I've found the problem... now what?

[Aaron Cheney]

For a long time now I've been looking for the source of a popping sound I would hear through my amp while playing. I ruled out various cables, pedals, etc. It would only occur during playing, and never while I just stood queitly listening for it.

anyway...

I've finally discovered that when I play, if my fingers touch the pickup height adjustment screw on the treble side of the neck single coil, it produces the pop in question. None of the other screws produce a similar sound... only that one. The wieird thing is, this happens on two different guitars. Is it static electricity build up from rubbing the pick gaurd? Right now I'm just running with e piece of electrical tape over the screw. Is there a prettier solution?

A
www.aaroncheney.com

 

[lpdeluxe]

Don't touch the screw!

Maybe it's a grounding problem? Something is triggering a signal from contact. If it's only that screw, maybe it's not in electrical contact with the rest of the pickup until you nudge it.

 

[Sonixx]

Take a very thin piece of wire, run it from the bad screw to another screw.

Does the poping go away?

No... then run it to a Pot? Metal shaft or Hex Nut

Does the poping go away?

 

[Aaron Cheney]

Take a very thin piece of wire, run it from the bad screw to another screw.

Does the poping go away?

No... then run it to a Pot? Metal shaft or Hex Nut

Does the poping go away?

You know, a thought just occured to me...


Guitar builders these days have gone from using springs for tension when installing pickups to little strips of surgical tubing. I wonder if the surgical tubing is keeping the screws from contacting the ground, whereas the springs, being metal, would keep them grounded.

Hmmm...

A
www.aaroncheney.com

 

[Sonixx]

You know, a thought just occured to me...


Guitar builders these days have gone from using springs for tension when installing pickups to little strips of surgical tubing. I wonder if the surgical tubing is keeping the screws from contacting the ground, whereas the springs, being metal, would keep them grounded.

Hmmm...

A
www.aaroncheney.com

I wouldn't think so... The Pickup base plate and screw mounts should all be metal and the screws mount on this common plate.

Another thought, do you have a VOM... if so, see if the two screws on the problem Pickup are connected.

Adjust the problem screw some or turn it back an forth. Does the problem go away? If so, do this for all the Pickup mounting screws