Hey everyone.

I've learned that I can come to these forums, seeking help and advice, and I really appreciate it! Thank you all so much!

That said, I hope someone can help. Tonight I cracked out my new (well 3 month old) Strat tonight, and I immediately noticed a hum. And before someone says that it's just the regular hum from the pups, it wasn't, because normally through my Blues Jr. NOS, I haven't been getting much of any hum at all. This hum was very pronounced when I took my hand off the fretboard, and at the bridge. It was even louder and worse on positions 2 and 4, which in a regular strat world cancel that hum. Again-when I touched the strings, bridge, tuners, switch, and jackplate, the hum disappeared, but then as soon as i took my hand off, there it was- loud and clear.

I know it's not my BJr. either, because I tried the guitar through 2 other amps (one other tube, and one SS), with the same result. I also played my LP through the Bjr. with no hum. I'm beginning to think that i may have a grounding problem within my strat. It has been about a week and a half since I last played it (at church, with no amp, straight to PA) before tonight. What do you guys think?

How then can I fix this? Is it something I can do by taking off the pickguard and checking things out? Should I take it back to the dealer (Woodwind & Brasswind in South Bend, IN) and have them check it out? Other thoughts or suggestions?

Thanks so much everyone!

To me, aside from verifying that there is nothing wrong with your amps, using a LP with HBs for a hum level comparison vs. a stock Strat isn't really valid.

Having said this, I was on the side of the fence of normal 60 cycle hum until you stated that positions 2 and 4 continue to prominently hum. Obviously, this indicates a loose, missing or crossed connection somewhere. It could be a wire, it could be a terminal, it could be a bad component; the list goes on and on. Based on your question about it being a grounding problem, it MAY be, but you have to keep in mind that the excessive hum is a SYMPTOM where the remedy lies in the CAUSE. So, of itself, one cannot unilaterally say like so many tend to that it is a 'bad ground' as the guitar may very well be, properly grounded everywhere but somethiing is getting into the ground path, causing it to buzz. See the difference?

Sight unseen and based on the way you worded your question about removing the pickguard, I surmise you have marginal experience with such things which I may add, is NOTHING to be ashamed of. If the problem is obvious, you MAY catch it but to, "hunt and peck" troubleshoot with a new, high end guitar isn't an ideal platform to learn.

Your guitar is under warranty. Premising that the store you bought it from has a COMPETENT tech (note that one does NOT necessarily follow the other), I'd let the tech figure it out.

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You dig?

Hey, i have the same problem, and it is definently not the amp.

I still dont know what it is

Also, i think it may be the cable, because sometimes when i put the cable in certain positions or if i step on it, then the amount of buzz will increase or decrease

Good luck

the power cord to the amplifier plays a role in grounding too
make sure to get a fully shield power cord
you can get it from the computer shop

It just may be the power source. House? Garage? whatever?

I was messing with a guitar on and off all day. Then last night I noticed my amp/guitar were pretty noisy, until I touched metal on the axe (or the inside shielding paint). But then I also noticed the sound went away when I touched grounded metal on the amp (Delta Blues). I unplugged the guitar(s) and the noise was still there, swapped & removed the cable - still there. This has happened before. All the time in the last house we lived in (w/different guitar, different amp).

But last night I also noticed the line conditioner I run the amp through buzzing with basically the same noise. Moved the amp cord to a wall outlet - noise still there. Conditioner still buzzing.

Guitar into battery powered practice amp - NO noise.

By this morning, the line conditioner is no longer buzzing, and the amp & guitars are nice and quiet again.

Who knows what it was/is? Dimmers on the lights in the house? (my wife installed them ALL over - arrghh!). TVs? Computers? XBox?

Or was the feed from the street crappy for some reason??


You should be able to tell easy enough if the noise is from your guitar or not. Just try combinations of you and your gear that eliminate different components, including the axe. You touching grounded metal is taking the noise out of the system, but if you happen to touch or get near the + signal then you add noise (like when you grab or step on the end of the cable).

Likely the problem is in the house wiring, or whatever else is connected to it.

I had this problem with a new EJ Stat and was convinced it was a grounding issue. Then the summer arrived and I no longer needed the lights on to play! I forgot about the noise until the nights became darker and I turned the lights on again - and guess what? The noise was back. My only problem now is trying to read music in the dark!

The lights and dimmer were my problem. As much as I was convinced that it couldn't be this, it was.

Dimmers indeed! Like I said, the wife had them installed everywhere. And many of the lights buzz when they are turned down a bit - you can actually hear them just walking into a room.

All that electrical noise is now on the 120V feed, and may/will certainly be evident in the amp. In the old days we couldn't watch TV if the vacuum was on - same affect. What else is being powered by the 120v makes a big difference.

Still wish I could figure out was what up last night vs. this AM...