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Variax Mags Noise Issue


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My JTV-69 has developed a serious noise issue when playing with mags.  I was getting a lot of noise with mags and it seemed to vary depending on where my hands were, where I had the guitar positioned, like it was totally intermittent.  Last night I finally isolated the problem.  It only happens if any part of my picking hand touches the humbucker pickup trim ring.  No issues touching anything else, bridge, knobs, trem, all good.  But while I am playing, if my pinkie resting on the pickguard touches the trim ring or my palm on the other side of the strings, I get a loud hum with static.

 

This only happens when I turn off the modeling.  Modeling on, no noise ever.  Modeling off, it happens every time I touch the trim ring.  I am connected by VDI to my HD500, with a fully charged battery.

 

Any suggestions on where to begin with this?

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My JTV-69 has developed a serious noise issue when playing with mags.  I was getting a lot of noise with mags and it seemed to vary depending on where my hands were, where I had the guitar positioned, like it was totally intermittent.  Last night I finally isolated the problem.  It only happens if any part of my picking hand touches the humbucker pickup trim ring.  No issues touching anything else, bridge, knobs, trem, all good.  But while I am playing, if my pinkie resting on the pickguard touches the trim ring or my palm on the other side of the strings, I get a loud hum with static.

 

This only happens when I turn off the modeling.  Modeling on, no noise ever.  Modeling off, it happens every time I touch the trim ring.  I am connected by VDI to my HD500, with a fully charged battery.

 

Any suggestions on where to begin with this?

 

The part highlighted in red describes every guitar I've ever owned, lol...(Lord, deliver me from lighted ceiling fans with a dimmer switch, and neon Bud Light signs... ;))

 

As for touching the mounting bracket...that sounds like a bad ground.

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Typical mag pickup noise problem.  All guitars have this problem and it depends greatly on the environment you play in and your amp grounding.  I don't use the mags on my 69S very often for that reason.  I replaced the mags in my Strat with active EMG's and that solves the problem.  Did the same in my G&L ASAT.  My basement music room is noisy. 

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Typical mag pickup noise problem.  All guitars have this problem and it depends greatly on the environment you play in and your amp grounding.  I don't use the mags on my 69S very often for that reason.  I replaced the mags in my Strat with active EMG's and that solves the problem.  Did the same in my G&L ASAT.  My basement music room is noisy. 

 

That's what confuses me.  My other guitar doesn't have the same issue, the other pickups have no issue, no other part of the guitar has an issue, just the trim ring... 

 

I will probably have to pull the pickguard and see how to ground the trim ring...  Anyone already done something similar?  I know Line6 says I will go blind and my d!ck will fall off I ever see what is actually under there... lol...

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I will probably have to pull the pickguard and see how to ground the trim ring...  Anyone already done something similar?  I know Line6 says I will go blind and my d!ck will fall off I ever see what is actually under there... lol...

 

Tread cautiously...special agents from the Authorized Service Center Division are everywhere. :ph34r:

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I changed my 69S SC's with DeMarzio noiseless SC's and use my mags probably 80 -90% of the time - quiet as a church... My 59 humbuckers actually have a touch more hum than my 69S, now. Your problem on your 69 sounds like it's mostly on you HB pickup -- does sound like a grounding issue. My HB's in my 59 have only minimal hum, but no major buzz. Almost sounds like you had a ground connection actually lift, and now your hand contact is injecting noise into your signal path -- could also be a bit hazardous. Any tingles when it happens?

 

One other thing to check is if you have any ground looping going on. The DC power of your (I assume) 500(X) is isolated from ground (or "earth" if you're in Europe). It actually gets it's ground reference from the amp it's connected to -- which is why there's a ground lift switch on the XLR outs to the mixing board -- avoids ground loops between FOH and stage amps. Unfortunately, USB connectors can't be isolated, so since I use my 1/4" outs at line level to my amp, I made a little 1/4" in and out 1:1 isolation transformer to my amp for when I tweak with the PC hooked up to the USB...

 

Some thoughts...

Dave

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Almost sounds like you had a ground connection actually lift, and now your hand contact is injecting noise into your signal path -- could also be a bit hazardous. Any tingles when it happens?

 

Actually get a tingle up my leg every time I use this rig... lol  Seriously, nothing like that touching the trim ring, just the noise.  I am connected by VDI to the POD and L6 link to the DT so I doubt its a ground loop because of the way I am connected.  Will have to investigate further...

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  • 4 weeks later...

took it apart tonight to find the problem.  Disassembled the humbucker and checked all the wires, nothing obvious, good ground.  Made sure all the tiny wires were out of the way and not rubbing on anything and the base plate had solid contact when I reassembled.  Pulled the pick guard to check all connections, nothing loose.  Put everything back together and the noise is gone, no grounding issues, no static.  The mags sound much better. 

 

Problem solved for now...

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