is your affinity noisy?

[affinity]

I would have voided the warranty when I put in a four way switch. Which was after the problem was discovered btw. I'm sure its nothing too hard to find and fix. Should be good in the next day or two. When I get off work I'll be stringing it back up, and plugging it in to see if the problem persists without the cover. If so, to GCs tech, if not

We are lucky...we have some good guitar guys in Motown!

 

[TheCreepingSwarf]

We are lucky...we have some good guitar guys in Motown!

ha! Didn't even notice you're also from the big D! I'm in the Westland area.

 

[Papa Joe]

I dont think there is a foil shield anywhere. Now I'm scared to play it, lol. Still gets the buzz in the 2nd and 4th positions. I gotta wonder if it isn't because the cover isn't grounded. I dont know much about this stuff.

I goofed (again)..My bad...Had a senile moment..
When I spoke of foil I was thinking Strat..Forgot it was a Tele..
Told ya guys gotta watch me....lol...

 

[TheCreepingSwarf]

Ok, plugged her up for a few and I didn't hear the abnormal hum. I do get a little hum in the 2nd and 4th positions. Its not bad and could be caused by the gain on the amp as well I think. It didn't use me as a ground because I heard it when touching the strings too.

 

[TheCreepingSwarf]

I was wrong. Its still doing it. This isn't cool at all. I really want to play my Tele.

 

[Papa Joe]

I was wrong. Its still doing it. This isn't cool at all. I really want to play my Tele.

Like I said earlier, my bench is open for you...I won't fix it but I'll help you fix it..

 

[TheCreepingSwarf]

Well, today I finally got a chance to mess with this damn thing a little. No luck yet. I was told that ots using me to complete the circuit. Not sure if that's the case or not, or what to do. Haven't really had too much time to get it to the tech at GC either. Pretty bummed. I checked the ground under the bridge and that seems fine.

I'm also reading now that if it stops when you touch the strings, its not a grounding issue. It says its a shielding thing. Its for sure not shielded. Should I do both pickup cavities as well as the area where the control bar is?

 

[Tele-Tom]

My Tele makes the same noise you describe. Touch a control knob or strings, and the humming stops.

I bought an expensive cable (with shielding etc.) on the advice of a friend and it didn't help.

I've just decided to ignore it. Afterall, when you play, and are touching the strings.....the hum disappears. I'd rather it not be there at all, but it isn't stopping me from playing one bit.

 

[Vampirecat019]

You can use a continuity tester (A special test light found at auto parts stores for like $10) to check all of your grounds. You could also probably just use a multimeter. Mine doesn't hum a bit. Not even on the single coils. Good luck man!

PS- It could also be something else in your outlet's circuit that is causing the hum. A computer or fan, or even a light with a rheostat dimmer.

Here is something I saw on another site.
Originally Posted by Frodebro View Post
If it's a buzzing and not a hum, and it goes away when you touch the strings, this is absolutely normal for guitars with passive pickups and is caused by electrical "noise" in the room (lights on dimmers, computers, etc). It's NOT something wrong with the guitar, and it's NOT something that you need to take to a tech or start chasing around with a soldering iron. It's the way most electric guitars are designed, and it's absolutely normal. When you touch the strings, your body becomes part of the ground.

You can reduce the noise by better shielding the cavities, but in reality the guitar is functioning exactly as it's supposed to.
This is absolutely incorrect advice.
First, a 60 cycle hum is generated by the non-humbucker, single pole pickups.
Shielding may help this problem but will not cure it.
Noiseless, stacked humbucker pickups is the only cure for eliminating 60 cycle hum in a Telecaster.
A hum that dissipates when you touch the strings or the control knobs indicates that you have an insufficient ground which is causing the hum.

My advice to cure this ground hum problem is as follows:

1) Remove the control plate and cut both ground wires from the pickups where they are soldered onto the back of the pot.
2) Leave the original ground wire from the jack soldered as is.
3) At the ground post on the jack, solder another dedicated ground wire onto the negative jack post.
4) Connect the pickup ground wires to the new dedicated ground wire.
5) Also connect a short ground wire to the new dedicated ground wire.
6) Loosen the top screw on the 3-way switch and place the other stripped end of the short ground wire between the switch frame and the chrome control plate, and retighten the screw.
7) Solder the "star" collection of ground wires with the dedicated ground wire.
8) Do not solder "ground star" to the back of a pot.
9) Cover the "ground star" with electrical tape.
10) Replace the control plate onto the guitar.

This method of grounding should cure the ground hum that occurs when you lift your fingers off the strings, assuming that the bridge is grounded.
"Star" grounding will also resolve possible ground loop hums.
It will not resolve the normal 60 cycle hum from the pickups.

 

[Tele-Tom]

You can use a continuity tester (A special test light found at auto parts stores for like $10) to check all of your grounds. You could also probably just use a multimeter. Mine doesn't hum a bit. Not even on the single coils. Good luck man!

PS- It could also be something else in your outlet's circuit that is causing the hum. A computer or fan, or even a light with a rheostat dimmer.

Hmm. Interesting.

So, that being said, plugging your amp into a grounded/shielded/surge-protected power bar might resolve the hum issue? Hmm....worth a try.

 

[TheCreepingSwarf]

I'm reading more and more about how this is NOT a grounding issue, but an electrical interference type issue. I'm playing in my living room with 2 laptops, tv, Xbox, kindle, and 3ds in it at any given time.

 

[Tele-Tom]

I'm reading more and more about how this is NOT a grounding issue, but an electrical interference type issue. I'm playing in my living room with 2 laptops, tv, Xbox, kindle, and 3ds in it at any given time.

I was playing my Tele in the same room with my buddy and his guitar (a few months back). His Ibanez didn't hum one bit, and mine was noisy.

The house we were in had an old TV in the living room that wasn't even turned on (and no other electronics).....and yet I still had noise. He suggested I buy an expensive shielded cord to knock the noise down.....i did, and it didn't help at all.

I'm thinking that it's just the way they are and not much we can do about it.

 

[Hotrodleroy]

Almost all noisey guitars can be fixed or the grounding issue found in the guitar or the house wiring. Don't try any house wiring unless you know what you are doing.