4-way install leaves lots of buzzzzzzz

I've read through a bunch of posts on the different 4-way installs, and I have re-wired about 8 times... just about ready to pull all my hair out here!

I've got a 2004 Highway One (v1) with stock pickups in it. The latest schematic I've followed is this one:

http://www.guitar-mod.com/rg_4wayinfo.html

I've done the part about changing the ground on the neck pickup, as illustrated on the bottom of that page.

Anyhow my symptoms are this: whenever I touch the strings, I get a slight popping sound, and the buzz gets louder.

Now here's where it gets interesting, and will likely lead one of you much more experienced folks to the obvious-to-everyone-but-me answer.

I did my requisite googling, and found that a bunch of people have complained that they took their guitar in and when they got it home had the same problem as me. For most of them, the problem was that the connections to the output jack had been reversed, and by reversing them, everything was back to normal.

So I tried this: everything is exactly the same. I had my wife help me with this, and make sure that I wasn't just unsoldering, and resoldering the leads in the same place. I now have the center lug of the volume pot connected to the 'ring' tab of the output jack (ground) and the tip (positive) at the jack is soldered to the back of the tone pot (came this way from fender, and there's a metal control plate, so I think that this is ok).

My limited electronics knowledge makes me think that there should be some sort of difference between the two cases?

Any ideas????

Thanks,

Jarek

You might to have to apply copper sheilding to the back of the pick gaurd and maybe pick up cavities. It sounds like you're getting an outside signal thru the pick ups

I don't think that's the issue... I have put aluminum foil across the back of the pickguard, and in the pickup cavities. I did have it in the control cavity, but it got all pushed around, and was causing a short in the output jack area, so I removed it there. It sounds like something that's wrong with the circuit, rather than outside noise, because there is no noise when I am not touching the strings; If I strum and then take both hands off the guitar, then the tone sounds great, no buzz. But the minute I touch any metal component, then there's buzz!

getting really frustrated with this one!

Jarek! Reverse the leads on the output jack.There may be other things that are causing trouble,but reverse those leads first.They are not connected right.

I think the op already tried to reverse the output jack connections. And if the hum is louder when the strings are touched it should not be a shielding issue. Have you checked your grounds all over the guitar? Pot bodies and bridge should be grounded. Here are a few links I've used do my 4 ways. The first link I thought was some of the best instructions I have found.I'm sure other more experienced techs will chime in.

http://www.guitar-mod.com/rg_4wayinfo.html
http://www.**********************/product/WDUSS4L1101/WDU-SS4L11-01.html

Thanks for the replies folks... I have tried the output leads both ways, I should have made that clearer in my op.

73Fender: by grounded you just mean that these need to all be connected to the 'ring' tab of the output jack, correct?

I'm at work all day, but I'll go over everything again when I get home. Could be that I have a less than stellar solder joint somewhere...

It's just a grounding issue.
My 4-way is as quiet as all my 3-ways. Mine don't have any extra shielding.

Thanks for the replies folks... I have tried the output leads both ways, I should have made that clearer in my op.

73Fender: by grounded you just mean that these need to all be connected to the 'ring' tab of the output jack, correct?

I'm at work all day, but I'll go over everything again when I get home. Could be that I have a less than stellar solder joint somewhere...

Basically all parts that should be grounded have to be. Have you got a multi meter? You should have pretty much 0 resistance (ohms) give or take .2 or so from all parts of the circuit which should be grounded to each other and yes one of the lugs on the output jack should be grounded. So they should all be electrically grounded together (0 resistance). The actual bridge also needs to be tied to ground. If you have a meter you could check. Good tool to have around the house anyway and they have gotten cheap you don't need a high$ model. If not you could disconnect one pick up and see if the problem goes away, may point you in the right direction, process of elimination.

I had your symptom with another guitar when I had the output leads reversed but you have already eliminated that.

I am an amateur with guitar electronics but I was a Tech in another industry for years so I am no expert on guitar electronics.

I'm sure better guitar minds than mine will chime in.

1. Make sure the bridge has a good ground
2. Insure the aluminum foil you put behind the pickguard is grounded or it is just an antenna for noise.
3. All grounds should go to a single point such as the back of one pot
4. not more than one ground path to each item (or you can get groundloops that are notorious for hum noise). This includes the shields.
5. Make sure the neck cover is not shorted to either the signal or ground (black) wire of the neck pickup.

My cavities are stock coated with electrical shielding paint. I found the CVC pickup cavity shield did not directly connected to the control and bridge cavities and was getting it's ground via the neck pickup by way of mounting screws mounted to the cavity instead of the pickguard. When I replaced the pickups with Texas Specials and a standard pickguard that holds the neck pickup I lost the ground so what I did was put copper shielding on back of pickguard then tool a small narrow strip of copper shield tape and ran from the pickup cavity wall to just over the top of the body so it connected with the pickguard. I then put another small piece from the forward end of the control cavity wall and ran just over the top so it contacted the pickguard. This guitar with 4 way switch is pretty darn quiet. More so than when I got it stock.

4. not more than one ground path to each item (or you can get groundloops that are notorious for hum noise). This includes the shields.


Thanks for this Bubblou, I'm thinking that this might be where I'm getting all of the problem from. I'm going to rip out all of the shielding that I put in there, and start over from there.

I'll keep you all posted as I try to work through this!

BTW: I did the aluminum foil once to get rid of static electical buildup on my pickguard and it got rid of 90 percent of the pops and crackles as my fingers swept across the pickguard then I ordered and installed copper shield sheet with electrically conductive backing on back and 100 percent gone plus noise reduction.

Small point: Nearly all electric guitars have no 'ring' connection on the 1/4" output jack. They are 2 conductor, unbalanced outputs that use 'tip' for the hot connection and 'sleeve' or for ground.

Stereo 1/4" jacks have 'tip', 'ring', and 'sleeve' (also known as TRS). They can be used several ways, such as unbalanced stereo (like headphones where tip is left, ring is right, and shield is common), balanced mono (where tip is +, ring is -, and sleeve is shield or ground), or unbalanced with battery negative on the ring connection for active preamps that power up when the plug is inserted.

Your tele should have the center lug of the volume control connected to the 'tip' and the ground connected to 'sleeve'. Make sure the ground wire is connected to the back of the volume pot, the pickup grounds and the bridge ground should all tie to that same point. The tone pot should also be similarly grounded, it often gets its ground through the connection to the control plate.

http://www.tdpri.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=123939&stc=1&d=1334625953