Category Archives:

Noise in a pickup can come from many sources. Working near transformers, TV monitors, motors, electrical devices, dimmers, are many that produce all kinds of interference. Shielding foils and conductive paints may help reduce some unwanted electrical interference but do not help against stray magnetic fields produced by your amplifiers transformers or when sitting next…

Depending on the type pickups you are putting in can often cause more unwanted noise. If you are using single coil pickups wound very hot or to a higher DC resistance, you will pick up more 60 cycle hum because of the increased turns and output. At times too, a player will get all the…

Often when pickups are shielded, they are wrapped with a foil tape that can cut the insulation on the magnet wire and cause the pickups to short out or fail. The pickups should be carefully insulated with a quality electrical tape and then the shielding foil should be carefully cut so the foil doesn’t come…

I’ve seen this done. At times when shielding the cavity of the instrument, when the pickguard is replaced the shielding material can touch the eyelet’s on the pickup and short out. Also make sure the wires soldered to the lever switch are not hitting the inside wall of the shielded cavity. Make sure the lead…

Make sure the lead wires and terminals on the switches and potentiometers are not shorting out with the shield in the cavity. Often after tightening the controls, small bits of wire and solder can short out the controls. If you unsoldered the components so they could be removed, there is a chance the solder dripped…

It’s common for single coil pickups to pick up 60 cycle hum if they are near any outside electrical interference such as computer monitors, output transformers, lights, motors and many other things that cause 60 cycle hum. 60 cycle hum is common with single coils pickups. Remember that when Fender was making instruments back in…

Make sure you don’t have the wires from the jack accidentally reversed making the strings and everything you touch buzz loudly. Make sure the controls and bridge unit are soldered like stock from the factory. Make sure all the solder joints and ground connections are properly made. Re-solder joints as they can be cold solder…

Shielding is usually to reduce the unwanted electrical interference that is present is today’s environment. Shielding will help reduce the pop and buzz when lifting your hand from the grounded instrument. Often the electrical components, wires, switches and pickups are exposed and unwanted electrical signals can penetrate the instrument causing noise that can be heard…

Shielding is usually done to reduce unwanted electrical interference from RF signals. Shielding needs to fully cover the unit affected and properly grounded. Often I see shielding around the perimeter of a single coil pickup and often not grounded. Even though the shielding is around the coil, unwanted electrical interference can penetrate the top and…

The hum you hear in your amplifier is usually caused by stray magnetic fields generated from the output and power transformers in your amplifier. It is commonly called 60 cycle hum and is one of the major problems that occur with single coil pickups. There are various single coil sized humbucking pickups on the market…