Buzz! Buzz! Buzz! Knock it off!!

Hello all,

I'll get straight to it, recently got an LP-1S kit and I'm so close to having it to success. Just one thing...BUZZ!!
So let me explain the symptoms,
1. Buzzing occurs when both volumes and both tones are turned all the way to full whether I'm touching the strings or not. Same can be said if I'm touching any of the metal on the guitar i.e., bridge, stop bar. However the buzz will stop when I touch the metal of the 3 way toggle switch.
2. Also, the buzzing will stop if I have both volumes up full but, both tones down full.

Any Ideas or suggestions? I'm 99% sure I ran all the grounding correctly.

Thanks in advance,
Doug
Windsor. Ontario, Canada

Hi Doug and welcome.

I presume you have other guitars that don't buzz anything like this when used in the same location with the same amp (+any effects)?

Did you run a ground wire to the bridge post and solder it to the back of a pot? If not, you need to do so. If you did, then you need to check with a multimeter that it's still making a connection. If not then it needs to be redone as the wire could have broken or pulled loose.

If you haven't got a digital multimeter, now is the time to get one. They don't cost much - $30 should get you a decent one and they are so useful in checking out any wiring issues.

You probably ran a separate ground lead to the 3-way selector switch. So touching the switch connects your body to ground, both making it a big earth plane and absorbing a lot of RFI, and also channelling any electrical noise your body may be making down to ground. The same would happen if the strings are grounded correctly.

With both tones turned down fully, there is a very good path to ground through the tone capacitors for all but the lowest frequencies. This is RFI noise you're hearing, not mains hum, so most of the interference being picked up is higher frequency noise, which is why it disappears when you turn the tone pots down.

I'm having the same issues and it is very frustrating!!
thanks for your comments Simon but i am lost at this point:
"So touching the switch connects your body to ground, both making it a big earth plane and absorbing a lot of RFI, and also channelling any electrical noise your body may be making down to ground."

How is this issue avoided?

It certainly sounds like a grounding issue

Another common cause of similar noise is wiring the output jack the wrong way around...

Clear close-up photos of the all the wiring (pots, jack and switch) can also help a lot when trying to diagnose problems. So, if you can't get the issue resolved, take some pics and post them up so we try to see where the problem may lie.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by OliSam

How is this issue avoided?

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It's not. Having the strings and tailpiece grounded helps cut down on the amount of noise picked up to begin with, plus as you are normally touching the strings or resting your hand on the bridge, then the overall noise levels benefit from being connected to ground through a low resistance path.

But you only pick up the radiated noise that's present, so in some locations, there wouldn't be much noise to pick up and your guitar would sound nice and clean. Unfortunately we have more and more technology scattered round our houses these days; great for us, but not so good in terms of electrical noise. Guitars these days really should all be fully shielded and it's something you can do yourself. What was acceptable practice in the late '40s and early '50s with minimal electronic technology in homes simply isn't good enough today.

Try turning off as much electrical equipment as you can - especially computers and any lights on dimmers - and see if it makes a change in the level of noise.

One question. Have you got black hardware on the guitar? Whilst chrome and gold hardware is conductive, I'm not sure if the black finish on the hardware is a good electrical conductor. Maybe someone else here with the PBG black hardware could confirm if there are any issues getting black hardware grounded?

Thanks for all the great advice. As it turns out, after taking a closer look I created a ground loop with my original wiring. So I fixed the problem now the buzz is barely noticeable . I can live with it.

Again thanks for the tips.

Doug

Good news. Enjoy your guitar!

You could also try shielding the pickup routes and control cavity with adhesive copper foil snail tape which you can buy from Bunnings, but make sure that you get continuity with all the pieces of copper foil, the copper foil also needs to be connected to circuit ground to be effective, this is something I need to do with my Gibson USA LP Studio guitar cause it seems to easily pick up RFI from Fluorescent lights.

With Strats and any other scratch plate mounted controller type Guitar, I always use aluminium foil tape.
For some reason known only to the gods and gurus of electrickery, ally tape reduces the dreaded rf buzz.
I guess thats why the big F usually have ally on their pickguards.