EMGs i solved a problem but now im curious as to why.

nialldoran

nialldoran

New member
Hey, i just got a new guitar there a few days ago, its an upgrade from anything ive ever had, it was a epiphone les paul with standard EMG 81+85. Now this is the best guitar ive ever owned, because im not good enough (or rich enough) to buy a really expensive one.

Now i had a problem with the guitar when i first plugged it in, which was that there was never any distortion from my pedal or amp (i play rock and metal) then when i tried it on my friends setup and it worked i knew it wasnt the guitar, after alot of trail and error i realised that it sounded awful while using a balanced TRS lead, and just using a lead with the tip and the sleeve it worked perfectly and sounded exactly as it should do.

But now im curious as to why this is? can someone help me out, im the kinda guy who is just as interested in the means as i am the end.
 
nialldoran said:
Hey, i just got a new guitar there a few days ago, its an upgrade from anything ive ever had, it was a epiphone les paul with standard EMG 81+85. Now this is the best guitar ive ever owned, because im not good enough (or rich enough) to buy a really expensive one.

Now i had a problem with the guitar when i first plugged it in, which was that there was never any distortion from my pedal or amp (i play rock and metal) then when i tried it on my friends setup and it worked i knew it wasnt the guitar, after alot of trail and error i realised that it sounded awful while using a balanced TRS lead, and just using a lead with the tip and the sleeve it worked perfectly and sounded exactly as it should do.

But now im curious as to why this is? can someone help me out, im the kinda guy who is just as interested in the means as i am the end.
Click to expand...
When you plug a TRS plug into a TS jack, the results are unpredictable because there is variation in jack construction, and the jack on the amp may do something different than the jack on the guitar. For example, on one end the ring may be shorted to the sleeve and on the other it may be shorted to the tip, which will short your signal completely out. On a 9V stomp box input jack, the negative pole of the battery is on the sleeve connection and it depends on a TS jack inserted to turn it on. Why exactly it didn't work isn't really important, is it? Use TS cables to connect your guitar.
 
For the jack on your guitar and I assume you amp and peddle as well are all tip /sleeve.You must of lucked out with your mates amp and only put the cable into the 1st click of the cord which would be T/S and if you go to the 2nd click you are at T/R/S.
Just use a T/S cable and all will be fine.




:cool:
 
OOPS!... must of posted at the same time as ggunn but we said the same thing. There is a reason why they are called instrument cables.:D :eek: :D



:cool:
 
yeah thanks guys, naw my mates cable was TS just thats what got me to thinking about it, i use balanced cable still from my pedal to my amp, just have to use TS now for the guitar,

thanks for the answers, i just wanted to know the theory behind why it worked:D
 
nialldoran said:
thanks for the answers, i just wanted to know the theory behind why it worked:D
Click to expand...
Well, it's because you've got EMG's. They use a stereo jack as a switch to turn on the active electrics (when a mono cable (TS) is inserted, it connects the ring and sleeve together, turning it on). Much the same as in a pedal as previously mentioned. You must use a TS cable.

For the record, a balanced cable won't do anything for a guitar unless you're using a specialized DI/transformer or stereo setup.
 
+1 slowmotion.

You have to use an instrument cable (TS)

A 'balanced' cable is only balanced when the signal running through it is. You could also run unbalanced stereo through that same cable.

Cables are never balanced or unbalanced, the signal running through them is.
 
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