This is a little difficult to explain without a diagram but I'll do my best to paint an accurate mental image. Picture yourself holding your guitar in a playing position and facing your amp with your back to the audience. We'll call this Position A. From here a series of 90-degree turns to the right yields:

• Position A: Facing amp, back to the audience; Guitar is parallel to the amp.
• Position B: Guitar is perpendicular to the amp.
• Position C: Facing audience, back to the amp; Guitar is parallel to the amp.
• Position D: Guitar is perpendicular to the amp.

When the guitar is parallel to the amp, there is no noise. When it is perpendicular to the amp, there is noise. Turning down the volume on the guitar eliminates the noise which tells me that the source of the noise is the guitar, not the amp. However the noise only happens with the FSR American Standard which has C69 pups and only with the Vibro Champ XD or Champion 600, not with the HRD and not with my AmDeluxe or MIM Standard.

What is it about C69s that small tube amps don't like?

Thanks and Cheers!
BM

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This is the Blues. Are you listening?

I have a Pro jr and Super Champ xd with 69's I have never noticed any issue like that. Are they in the same room on the same circuit? Maybe the cable? I know noise issues can be a real PITA to track down at times.

Hi SNick and thanks for the reply. Both amps are in the same room and on the same circuit but I don't belive the circuit or the cable is the issue because there is no noise when I play through those amps with my AmDeluxe or my MIM Standard. The only time there is noise is with my FSR MIA Standard which has stock C69s and then only when the guitar is parallel to amp. (see my first post for the orientation)

I am not familiar with the Super Champ XD. Is it similar to the Vibro Champ XD? I'm thinking this may have something to do with the C69s and small tube amps but of course I'm just guessing here.

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This is the Blues. Are you listening?

Super Champ XD is a 15 watt version of the Vibro Champ 5 watt amp. The only difference in guitars would be the CS 69's are not reversed wound on the middle pickup.

Try a different circuit and cable with that guitar and see what happens. Take it to a guitar shop and play a few small amps with it. See what happens.

I was convinced it couldn't be the circuit because there was no noise with other guitars but I'm glad I took your suggestion because it turns out that I was wrong.

I changed circuit and everything was normal with all amps and all guitars. But that's not all. I then when back to the original circuit and found that things were quiet there as well. Now I'm thinking it's one of those PITA intermitent interference problems which may never be solved.

Anyhow, thanks for your help!
Cheers!
BM

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This is the Blues. Are you listening?

Question....you said the C69's are stock on the FSR American Standard. Are you sure those pickups came stock on that guitar? Or did you buy that guitar from someone who may have changed the pickups? If they are a modification, its possible they arent wired properly, potentially not grounded properly and you might lift the hood to check solder connections, etc.

There are two types of nasty noises associated with single coil pickups....Hum and Buzz. Hum is a natural transmission of signal between 50hz and 60hz. Basically, your guitar and pickups are acting like an antennae that picks up electrical signal from the amp, which then broadcasts it. Its not feedback, but similar in that its between the amp and guitar. Adjust the antennae and the signal disappears or reappears. Buzz is similar, except it involves signal transmitted from an outside source, like an electric motor (furnace fan motor for example) that transmits signal when its brushes intermittently make contact.

The signal creating buzz cannot necessarily be eliminated. The solution is to "shield" the pickups, by lining the pickup-bay under the pickguard with something like copper or lead foil. The signal creating hum can be reduced or eliminated by changing the way the pickups are wound, including the orientation of the windings, relative to each other. "Reverse wound" pickups, "stacked" pickups and "hum buckers" (clearly related to "bucking hum") are all attempts to alter the pickups tendency to transmit that noise. However, these all change the way the pickups sound. Its not necessarily better or worse, but some people dislike the sound of "noiseless" single coils as they lose the classic Fender tone. Stacked and double coil windings also change the tone, some believe for the better. Several pickup manufacturers experimented with stacked coils, attempting to lose the hum. Stacking interfered with certain signals, however. To compensate, the manufacturers amplified the pickup signal...creating an "active pickup".

It sounds like classic single coil 50hz-60hz hum. This is a classic drawback of vintage single coil pickups....like the kind the Custom Shop '69 Reissues are supposed to emulate. Unfortunately, there isnt much you can do about it except change what you play through....different pickups or amp.

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BigJay's Custom '69 Kickassocaster
'90 Les Paul Standard "Vintage"
'00 MIJ '62 Tele RI
'76 Fender BandMaster Reverb
'71 Acoustic Control 2x12 w/Celestion V30s
'71 Martin D18
Mesa Mark IV
'65 Deluxe Reverb RI

Hi BigJay and thank you for a most informative post.

In answer to your question, I bought the FSR American Standard new and it came stock with C69s.

Since my previous post I've tried different guitar/amp combinations, permutations, variations, and have come to the conclusion that the intermitent noise is probably due to several factors, including but not limited to "classic single coil 50hz-60hz hum", kbd, synth, mixer, speakers, computer, monitors, printer, modem, router, ...

Cheers!
BM

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This is the Blues. Are you listening?

I would get some copper foil from LMI or Stew Mac and line both the pickup cavities as well as the entire pickguard area that covers all of the body routs so that when replaced the pickguard and body form a shielded pocket. Also do the jack cavity....
This will not totally eliminate interference but it will greatly reduce the microphonic effect.
This is one of the problems with single coils.
You could also search for different wiring configuration which will give you options and greatly reduce unwanted interference....

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"C'est parti mon Kiki "

Agreed on the wiring configurations. The grounding could be more vintage, while newer wiring cand help.

But remember that you will lose certain aspects of the guitars tone by changing wiring. The shielding won't change tone, but won't eliminate all hum.

It's likely the guitar is some kind of VOS rendition, which many find appealing. It's worth noting that modifications can affect the value of the guitar.

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BigJay's Custom '69 Kickassocaster
'90 Les Paul Standard "Vintage"
'00 MIJ '62 Tele RI
'76 Fender BandMaster Reverb
'71 Acoustic Control 2x12 w/Celestion V30s
'71 Martin D18
Mesa Mark IV
'65 Deluxe Reverb RI

Thanks 53magnatone. The copper foil is a good suggestion and one which I will consider if I find that the noise is getting in the way. As for the different wiring configurations, I'm a bit reluctanct. You see I really love the sound of this guitar and don't want to change it. BigJay suggested that changing the wiring may change the tone and given what I've heard from the C69s in my FSR American Standard and the C69s in the Classic Players 60s guitar, I tend to agree.

Cheers!
BM

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This is the Blues. Are you listening?

I have a MIM Standard that I outfitted with CS69's and I play mainly through a Blues Jr. The only mods on the BJ are a new speaker, Cannabis Rex, and I put JJ tubes in.

The CS69 pickups do not have a RWRP middle pickup so selector switch position in and of itself will not eliminate hum. When I had the pups installed I used copper foil tape from Stew Mac (one roll and I am now doing my second guitar and will probably have enough for another one). Also, all ground loops were eliminated and everything goes to a single ground on the foil. I also shielded that insides of the pup covers. http://ratcliffe.co.za/articles/hotrodstrat4.shtml

This guitar makes no noise or imperceptible noise in any selector position on any amp that I have tried.

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2012 American Standard Strat Charcoal Froast
2009 Standard Strat Sunburst Brown
Blues Junior Tweed NOS
2007 Line6 Spider Jam