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Post subject: Mustang III hum
Posted: Fri Nov 25, 2016 12:13 am
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I'm new to the world of fancy schmancy electronic instruments so bear with me please. I just bought a new (used) Mustang III V2 online from Guitar Center (probably not the best idea). I bought it because I inherited a Les Paul Studio from my grandpa and wanted a versatile amp to play around with. When I got it, I noticed a very distinct hum which sounds a lot like 60 Hz hum (which I heard on a youtube video) to my untrained ear. Now, the Les Paul is my only guitar so you can imagine it's tough to troubleshoot exactly what the problem is (an old guitar that hasn't been touched in years or a used amp bought over the internet). I'm leaning towards it being the amp, but would really like a 2nd opinion from someone more experienced. Here was my troubleshoot process:

The amp sounds fine until I plug the guitar cable in (w/ no guitar on the other end) , and then the very noticeable hum starts. When I plug the Les Paul in, the hum dulls slightly, but is still very noticeable. The hum decreases a lot if I touch the guitar strings, or if I unplug the guitar and touch the shaft of the unplugged cable. Here's what makes me think it's the amp. I only hear the hum when I turn the gain on (with or without the guitar plugged in). I can crank the master to 6 or 7 and the hum is not noticeable as long as there is no gain. However, it gets exponentially loud as soon I start to add in and increase the gain.

The hum also dies when I turn the volume knob on my guitar off (which is why I thought it was the guitar at first). I tried 2 different guitar cables, and I've tried the setup in 2 different houses, so I don't think its an interference problem. The mustang sounds fine when I just plug an ipod to the aux input and listen to music, so it's not the amp speaker. I'm thinking it might be a problem with some part of the modeling process of the amp, but it's hard to know for sure.

So, do you think it's safe to return the amp to Guitar Center and get a brand new one (because I really like this amp). Or could the problem still be the guitar or interference problem? Or if you guys have any other suggestions, I'd really like to hear them. Thank you!


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Post subject: Re: Mustang III hum
Posted: Tue Dec 06, 2016 6:13 pm
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Joined: Sat Apr 21, 2012 6:39 pm
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guitarhelp wrote:
I'm new to the world of fancy schmancy electronic instruments so bear with me please. I just bought a new (used) Mustang III V2 online from Guitar Center (probably not the best idea). I bought it because I inherited a Les Paul Studio from my grandpa and wanted a versatile amp to play around with. When I got it, I noticed a very distinct hum which sounds a lot like 60 Hz hum (which I heard on a youtube video) to my untrained ear. Now, the Les Paul is my only guitar so you can imagine it's tough to troubleshoot exactly what the problem is (an old guitar that hasn't been touched in years or a used amp bought over the internet). I'm leaning towards it being the amp, but would really like a 2nd opinion from someone more experienced. Here was my troubleshoot process:

The amp sounds fine until I plug the guitar cable in (w/ no guitar on the other end) , and then the very noticeable hum starts. When I plug the Les Paul in, the hum dulls slightly, but is still very noticeable. The hum decreases a lot if I touch the guitar strings, or if I unplug the guitar and touch the shaft of the unplugged cable. Here's what makes me think it's the amp. I only hear the hum when I turn the gain on (with or without the guitar plugged in). I can crank the master to 6 or 7 and the hum is not noticeable as long as there is no gain. However, it gets exponentially loud as soon I start to add in and increase the gain.

The hum also dies when I turn the volume knob on my guitar off (which is why I thought it was the guitar at first). I tried 2 different guitar cables, and I've tried the setup in 2 different houses, so I don't think its an interference problem. The mustang sounds fine when I just plug an ipod to the aux input and listen to music, so it's not the amp speaker. I'm thinking it might be a problem with some part of the modeling process of the amp, but it's hard to know for sure.

So, do you think it's safe to return the amp to Guitar Center and get a brand new one (because I really like this amp). Or could the problem still be the guitar or interference problem? Or if you guys have any other suggestions, I'd really like to hear them. Thank you!


This sounds like either a bad guitar cord, or a ground connection in the guitar itself is loose. The all-around cheapest thing is to swap out guitar cables. If you don't have a spare, then you need one anyway. If that doesn't make a distinct reduction in the hum, then I'd take the guitar AND amp to a local store and try a different guitar through your amp, and then your guitar through a different amp.
But I'd just get a new cord and try it first.

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Post subject: Re: Mustang III hum
Posted: Tue Dec 06, 2016 8:27 pm
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Good advice! Faulty cables have been the root cause of a great many headaches. Try a known good cable. Hoepfully that remedies the situation. If not, and your guitar also checks out to be okay, GC likely will have the Mustang III v.2 on sale before the end of the year. The last two years they had a 20% off coupon before years end. A great time to buy one brand new for a great price and get Fender's 5 year warranty.

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Post subject: Re: Mustang III hum
Posted: Wed Dec 07, 2016 5:50 am
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The hum decreases a lot if I touch the guitar strings, or if I unplug the guitar and touch the shaft of the unplugged cable. Here's what makes me think it's the amp. I only hear the hum when I turn the gain on (with or without the guitar plugged in). I can crank the master to 6 or 7 and the hum is not noticeable as long as there is no gain. However, it gets exponentially loud as soon I start to add in and increase the gain


there seems to be nothing wrong with the amp, it would "Hum" as soon as you turn it on, and/or turn up the volume. Getting more line noise from the GAIN is NORMAL.

All guitars emit some sort of "Hum"... single coils will be more noticeable. The noise will increase if you're near florescent lights, or if you're guitar is near a PC/Video monitor.

Touching the strings closes the ground, so that is another sign it is not the amp.

You could also try moving the amp to a different room, or use a different circuit in your house/apartment and if you're using a power strip or something else, bypass that and plug directly into the outlet and see if that makes a difference or reduces the noise.

But again this is not abnormal especially as you say, when you have some gain preset selected. (nothing probably wrong with that amp)

Just to ask the obvious, that LP you got from your grandfather,, it DOES have the typical / stock humbuckers?
(eg: NOT P90s?)


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Post subject: Re: Mustang III hum
Posted: Thu Dec 08, 2016 1:37 pm
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Everything everybody else said, and dimmer switches in homes are notorious for causing hum. Let us know how it goes? Guitar may have faulty wiring to its jack and/or to pickups or to tone or volume knobs. Easy fix with a little solder.

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Post subject: Re: Mustang III hum
Posted: Mon Dec 19, 2016 7:24 pm
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Joined: Mon Dec 19, 2016 7:07 pm
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Great response for the solutions to the humming instruments. I'm leaning toward the cold solder joints in the guitar and a new guitar chord


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