Terrible Noise From Amp

Walt-Dogg

Walt-Dogg

New member
So I've got this incessant buzzing noise coming from my amp.

Guitar (Ampeg ADA6 with single blade pick-up in) > Ibanez TS9-DX > Marshall Mosfet Lead 100 > Soldano 4x12 w/ Vintage 30's.

I'm guessing it's just mixing the pedal with the amps own gain channel. But that means the only cure is rolling back the gain on the amp with I really dont want to do because then it's like the pedal isn't even there.

I don't want another pedal, I dont need another amp, I'm looking at solutions like a possible bad component in the amp (provided it's not just the gain of the amp and the pedal not mixing well), bad cable, bad ground (which I'm inclined to believe) in the amp or guitar. Or a better way to mix the amp's gain with the pedal.

For tonal reference, this is the sound I'm going for:

myspace.com/annihilationtime

I'm using the same pedal and guitar, getting the same amp soon, but I can see it still being a problem even with a different amp.

So help?
 
Walt-Dogg said:
So I've got this incessant buzzing noise coming from my amp.

Guitar (Ampeg ADA6 with single blade pick-up in) > Ibanez TS9-DX > Marshall Mosfet Lead 100 > Soldano 4x12 w/ Vintage 30's.

I'm guessing it's just mixing the pedal with the amps own gain channel. But that means the only cure is rolling back the gain on the amp with I really dont want to do because then it's like the pedal isn't even there.

I don't want another pedal, I dont need another amp, I'm looking at solutions like a possible bad component in the amp (provided it's not just the gain of the amp and the pedal not mixing well), bad cable, bad ground (which I'm inclined to believe) in the amp or guitar. Or a better way to mix the amp's gain with the pedal.

For tonal reference, this is the sound I'm going for:

myspace.com/annihilationtime

I'm using the same pedal and guitar, getting the same amp soon, but I can see it still being a problem even with a different amp.

So help?
Click to expand...
Is the noise there without a guitar plugged in to the front of the chain? Does the volume of the noise change with the volume knob on your guitar? Does it make a difference which way you are facing when you are playing? If you plug in a guitar with humbuckers, is the noise there? Can you hear the noise while you are playing?
 
Remove the pedals...any buzzing?

Add them back one at a time and see when the buzz comes back.

Sounds like it might just be a simple ground issue....
 
@ ggun:

There is noise only from the cable going to the pedal is unplugged from the pedal.

Yes.

Not very much.

When I put the humbucker in my Dan the buzzing stops but in exchange for no buzzing I get screeching feedback.

Yes, it makes my playing sound muddy.

@ mirslav:

With or without a guitar?

Because with the guitar there's buzzing.

And without there is buzzing from the cable, and no buzzing from the pedal, but add a guitar and you get buzzing galore.


If you want I can record a sample to help you guys help me.

EDIT: Maybe my guitar AND my amp have bad grounds... Or my single coil pickup has a bad ground...

EDIT 2: And when I get close to the amp it just screeches.
 
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Finding the source of ground hum/buzz can be a bit of a witch-hunt at times...and it may not always be the same.

I have one pedal that hums in bypass but not when it is engaged...and only with some guitars...???

If the buzz mainly kicks in with the guitar...then I would look there.
Is this a humbucker or single coil guitar?

I've had cases where a simple ground wire connected from the chassis of the amp to the casing of one of the pedals would remove all the hum/buzz.

What do you mean "buzzing from the cable"...plugged into the amp w/o the guitar?

If you change too many things at once, you will not know what is causing it...you have do it scientifically one piece at a time...cable....pedal...guitar.
 
Buzzing can often be due to 1. unclean power or 2. fluorescent lights hitting an unshielded cable. Goofy I know, but it happens. Also, try moving the cable going into the amp away from the speakers, that can add buzz. Finally, a tube screamer is a signal increaser, it adds noise as its original intended purpose was to push a tube amp that was almost clipping over the edge.
 
hungovermorning said:
Buzzing can often be due to 1. unclean power or 2. fluorescent lights hitting an unshielded cable. Goofy I know, but it happens. Also, try moving the cable going into the amp away from the speakers, that can add buzz. Finally, a tube screamer is a signal increaser, it adds noise as its original intended purpose was to push a tube amp that was almost clipping over the edge.
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Unlcean power?

