Bridge Noise!

[tele11974]

I just swapped out the pups in my MIM Nashville Tele deluxe with my first set of real pickups. I installed the Nocasters and upon testing found that in the bridge position I am getting a buzz. I becomes a horrible buzz when I touched the bridge. I have a blend pot installed for the middle pick up. I hooked up the white wire in the old position on the switch and the black to the star ground on the volume pot. In experimenting I found that it was quiet in I switched the wires white the ground and black to switch position. Now I have horrible sound when I turn on the middle pup.

Your help would be much appreciated. Should I switch the middle pickup wire also?

[e-merlin]

Buzz usually indicates a bad, or non-existant ground. Pull the bridge and relocate the bridge ground from its factory divot to a place where there is none.

[tele11974]

I guess I don't understand. The bridge pickup has a brass plate and it should be grounding through that. I tried running a ground from the volumn pot to the bridge but that shorted and nothing came through the pickup. Thought that was strange. I would have thought it was grounded anyway. That was when I had it hooked up with the black wire to ground and the white wire to the switch. Is white actually the ground on the nocaster pickup? This seemed like such an easy project when I started. Also, when I switch to the middle position it sounds like a duck?:(

[1955]

Have you tried reversing the leads to the output jack?

Sounds like something is switched around in there.

[tele11974]

No I didn't try that. The black wire on the Nocaster pickup is ground isn't it. I didn't check for sure. This is strange.

[TeleKato]

Originally Posted by tele11974

Also, when I switch to the middle position it sounds like a duck?:(

It's become confused and thinks it's a Strat???

First ... And do read my sig below (2nd part) .... Get the fender wiring diagram off the website and very closely check all the wiring. Black wires should be grounds always but double check on the pickups you have to be sure. Then you may need to ground the bridge plate itself with a separate wire. Opinions vary on the need ... But it can't hurt (unless you make a ground-loop ... Whatever that is!); see Seymour Duncan's wiring diagrams for that or search the Forum for how (unless you know already and I'm being pedantic).

Good luck ... I hate these things.

[Hiflyer]

Have you checked the ground connection to the bridge pickup baseplate ? It's not brass I think it's zinc, I had a bad soldering on two Nocaster pickups.

[tele11974]

Okay guys I am going to start over and check the grounds. Its nice I can change the wiring without having to remove the bridge. I believe that the ground through the pickup is working properly. In attempt to quiet the horrible buzz I ran another ground wire to the ground loop that was on the last pickup (non back plate pickup) and that shorted it out and nothing came through the system. That was when I had the black wires to the volumn pot. Thank you guys for attempting to help... very much appreciated.

[tele11974]

I pulled the wired and rewired. I made sure that I was hooking things up properly by using the duncan middle pickup blend pot diagram. Results...same nasty buzz. This lead me to believe that the bridge pickup wasn't grounding properly at the plate. So I then hooked just the bridge pickup direct and so buzz and some nice sound. Strange. I'm not giving up and giving it to a tech yet. I can't afford it anyway .

[1955]

Is the ground wire under the bridge fastened by the bridge screw?

[Hiflyer]

Check the continuity between the baseplate and black wire of the bridge pickup.

[tele11974]

I tested the continuity between the black wire and the bridge and realized that the white wire is actually connected to the metal plate. So white is ground? Hummm. If that's the case then I have been wiring the bridge pick up backwards.

[Hiflyer]

Is that a new pickup or a second hand one ? The base plate should be connected to the black wire ... If it's a second hand one, maybe it's been modded.

Anyway, if there's no continuity between the black wire and the base plate, you can reverse the wiring of the bridge pickup to the control plate and it should work: white wire to the back of the volume pot, black wire to the switch.

[tele11974]

I got it the black wire was not wired to the base plate. It was the yellow wire. No they were new puckups. Strange they are working now. Thanks guys!!!

[Hiflyer]

Originally Posted by tele11974

I got it the black wire was not wired to the base plate. It was the yellow wire. No they were new puckups. Strange they are working now. Thanks guys!!!

Factory mistake !!

[tele11974]

Okay these are not going to work. I am going to trade them off. Anyone interested in a set of Nocaster Custom shop pickups. I would like to try something different. Tell me what pickups you would be willing to trade for them.

[tele11974]

Send me an email to;

Patrickploenzke@gmail.com

Thanks

[Darkbeer]

Check your soldering job. Sounds like a bad connection .