Mains Hum? when recording

[wilko]

Hi Folks,

I have a Fostex MR 8 and a BOSSG3 MuliFX unit. When I plug in my guitar and start recording I get a small but annoying mains hum. I used to get a big hum and this was cured when I switched off my laptop. However, this small hum goes when I put my hand flat on the guitar strings so I am convinced this is an earthing problem. Trouble is, I don't know what to do next. Any suggestions?

Thanks
Wilko

[dave in toledo]

playing a fender are you, or at least a single coil pickup... they all hum.... keep your fingers on the strings.......or you can pay to have the pickup modified

[wilko]

Thanks Dave,

Yes I am playing a '73 Telecaster. How do you think I ought to modify the pickups?

Wilko

[dave in toledo]

best thing to do is play carefully, you can take the track and run it through cool edit noise reduction,

or

have to take it to your local guitar guru, ive never done it, but my fender basses and strat do the same thing, i keep my hands on the stings and it doesnt get into the recording,

does your amp have a ground loop swithch, might help also....

[Nils K]

I had my brand new Classic 60's Telecaster fitted with other pickups with more output - that did the trick for me. Beware when requesting new pickups to be fitted (i.e. don't do this yourself) - you will definitely alter the tonal qualities of your guitar.

If you listen to the man doing the retrofit (go to an authorized Fender dealer/luthier) he may be able to judge what you need if you tell him what you want. The hum will not go away, though (such are the sound of single-coil pickups), but it will be reduced. Using good cables and a noise gate also helps getting rid of noise.

regards, Nils

[glynb]

Hey, I have a classic '73 telecaster custom too. No noticeable hum on mine, but it does have one fender pickup and one humbucker so maybe that makes a difference?

Before you go modifying pickups try the guitar through a variety of setups, with and without pedals in between and make sure it is not something other than the guitar itself!

Have you tried that setup in a different location for example?

[dave in toledo]

usualy , keeping a hand on the strings mutes the hum. humbuckers are not single coil pickups right? but the original tele pickup will hum when you are not touching the strings right. its really not usually a problem unless you let go of the guitar, its a ground thing ....

[wilko]

Thanks Folks

I have moved my stuff around and used different cables etc and I have reduced the hum - but it is still there. I talked to some folks in the local music shop and they are going to have a look a the electrics inside before I consider changing the pickups. I am also looking at a Noise Gate.

I record in my spare room so I don't actually use an amp (my kids sleep in the next room!).

Thanks for your help!

It is sunny here in New Zealand!

[glynb]

Well if this is something you now notice mainly on quiet parts of a recording as background hum then a noisegate will definitely help make it not noticeable, or certainly less noticeable.

I have a noice gate on my external compression unit and wouldn't be without it, it's great for vocals too.

[dave in toledo]

dont know if your ging to the pc or not, but if you are, you can run it through a few differnt filters of choice, i like cool edits noise reduction, but many will work and are free...

i also have a compresor limitor gate, it definatly will help.... i have gotten used to recording dry though and compressing and all on the pc, just use it for live shows now but it really helps there also....