klein1883
Rookie Solder Flinger
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Post by klein1883 on Mar 9, 2009 23:22:50 GMT -5
Cheers, New to the forum, love (really love) what is going on here! I hope someone can help answer this dilemma: 2-3 year old Gibson SG with standard Gibson brand humbucker pickups with factory wiring and no shielding. When plugged in using the Waves PRS direct box which feeds a Pro Tools recording rig it is as noisy if not more so than a Fender with single coils. Moving the guitar around makes the buzz (just like a Fender) get louder or quieter. We are bypassing amps right now for tracking. On our end we have decent cabling throughout the project studio and the player swears he has no noise through his preamp and amp during live or rehearsal settings. Should I attempt re-wiring his guitar and apply shielding? Many moons ago before I became a full time piano re-builder I was a basic guitar tech working with local stores and building my own monsters. I have retained some of those skills but am baffled to why this guitar is responding like this. Thanks again for this great forum! Kris
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Post by cynical1 on Mar 9, 2009 23:49:43 GMT -5
Greetings and welcome to the forum.
So, the guitar is quiet running live through an amp, and if I understand, there's never been a noise issue before this.
Just a few questions first.
Does anyone else have a noise issue in your project studio?
How close to a CRT monitor is this guitar when the noise occurs?
Any fluorescent lights or other infamous noise generators nearby?
Has anyone else used the WAVE PRS box to record?
Have they experienced the same noise issues?
Is there another interface you can run the SG through to see if it solves the noise issue?
That was helpful, wasn't it?
You could shield the guitar and check the wiring, but I'd look for something specific to the room and interfaces causing it if it's never been an issue before.
Others will be by with hopefully more useful information soon...
Happy Trails
Cynical One
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klein1883
Rookie Solder Flinger
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Post by klein1883 on Mar 10, 2009 19:38:32 GMT -5
Greetings Cynical One, Thank you for the input...many good questions and I have surely gone through this punch list (many times ) A very good friend and studio geek feels it could be the dimmers used on the walls, and I still haven't figured out if the 30" Dell LCD is causing the SG anymore noise, even when turned off the noise is still there, just different. Other guitars have noise but for some reason his SG's sound especially loud. I keep leaning towards giving this guitar a true wiring makeover with shielding, and I would also like to hear his live rig in my shop too. The guitarist I am working with is extremely talented (even humble) but seems to miss many of the technical issues with setting up and maintaining a good live/studio instrument. So I guess the nexk question would be: Are there any modded or shielding wiring diagrams for Gibson (or SG's) that might make me look like a hero Cheers Kris
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Post by cynical1 on Mar 10, 2009 20:04:42 GMT -5
Kris - You may not have to do an entire re-wiring job. You could try just shielding the guitar first to see what effects that has on the noise issue. Make sure to get the control cavity, pickup routings and pickguard. Some options are conductive shielding paint. aluminum or copper foil. I prefer to use the paint and copper foil, but that may come across as overkill to many. I just want to make sure the job is done and I don't have to go back in later. Plus, you can solder to the copper foil, but not the aluminum. As far as re-wiring, you really don't have to completely gut the SG and start from scratch. Have you read Quieting the Beast, Shielding a Strat? What's in there can apply to all guitars and basses, it's just the exact wiring detailed in the article refer to a Strat. You're really only moving the grounds to a central point, or star ground. This, of course, is going under the impression there is nothing else wrong in there... Nothing comes to mind off the top of my head, but if you search this forum back for a year there will be more then enough postings on "Quieting the Beast", and shielding a guitar in general. Others will be by soon to offer more concrete advise, but I would suggest taking it slow and one step at a time until the noise goes away, or diminishes enough to allow you to record. Happy Trails Cynical One
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Post by newey on Mar 10, 2009 20:57:16 GMT -5
Dimmer switches can be noisy. Try turning all the lights with dimmers off, and use an alternate light source, to see if that helps. The LCD monitor shouldn't be a problem, usually it's the CRT ones that are noisy- and fast becoming relics anyway.
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klein1883
Rookie Solder Flinger
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Post by klein1883 on Mar 11, 2009 22:28:20 GMT -5
Well...I think that is good advice. Take one item at a time and see which solves the issue. I have tried turning out the lights, made a difference, but basically just a different noise I had some time tonight to re-open the back cavity and was surprised to see some shielding paint splashed just on the face. After reading "Quieting the Beast" (thanks cynical) I sure have a different view point on shielding! Thanks again for the input! Cheers Kris
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dugg
Apprentice Shielder
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Post by dugg on Mar 13, 2009 10:23:20 GMT -5
Hi klein, welcome! I'm a piano tech too, working here in southern cali for the last 20 years, 15 years in NYC before that. Sorry, I don't have advice on your noisy SG, was just excited to meet another tuner. Although....just as I'm writing this, I had a nutty idea. What if there were some kind of temporary test shield, sort of like a metal fabric bag that you could slip the axe into? Seems like it would be useful often.....
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klein1883
Rookie Solder Flinger
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Post by klein1883 on Mar 16, 2009 19:12:29 GMT -5
Cheers Dugg,
Great idea for the guitar...wish I had the bag! Decided to go with shielding the complete guitar for starters, was probably needed either way. I have been a piano rebuilder/tech for 21 years...am I REALLY getting this old!
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