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Will a ground wire fix this?

Discussion in 'Just Pickups' started by Bryan A, Mar 7, 2021.

  1. Mar 7, 2021 #1
    Bryan A

    Bryan A Tele-Meister

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    I know this is a dumb question, but I am a novice when it comes to electronics, so...

    I got a set of Rio Grande Dirty Harry pickups. My assumption was that if the neck pickup is uncovered, it doesn’t have to be grounded. But I am getting the worst hum I’ve ever experienced from a guitar. When I push in either the volume or tone knob, the hum stops. So is this simply a matter of one or both of the pickups needing to be grounded, or does it sound like it’s some other issue?

    thanks
     
  2. Mar 7, 2021 #2
    Steve Holt

    Steve Holt Friend of Leo's

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    Push in the volume or tone? Sounds like there may be a bit more going on than just pickups. What do your volume and tone knobs do? Coil split?

    If there is no cover then what are you going to ground? The pickup itself should have two or more wires one going to possibly a switch and the other going to ground. I'd like to see some pictures of your guitar, pickups, and wiring to learn more and help you out!

    Edit: just Googled the pickup in question and it looks like just a regular single coil.

    Also not a dumb question!
     
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  3. Mar 7, 2021 #3
    Bryan A

    Bryan A Tele-Meister

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    it’s a 52 avri and was working fine with the stock pickups. The new ones are wired exactly the same way, except the neck pickup isn’t grounded because there’s no metal cover over it like standard Tele neck pickups. Both pickups have the standard positive and negative wires. There’s just no ground wire for the neck pickup because there’s no metal cover. Otherwise, they’re wired exactly the same as the old ones.

    when I said “push” one of the knobs..no, there’s no push/pull or any of that stuff, it’s a standard 52 avri. I just mean if I touch or lightly press one of the knobs, the humming stops
     
  4. Mar 7, 2021 #4
    Steve Holt

    Steve Holt Friend of Leo's

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    Interesting. So your old pickups, or at least the neck, has 3 wires? One was a dedicated ground for the neck cover?
     
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  5. Mar 7, 2021 #5
    Bryan A

    Bryan A Tele-Meister

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    yes. But I am using an Obsidianwire 4 way switch harness, which came with a ground wire and the instructions said that standard covered neck pickups needed to be grounded. I’m not sure if it originally came ground (pre 4 way), I can’t remember.

    in my other Tele, I have the same 4 way harness, and Vaughn Skow pickups (also an uncovered neck) and it’s not grounded, but they’re quite as a church mouse
     
  6. Mar 7, 2021 #6
    adjason

    adjason Poster Extraordinaire Silver Supporter

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    check to make sure you don't have a loose wire that makes contact when you press the pot- been there done that
     
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  7. Mar 7, 2021 #7
    Steve Holt

    Steve Holt Friend of Leo's

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    Okay that's helpful. So you have series and parallel switching with that 4 way switch?

    Do the pickups buzz in every position? I'm thinking that 4-way is where your problem is. I'd still like to see some pictures of what's going on. It's also possible that another ground came loose somewhere as well.
     
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  8. Mar 7, 2021 #8
    chezdeluxe

    chezdeluxe Poster Extraordinaire

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    Everything appears to be working as should be expected

    You have installed a new pickup with no shield connected to ground. When you touch a grounded metal part of the guitar, including the bridge and strings hopefully, your body acts as a shield and shunts extraneous noise to ground.
     
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  9. Mar 7, 2021 #9
    Bryan A

    Bryan A Tele-Meister

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    yes, series and parellel. And yes, they hum in every position. I can’t believe the harness is the problem, because it’s the same harness that I had with the stock pickups and there was no hum, but the standard neck pickup was grounded, that’s the only difference.

    I’ll take a pic tomorrow when I open it up again
     
  10. Mar 7, 2021 #10
    dpang2836

    dpang2836 Tele-Meister

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    LED Lights anywhere? They have a "Mind of Their Own". My noise goes away when I touch Strings?
     
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  11. Mar 7, 2021 #11
    Bryan A

    Bryan A Tele-Meister

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    So then, will grounding one of the pickups stop the hum?

    it’s not a normal single coil hum. It’s a loud obnoxious hum. Far worse than any Tele or Strat I’ve ever had
     
  12. Mar 7, 2021 #12
    Steve Holt

    Steve Holt Friend of Leo's

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    Yeah pictures will definitely help.

    I'm not an expert but I think my first question is valid, if you have no cover than what will you be grounding?
     
  13. Mar 7, 2021 #13
    Steve Holt

    Steve Holt Friend of Leo's

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    Is the black wire on your neck pickup going to the switch or to the back of the volume pot?
     
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  14. Mar 7, 2021 #14
    dpang2836

    dpang2836 Tele-Meister

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    Gotta have a Black Wire for Ground whether you have a Cover or not? Probably broke off?
     
  15. Mar 8, 2021 #15
    chezdeluxe

    chezdeluxe Poster Extraordinaire

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    Are you saying the hum occurs with only the bridge pickup selected?


     
  16. Mar 8, 2021 #16
    Jay Jernigan

    Jay Jernigan Tele-Afflicted

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    Your strings, i.e.,the bridge, have lost ground. Don't know how, but it happens. Jump a g-string from the control plate to the bridge plate. Quick fix.
     
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  17. Mar 9, 2021 #17
    Steve Holt

    Steve Holt Friend of Leo's

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    Did you get this fixed?

     
  18. Mar 9, 2021 #18
    Bryan A

    Bryan A Tele-Meister

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    no. I put a ground wire from the control plate to the back of the bridge, but that did nothing. I forgot to take pics, but I took a video of what it’s doing if I can figure out how to post it on here. There’s the normal single coil hum, and then there’s this annoying “fizz” above the hum. The fizz is what stops when I press on the knobs.

    I honestly think it’s an issue with the pickups. They’re wired exactly the same way as my other Tele, and it’s the same 4 way harness I had with the stock pickups
     
  19. Mar 9, 2021 #19
    Drak

    Drak Tele-Holic

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    Have you tried flipping the pickup wiring yet? (black for white or whatever scheme they use is)
     
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