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Post subject: Noise Question
Posted: Tue Jul 13, 2010 10:27 am
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I recently changed out my pickups for the CS Texas Specials, and now, just touching the pickguard, I get a static noise - cant figure it out. It only happens around the area of the pickguard where the body is routed out for the pickups to sit. If I turn down the tone knob (depending on which position I'm in) it makes the static less noticeable. Any suggestions?


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Posted: Tue Jul 13, 2010 12:12 pm
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Make sure your soldering points are clean. If the pickguard isnt, you may try to shield it. You can also try to put an anti static dryer sheet under the pickguard.


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Post subject: Re: Noise Question
Posted: Sat Jul 17, 2010 8:50 am
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rjc6886 wrote:
I recently changed out my pickups for the CS Texas Specials, and now, just touching the pickguard, I get a static noise - cant figure it out. It only happens around the area of the pickguard where the body is routed out for the pickups to sit. If I turn down the tone knob (depending on which position I'm in) it makes the static less noticeable. Any suggestions?


Welcome!

Yours is a common problem.

In unscientific generalities, the ear discerns higher frequencies more readily than lower ones. This is why when you back off the tone pot, you hear the static less although it is surely constant upon certain conditions (see below).

Chances are, one the terminals (all of which are a positive or 'hot' component) of your pickup selector switch is lightly grounding out against the shielding paint of the body (a negative or 'ground' component) of the guitar. This is why when you put pressure on the pickguard near the switch, the static is induced. Depending on pickup(s) selection, the severity of the static is 'sliding scale' as you activate and deactivate certain terminals during the process.

Sometimes, unsoldering the lead wire from the bottommost terminal, bending the terminal up a hair and resoldering the lead wire on a right angle into the terminal is sufficient to ensure enough clearance between the terminal and the body.

Oftentimes, not.

In the latter case, simply put a piece (or two, stacked) of electric tape on the body of your guitar directly below where the pickup selector switch is. This will insulate the terminals of the switch from shorting against the shielding paint of the guitar. Make sure though that there are no sharp points on the bottommost terminal or the lead wire soldered to it as either or both can poke and/or eat through the insulating tape.

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