I did the lights check already. Changes nothing. Gonna try the speaker/cable thing right now. Yes I know though, but the noise is already there with or without the Tube Screamer.
 
The bad news is that single coil pickups are susceptible to RF by design. You can ameliorate it somewhat with shielding, but if you are in an area with RF (and there's nowhere that is totally without it), you're going to have noise, and when you add a lot of gain, the noise gets amplified right along with the signal. If you have a Strat with a RWRP middle pickup, positions 2 and 4 will be much quieter, and you can get "noiseless" replacement pickups that sound "pretty much" like the originals. A noise gate will shut off the input to your amp when you are not playing, but you'll lose some nuance on the decay of notes. You're most likely going to have to deal with some tradeoffs no matter what.

But you're going to have to face facts. The electric guitar is an imperfect instrument. There's no magic bullet that will make the noise totally go away.

BTW, this type of thing is almost NEVER grounding problems or "dirty power".
 
ggunn said:
Heavy Mattel, maybe? :D
Click to expand...
Cute...

@ miroslav/ggun:

The pickup is more along the lines of a P-90 than an actual single coil.

@ miroslav:

Get this, when I have the amp on, with it's gain and boost engaged plugged into my pedal, with the pedal on and a cable running from the pedal but not to my guitar, it's almost silent. But when it's plugged into my guitar it sounds horrid. And when I take the pedal out with no guitar it sounds horrid as well.

My rig is literally, guitar, cable, pedal (using an AC adapter, maybe I should put a battery in it?), cable, amp, cable, cab. Very simple. So there's not much that could be wrong with it.

@ ocnor:

What did the ADA6 ever do to you?
 
Walt-Dogg said:
My rig is literally, guitar, cable, pedal (using an AC adapter, maybe I should put a battery in it?), cable, amp, cable, cab. Very simple. So there's not much that could be wrong with it.
Click to expand...

1. With the ADA6 guitar plugged straight into the amp on the distortion setting does it make the noise?

2. With the ADA6 guitar plugged straight into the amp on the clean setting does it make the noise?

3. With a different guitar plugged straight into the amp on the distortion setting does it make the noise?

4. With a different guitar plugged straight into the amp on the clean setting does it make the noise?
 
Walt-Dogg said:
The pickup is more along the lines of a P-90 than an actual single coil.
Click to expand...
P-90s are single coil pickups.

Does moving the guitar around change the amount of buzz?

Honestly, it just sounds like you're using huge amounts of gain in the preamp stages.
 
ocnor said:
1. With the ADA6 guitar plugged straight into the amp on the distortion setting does it make the noise?

2. With the ADA6 guitar plugged straight into the amp on the clean setting does it make the noise?

3. With a different guitar plugged straight into the amp on the distortion setting does it make the noise?

4. With a different guitar plugged straight into the amp on the clean setting does it make the noise?
Click to expand...
1. Yes

2. A bit

My only other guitar is a Strat with Texas Specials.

3. Barely

4. None

So I guess the problem in the ADA6, I'm not about to just throw that guitar out of my rig I love that thing. What do you guys think what's up with it?
 
Sorry for the double post, but so it isn't overlooked. I pulled the bridge out and to my horror I discovered that the ground wire ISN'T soldered to the bridge piece. So I'm guessing I should just solder the wire ends (it's stripped back and frayed) to the bridge piece to get a better ground?
 
Walt-Dogg said:
Sorry for the double post, but so it isn't overlooked. I pulled the bridge out and to my horror I discovered that the ground wire ISN'T soldered to the bridge piece. So I'm guessing I should just solder the wire ends (it's stripped back and frayed) to the bridge piece to get a better ground?
Click to expand...

I don't think it will make any difference. Most guitars don't have the ground wire soldered to the bridge.
 
If you are getting a loud buzz that stops as soon as you touch the strings then your bridge ground is bad and soldering may help.
 
ocnor said:
If you are getting a loud buzz that stops as soon as you touch the strings then your bridge ground is bad and soldering may help.
Click to expand...
I got the buzz but when I touch the strings it DOESN'T go away.

I tried soldering it, but the bridge piece doesn't take solder too well so I used electrical tape to hold it.

Also I think another source of the problem might be that I dont have the screw to hold the pickup in place. So I took the one off my AMG100 because it looks like the screw grounds the single blade pickup since it screws into a metal piece on the bottom of the pickup
 
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