away if I touch any metal part on the guitar - strings, bridge, etc.

I have a strat with single coils - it picks up noise but it doesn't get louder if I don't touch the strings. My LP Studio has humbuckers and I've never noticed this behavior.

Is my guitar defective? Should I send it back?

I have a few days left where I can return it.

Thanks!

 

[maggior]

For what it's worth, I have more information.


The hum is significantly louder on the neck pickup than the bridge pickup. I've also noticed that if I touch the height adjustment screw on the neck pickup, the noise gets louder rather than quieter. If I touch any other metal on the guitar, the noise goes away. The bridge pickup doesn't behave this way.

On my LP, where I've never noticed the problem, today I noticed that the problem is there, it is just so low that I don't notice the noise at all unless I am specifically listening for it. On my LP, it behaves the same with either pickup.

 

[John Beef]

That's all very strange. Are you playing in a room with florescent lights or an old tube/CRT TV or computer monitor? I don't know how the shielding is on a S2 but it sounds like you might need some shielding.

 

[maggior]

It happens when I'm near my computer or far away from it. From what I've read elsewhere, it seems it might be a wiring problem or grounding problem with the neck pickup. The issue now seems to be specific to the neck pickup. The clincher was when I noticed that touching the height adjustment screw for the neck pickup makes the problem MUCH worse.

It will be going back to sweetwater at this point - I'm just waiting to set up the arrangements.

 

[Egads]

Definitely sounds like a ground issue. Should be a simple fix, if you want to have a local tech take a look and ask Sweetwater to cover the cost. If that's too much hassle, ship her back to be repaired/replaced.

 

[maggior]

Thanks for the input guys. I've sent it back to Sweetwater - they made it pretty hassle free.

The point of this guitar for me was to gig - one guitar to drag around to give me every tone I wanted. The gig imploded and the hum issue made the decision easier to return it. I'm actually getting a LP Standard Plus to replace the Custom 24. I found a deal I just couldn't ignore. I'll then sell my faded LP Studio since the LP Standard will be a direct upgrade to that.

If another gig comes my way, I'll definitely consider a PRS again. From what I've read here and elsewhere, the issue I had with this guitar is an anomoly.