MC208
New member
Hmm ok, so what is the solution to the hum caused by letting go of the strings? I know the setup in the instrument is correct. I was told the noise comes from high voltage power lines nearby.
TalismanRich
Well-known member
You can get noise through the air with a guitar. Fluorescent lights, digital equipment, transformers, light dimmers can all induce noise that is picked up by a guitar. I can move my guitar around the basement and get more or less noise. That's one reason humbuckers were invented! Single coils are more susceptible to picking up noise. When you touch the strings you can become a shield to some induced noise. Better shielding in the guitar can help a lot. Lots of high end guitars have shielding paint in the pickup and the pots/caps cavities. A shielded pickguard can help quiet a strat or tele. Shields should always be connected to ground.
In no case do you want to use yourself as the path to ground. If there is a poor ground setup in the amp, you can become the path for the electricity to travel. NOT GOOD!
I remember back in the late 60s/early 70s when there were no grounded plugs, just two wire nonpolarized plugs. Amps had capacitors on the power lines. These later were called "death caps" because if they failed, they could put mains level voltage on the ground line.
Many amps had a polarity switch, which would swap the power and ground lines. If your amp and your PA had them switched in opposite directions, and your mouth hit your mic while you held your guitar it could flat out light you up! It was worse than putting a fresh 9 volt battery to your tongue. My Guild Thunderbird amp has both a polarity switch and a "hum balance" which has a pot and capacitor. I learned to walk up to my mic and tap it with my finger.
In no case do you want to use yourself as the path to ground. If there is a poor ground setup in the amp, you can become the path for the electricity to travel. NOT GOOD!
I remember back in the late 60s/early 70s when there were no grounded plugs, just two wire nonpolarized plugs. Amps had capacitors on the power lines. These later were called "death caps" because if they failed, they could put mains level voltage on the ground line.
Many amps had a polarity switch, which would swap the power and ground lines. If your amp and your PA had them switched in opposite directions, and your mouth hit your mic while you held your guitar it could flat out light you up! It was worse than putting a fresh 9 volt battery to your tongue. My Guild Thunderbird amp has both a polarity switch and a "hum balance" which has a pot and capacitor. I learned to walk up to my mic and tap it with my finger.