strat users - 'hum-canceling' p/u ideas

[Greg_L]

ive got 2 strats (mexican and a squire) and im looking to replace the pickups in one or both to get rid of the hum. ive been looking at a few of the various 'hum-canceling' singles out on the market today, and id like some ideas on what some of yall use. i dont want humbuckers or mini-humbuckers (i have an SG for that). i want to keep the single-coil sound, just get rid of the damn hum and buzz. so what are yall using?

 

[MattFrancomb]

ive got 2 strats (mexican and a squire) and im looking to replace the pickups in one or both to get rid of the hum. ive been looking at a few of the various 'hum-canceling' singles out on the market today, and id like some ideas on what some of yall use. i dont want humbuckers or mini-humbuckers (i have an SG for that). i want to keep the single-coil sound, just get rid of the damn hum and buzz. so what are yall using?

I shielded and rewired mine - using the instructions here:

http://www.guitarnuts.com/wiring/menu.php

It made a huge difference - the stock wiring is more suitable
for a car than a piece of audio equipment. It probably isn't
less work than changing pickups, but it's a lot cheaper.

 

[Greg_L]

I shielded and rewired mine - using the instructions here:

http://www.guitarnuts.com/wiring/menu.php

It made a huge difference - the stock wiring is more suitable
for a car than a piece of audio equipment. It probably isn't
less work than changing pickups, but it's a lot cheaper.

ya know, ive done that following the directions from that exact same site. it helped some, but it still hums like crazy.

 

[legionserial]

This might be a long shot, but does the guitar stop humming when you touch the metalwork?

If so, you can get a piece of wire, tape it so its in contact with the metal work somewhere, and then tape the other end to yourself somewhere that isn't going to piss you off too much. Like maybe if you attach the wire to one of the springs in the trem (assuming you have one) and just tuck the other end into your shorts.

 

[Codmate]

I use Bill Lawrence SCN pups.
Zero hum

I hear Kinman's hum-cancelling pickups are very good.

 

[Greg_L]

This might be a long shot, but does the guitar stop humming when you touch the metalwork?

If so, you can get a piece of wire, tape it so its in contact with the metal work somewhere, and then tape the other end to yourself somewhere that isn't going to piss you off too much. Like maybe if you attach the wire to one of the springs in the trem (assuming you have one) and just tuck the other end into your shorts.

lol. no, its just the usual single-coil hum. it doesnt go away unless i switch to a combo of p/u's - which is normal. the guitars really are in good working order, i just want the sound of a single without the hum and buzz when gain is applied. ive seen 'hum-canceling' true singles, ive just never heard one and was wondering if anyone in here uses them or knows about them.

 

[GONZO-X]

bill lawrence pickups.
the 'real' ones.

these rule.

for the price, they cannot be beat.

you can pay triple for kinmans or suhr's or bardens...

 

[RandyW]

I would go with Codmate's suggestion, Bill is the guy that invented the SCN that fender is selling. The pickups in your strats are junk trust me, I replaced the one is my Squire which plays better than my MIM and AM and the difference is amazing. Next I'm going to replace the AM an MIM with Bill's pickups.

 

[cephus]

I am a Luddite and resist the new technology of hum-cancelling "single" coil PUs. Here is my solution, at least for live situations. When I am doing the sound check, I turn up my gnarliest crap tone to get the buzz going, then I slowly pivot around 180 degrees until I find the compass heading that has the lowest hum. I've never been anywhere that there wasn't a direction to point the guitar where the hum was at least reduced a little. Then I take a nice-sized hunk of hundred mile an hour tape and stick it to the floor perpendicular to the guitar's face when it's pointed the quiet direction. then, during the gig, when i decide it's time to unleash the MXR Distortion+ grind, I just try and keep the guitar lined up the right way.

Of course, it only really matters when you're not playing anything. When you have the fuzz all cranked up, a little fuzz mixed in isn't perceptible to me. Especially since I never enlist the Distortion+ until I've had a few sets' worth of drinks in me.

I like the crisp tone of single coils and haven't heard noisless PUs that were able to cop the snap of regular old singles.

 

[WagTheDog]

Kinman's.....unbelievable sound and absolutely ZERO hum. Plus, he's a great guy to deal with.

 

[Light]

Kinmans are the best sounding of the "hum-canceling single coils," by far.


Light

"Cowards can never be moral."
M.K. Gandhi

 

[GONZO-X]

well, price out the kinmans, price out a set of Lawrence's, and let your wallet decide!
LOL

the lawrences will hold their own with the kinmans in sound and quality, but it's a different sound.......

the kinmans are voiced to sound more like a 'vintage' tone, whereas the common L-280s lawrences are voiced to simply 'sound good'.

there is a new line of lawrences, specifically for the folks that are looking for that reedy 'quack' that the vintage pickups have, but without the hum.
i think they're called the L-200 series......?

 

[WagTheDog]

well, price out the kinmans, price out a set of Lawrence's, and let your wallet decide!

Well, you get what you pay for, LOL......

I've tried the BL's but didn't care too much for them.....they're not bad at all, I've heard a whole lot worse, but just not for me.....to each his own, ya know?

I actually have a Seymour Duncan Hot Rails in the bridge and Kinman's in the neck and middle.

Greg_L won't go wrong with either the BL's or Kinmans..

 

[ggunn]

well, price out the kinmans, price out a set of Lawrence's, and let your wallet decide!
LOL

Um, no. If/when I decide to go noiseless on my '61 Strat, it'll be via the Kinmans. What I want is the same as what I've got but without the hum. That"vintage tone" as you put it. The price tag is a bit higher, but in the grand scheme of things, it's not that much.

 

[WagTheDog]

I've never spoken to Bill Lawrence, but I can definitely vouch for Chris Kinman. He went out of his way to explain the differences in his pickups and how they're made. I know the BL's are not as expensive, and they are fine pickups, but Kinman's attitude helped me make my decision almost as much as the product itself. If I'm going to bitch about bad dealers (and I often do), I feel like I need to reward the good ones.

 

[GONZO-X]

well good luck which ever way you go, and let us know what you figure out.....

it's good to know there are options.

 

[Greg_L]

thanks for the suggestions everyone.

 

[WagTheDog]

Greg_L,

Read the user reviews at http://www.harmony-central.com/Guitar/Data2/00frames.html for pickups. The Kinmans, Bill Lawrence, and Lindy Fralin's are highly recommended there.

 

[Greg_L]

cool. thanks.