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Post subject: Squier Strat hum
Posted: Mon Apr 09, 2012 4:06 am
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Hello, I currently own a Fender Squier 20th anniversary Bullet Strat and I have a pretty nasty problem with it.
I get this annoying hum, whenever I am not touching anything metal on it.
I thought it was a grounding problem, so I took it to the local shop where they checked it and said that all the grounding wires are alright. They couldn't figure out the problem and the only thing they thought might be causing the noise (which is noticeable at high volume or when I put on gain) might be the switch.
The selector switch that is in my strat is made out of plastic instead of metal, and it has nothing on it that can be grounded.
Is this a possible reason for the hum?
And if not, what might be causing it?

P.S. I have used it with a variety of amps (yamahas, marshalls, fenders) got the problem with them all... with some of them it's less noticeable tho...


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Post subject: Re: Squier Strat hum
Posted: Mon Apr 09, 2012 8:29 am
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It *might* be the selector switch, but it honestly sounds like normal single-coil 60-cycle hum to me. If you could post a video of the sound, that might help a bit. When you tested it, did you have any fluorescent lights/bulbs and TV/PC monitors in the nearby area? If so, try shutting any lights off and turning off any monitors in the nearby area, see if that helps eliminate the hum.

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Post subject: Re: Squier Strat hum
Posted: Mon Apr 09, 2012 10:00 am
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Aside from what NarooN has already said, you could also try to shield the pickup cavities and the underside of the pickguard. Use a light metallic sheet such as copper or aluminum. This is a popular method to eliminate the 60-cycle hum as I know lots of Strat owners who have done this successfully.
In addition, you could also purchase a noise gate (noise reducer, noise clamp, etc.) pedal if you think the hum is "normal" (i.e, akin to a single-coil guitar).

Hope this helps.


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Post subject: Re: Squier Strat hum
Posted: Tue Apr 10, 2012 9:22 am
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Yes, positions 2 & 4 reduce hum drastically in most cases since the middle coil is reverse wound, methinks.

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Post subject: Re: Squier Strat hum
Posted: Tue Apr 10, 2012 12:20 pm
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UnderMoonlitSkies wrote:
Aside from what NarooN has already said, you could also try to shield the pickup cavities and the underside of the pickguard. Use a light metallic sheet such as copper or aluminum. This is a popular method to eliminate the 60-cycle hum as I know lots of Strat owners who have done this successfully.
In addition, you could also purchase a noise gate (noise reducer, noise clamp, etc.) pedal if you think the hum is "normal" (i.e, akin to a single-coil guitar).

Hope this helps.


I did the cavity shielding thing, and yes it makes a difference, i can face my amp and get to about a foot away before it starts to hum, try turning any flourscent lighting off, if you using your computer try to be as far aways as possible to reduce the interference from it, using position 2 or 4 on the toggle switch will work because you are combining the middle pup with either the neck or the bridge pup, this creates a humbucker pickup effect, but keeping the guitar in those position obviously limits the capabilities of the guitars sounds. If i were you i would spend a few bucks on some shielding, strip the beast down and shield the cavities copper works better but aluminum is cheaper


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Post subject: Re: Squier Strat hum
Posted: Wed Apr 11, 2012 9:54 am
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It is NOT the normal single-coil hum u get on 1,3 and 5th positions, this is a noise, kinda similar to that hum but it's heard at every position of the blade IF I'm not touching a metal object on the guitar.
About shielding the cavity, there IS a metal sheet on the back of the pickguard, but I am not completely sure if it is connected to the grounding wires. (I didn't look there the last time I saw the guitar opened.) It must be connected, right?


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Post subject: Re: Squier Strat hum
Posted: Wed Apr 11, 2012 10:23 am
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To answer your last question, No, the metal sheet is shielding. aside from contact with the pots and such it has no "connection" per say.
You have a grounding issue. because you can touch the strings, bridge, etc and the hum stops says its a ground problem. when you touch it you ground it and it stops.
That said,
I am confused by what your guitar tech said about the selector. Just because it's covered in plastic doesn't mean anything. a lot of modern selectors are enclosed in plastic. Trust me, there is metal inside. either there is a misunderstanding somewhere or the person at the shop is cracked.
I hope you didn't pay for them to look at it.
If I were you, I would open it up, take a lot of good pics, and share with the forum. There are a lot of skilled folks who might be able to spot the problem for you.

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Post subject: Re: Squier Strat hum
Posted: Thu Apr 12, 2012 2:46 pm
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cullenszoo wrote:
To answer your last question, No, the metal sheet is shielding. aside from contact with the pots and such it has no "connection" per say.
You have a grounding issue. because you can touch the strings, bridge, etc and the hum stops says its a ground problem. when you touch it you ground it and it stops.
That said,
I am confused by what your guitar tech said about the selector. Just because it's covered in plastic doesn't mean anything. a lot of modern selectors are enclosed in plastic. Trust me, there is metal inside. either there is a misunderstanding somewhere or the person at the shop is cracked.
I hope you didn't pay for them to look at it.
If I were you, I would open it up, take a lot of good pics, and share with the forum. There are a lot of skilled folks who might be able to spot the problem for you.

yup sounds like an earthing issue to me too, you may want to go to the seymour duncan website and check out the wiring diagrams for strats, and check all your wiring is in order, maybe re-solder


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Post subject: Re: Squier Strat hum
Posted: Thu Apr 12, 2012 6:07 pm
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It is my understanding that if guitar 'hum' stops when you touch a metal part, then that shows that the guitar is in fact correctly grounded, and that the problem lies elsewhere, so in that respect the shop tech may be right.


