Amp Buzz

[Craig]

I am getting a pretty loud buzz in my guitar amps (sounds like fluorescent/dimmer switch interference). It becomes more noticable as the gain/distortion is increased. I've tried numerous amps (Line 6, Mesa Nomad 55, '72 Marshall), numerous guitars and numbers cables but I get the same thing - buzz! I've shut off every circuit in my house but one, and the buzz still exists. I'm simply plugging stright into the amp so it's just the guitar, guitar cable and amp. I just don't get it. It's not noticable when playing loud, but it kills the sustain and quiet parts are not even worth trying. Recording my guitar is just not an option right now with the buzz. I had my electric company out and they swear that the electricity coming into the house is pure as the driven snow. Took it next door - same thing. I tried a noise gate, but that kills the sustain and makes it sound very unnatural. Any ideas as to what is happening or how to fix the problem. Thanks in advance...

 

[Scott Tansley]

Is your guitar single coil.

 

[keilson]

I purchased a noise supressor pedal made by boss to fix this problem. My problem was coming from the guitar though because it was single coil.

 

[Craig]

All my guitars have humbuckers (which adds to my confusion). When the amps are on and the guitar is plugged in, it's pretty quiet, but when I turn up the volume on the guitar, the buzz is very loud...

 

[keilson]

what type of guitars? what kind of wires?

 

[Craig]

EVH Music Man
Old Kramer
Peavey Wolfgang
Couple humbucker equipped home made guitars.

I could see the old Kramer buzzing, but not the Music Man or Wolfgang. I really don't think it's the guitars themselves. My guess is they are picking up some interference that I can't isolate. Wiring is standard from the factory. Nothing has been changed. Cables are not the issue either since I've tried about a dozen different ones and I get the same buzz...

 

[keilson]

as you said about picking up some interference ......are you standing near your computer monitor? Also, do you get this hum even when on the clean channel?

 

[Craig]

No, I'm not really standing all that close to he monitor. It buzzes even if the monitor is off. I've turned off all the circuits in the house and only left one circuit on that powers just one outlet and plugged my guitar into that, and it still buzzed. The buzz is barely audible in the clean mode and becomes increasingly apparent as the gain is turned up or I switch to a "dirty" channel. That's when the buzz is out of hand.

 

[keilson]

still sounds like the guitar pickups to me. i have played guitars with humbuckers that still have hum. the added gain then brings out the hum. but i'm by no means an expert. someone else wanna chime in?




also...are you using tube amps?

 

[Craig]

Tube amps and a Line 6 modeling amp - both buzz.

 

[Jblount]

Is the amp grounded?

 

[Paj]

(1) If you want to see if its the guitar PUs, just stand up and slowly rotate 360 degrees. Any changes in the noise? If yes, your guitars/cables probably have something to do with it.
(P.S.: It's always good to videotape this drill for posterity.)

(2) Are you plugged into the wall or do you have a power conditioner (e.g., a Furman) in line before the amp?


Paj
8^?

 

[Craig]

The amp is grounded. It buzzes when plugged straight into the wall and when it's plugged into the Furman power conditioner. The power conditioner is new, the circuits I plug into are new and properly grounded, the cables are new (Monster cable) and the amp is new. I think my pickups are picking up something, but I just can't figure out what? I tried also tried the amp in the garage and it buzzes out there too. Serenity now!

 

[Outlaws]

Sounds to me like what happens when you use "fake" distortion. ie: gain knobs


Sorry.

 

[bongolation]

> I think my pickups are picking up something...

You apparently missed the previous suggestion:

When you are experiencing the hum, does it stop when you turn the volume controls full-off on your guitar?

If so, you've found the source of the problem.

The next step is determining why you have such dreadful EMI that it's getting picked up by humbuckers.

 

[Outlaws]

Come to think of it....

I once lived in a place where EVERY outlet was a 3 prong. Funny things about it was that the only truely ground outs lets were in the bathroom and out side. Everything else was just a convienience thing.

 

[Craig]

bongolation - The buzz does stop when the the guitar volume is off. So, I guess that's the problem - pickup interference. Dumb question - what does EMI stand for (electronic ? interference). Any idea how to determine what the interference is or where it's coming from? I have the electric company coming back to check things out and I'm sure they are not familiar with guitars and amplifier issues. Would love to be able to point him in the right direction. Man, this is tough...

 

[Jblount]

EMI- Electro Magnetic Interference. Will a guitar pickup recieve interference from some sort of source like that? I dunno. Do you live near a power plant? What kind of source outside his house could produce something powerful enough to interfer?

 

[Jblount]

The load of all the circuits may be unballanced. But youshut off all the circuits besides the guitar plug. You may have a dirty nuetral, but I dont know if the furman can fix that? I dont know, mystery.

 

[bongolation]

bongolation - The buzz does stop when the the guitar volume is off. So, I guess that's the problem - pickup interference. Dumb question - what does EMI stand for (electronic ? interference). Any idea how to determine what the interference is or where it's coming from? I have the electric company coming back to check things out and I'm sure they are not familiar with guitars and amplifier issues. Would love to be able to point him in the right direction. Man, this is tough...

EMI=ElectroMagneticInterference, a generic catchall term.

I don't really know what you consider "bad" in terms of hum, but the electromagnetic radiation (as opposed to line noise, like you'd have with an air conditioner running on the same circuit) would have to be pretty severe to get what I would consider a large amount of hum out of any of my instruments equipped with humbucking or otherwise noise-cancelling pickups.

You may just be in a location with really objectionable levels of EMR, and if so, this is at least potentially a health issue as well, something that power companies are mandated to monitor. A friend of mine recently was going to move into a new apartment complex, until I pointed out to him that the apartment he was planning to move into was almost directly under huge power transmission lines with the towers almost next to the back fence, no doubt at the absolute minimum distance permitted by law.

I can't imagine what kind of hum he'd get in a place like that, nor what the long-term health effects would be.

What happens when you take your gear over to a friend's house? Do you experience the same noise as you do at your place? If not, this is obviously a localized problem.

If you get the electric company's guy back out again, have him check for sources and levels of electromagnetic radiation.