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Post subject: Re: Squier Strat hum
Posted: Thu Apr 12, 2012 11:52 pm
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most modern switches have a plastic circuit board (P.C.B.) but the frame that connects to the pickguard is normally metal it is possible to connect an earth to that to see if thats the problem failing that if you are thinking of changing the switch, genuine fender (oak grigsby) switches are reasonably cheap normally under £/$10 check ebay for oak grigsby rather than genuine fender, these definately have a metal framework


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Post subject: Re: Squier Strat hum
Posted: Fri Apr 13, 2012 5:12 am
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depepat wrote:
It is my understanding that if guitar 'hum' stops when you touch a metal part, then that shows that the guitar is in fact correctly grounded, and that the problem lies elsewhere, so in that respect the shop tech may be right.

That's not been my experience.

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Post subject: Re: Squier Strat hum
Posted: Fri Apr 13, 2012 2:11 pm
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The reason the hum stops when you touch a string is because strings are actually always vibrating, even ever so slightly that we can't even see it (maybe not without a magnifying glass or something lol). When you touch them, they stop vibrating and since there's no vibration for the pickups to...pick up, there's no hum.

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Post subject: Re: Squier Strat hum
Posted: Sat Apr 14, 2012 8:37 am
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All i can say now is if you are not happy opening up the guitar yourself, take it elsewhere and get a second opinion, i really think you have an earth issue, and there is no such thing IMO as an all plastic switch (not that i have seen anyway) they all have a metal framework of somekind.


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Post subject: Re: Squier Strat hum
Posted: Wed Jun 06, 2012 11:15 am
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jeffo46 wrote:
If you keep the selector switch in positions 2 or 4 , the hum should be gone . Have you tried that ?


I have that same problem - i.e., positions 1, 3, and 5 have the hum (worse in a room with a rheostat/variable light switch when the light is on than elsewhere), but positions 2, 4 do not. I have a Squier Standard Stratocaster:

Pickup Configuration: S/S/S
Bridge Pickup: Standard Single-Coil Strat® Bridge Pickup
Middle Pickup: Standard Single-Coil Strat® Middle Pickup
Neck Pickup: Standard Single-Coil Strat® Neck Pickup
Pickup Switching: 5-Position Blade: Position 1. Bridge Pickup, Position 2. Bridge and Middle Pickup, Position 3. Middle Pickup, Position 4. Middle and Neck Pickup, Position 5. Neck Pickup
Controls: Master Volume, Tone 1. (Neck Pickup), Tone 2. (Middle Pickup)


UnderMoonlitSkies wrote:
Aside from what NarooN has already said, you could also try to shield the pickup cavities and the underside of the pickguard. Use a light metallic sheet such as copper or aluminum. This is a popular method to eliminate the 60-cycle hum as I know lots of Strat owners who have done this successfully.
In addition, you could also purchase a noise gate (noise reducer, noise clamp, etc.) pedal if you think the hum is "normal" (i.e, akin to a single-coil guitar).

Hope this helps.


So you're saying it is NOT a defect in my guitar, but that if I want to stop the hum, I should take off the strings and the pick guard and shield the cavities where the pickups sit with copper foil (or at least aluminum foil) and that will stop it - or at least reduce it?

Will heavy-duty aluminum foil for cooking work for lining the pickup cavities?


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Post subject: Re: Squier Strat hum
Posted: Wed Jun 06, 2012 11:29 am
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eweiss wrote:
jeffo46 wrote:
If you keep the selector switch in positions 2 or 4 , the hum should be gone . Have you tried that ?


I have that same problem - i.e., positions 1, 3, and 5 have the hum (worse in a room with a rheostat/variable light switch when the light is on than elsewhere), but positions 2, 4 do not. I have a Squier Standard Stratocaster:

Pickup Configuration: S/S/S
Bridge Pickup: Standard Single-Coil Strat® Bridge Pickup
Middle Pickup: Standard Single-Coil Strat® Middle Pickup
Neck Pickup: Standard Single-Coil Strat® Neck Pickup
Pickup Switching: 5-Position Blade: Position 1. Bridge Pickup, Position 2. Bridge and Middle Pickup, Position 3. Middle Pickup, Position 4. Middle and Neck Pickup, Position 5. Neck Pickup
Controls: Master Volume, Tone 1. (Neck Pickup), Tone 2. (Middle Pickup)


UnderMoonlitSkies wrote:
Aside from what NarooN has already said, you could also try to shield the pickup cavities and the underside of the pickguard. Use a light metallic sheet such as copper or aluminum. This is a popular method to eliminate the 60-cycle hum as I know lots of Strat owners who have done this successfully.
In addition, you could also purchase a noise gate (noise reducer, noise clamp, etc.) pedal if you think the hum is "normal" (i.e, akin to a single-coil guitar).

Hope this helps.


So you're saying it is NOT a defect in my guitar, but that if I want to stop the hum, I should take off the strings and the pick guard and shield the cavities where the pickups sit with copper foil (or at least aluminum foil) and that will stop it - or at least reduce it?

that is the nature of single coil pickups, they pick up the 50hz hum from regular currents, and get even worse around items you mentioned, and flourescent lights are a common problem, you will always have a very slight hum no matter what on position 1, 3, and 5 with single coils get closer to your amp it will become worse also, there are ways to help reduce this.

Shielding, noiseless pickups, humbucking pickups, noise gates, and many more i am sure, but potentially i dont think you have a problem and its not anything you need to worry about

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