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Post subject: Humming "noiseless" pickups on brand new Tele Elite Thinline
Posted: Tue Apr 11, 2017 10:30 am
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Yesterday, I purchased a new American Tele Elite Thinline with the supposedly noiseless pickups, but anytime I remove my hands from the guitar, I get an extremely loud, constant hum. I've been playing guitar for 25+ years and have never heard a hum this loud/intense from a guitar that cost $2k. It's particularly bad when I touch any part of the pickup...the buzz turns to a crackle, scratching sound. I realize that I should know what to check or even possibly how to fix it, but that's not my area of expertise...especially regarding an instrument this expensive.

I read somewhere that this may be caused by the strings touching one or more of the screws holding the barrels at the bridge just as a result of bad design. How do I figure this out?


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Post subject: Re: Humming "noiseless" pickups on brand new Tele Elite Thin
Posted: Tue Apr 11, 2017 10:48 am
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Look there are something wrong with ground wiring, return back to the store. Always try guitar ( or amp) before leaving a store


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Post subject: Re: Humming "noiseless" pickups on brand new Tele Elite Thin
Posted: Tue Apr 11, 2017 11:01 am
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You know, I played it quite a bit before making the final decision to buy. I just didn't notice it until I got it home. That may be because if one of two reasons: either I didn't turn up the volume loud enough in the store OR something in my home environment that wasn't present in the store is causing it.


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Post subject: Re: Humming "noiseless" pickups on brand new Tele Elite Thin
Posted: Tue Apr 11, 2017 11:45 am
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soyburglar wrote:
You know, I played it quite a bit before making the final decision to buy. I just didn't notice it until I got it home. That may be because if one of two reasons: either I didn't turn up the volume loud enough in the store OR something in my home environment that wasn't present in the store is causing it.


You did your best at the store.
At home, do you have few guitars for test , few amps ? Try them.

About your home, turn off your cellphone, PC, neon and halogen light,all electrical motor.
Use a know well grounded wall outlet.

If guitar is always noisy : return to the store


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Post subject: Re: Humming "noiseless" pickups on brand new Tele Elite Thin
Posted: Sat Apr 15, 2017 7:35 am
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One of the major causes of hums is dimmer switches. Do not use them, no matter how convenient. If you can't get rid of them, always turn them to full or off, never in-between.
You can shield the switch housing, but that doesn't help much as the radio signal travels along the wires and escape at some other point.


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Post subject: Re: Humming "noiseless" pickups on brand new Tele Elite Thin
Posted: Sat Apr 15, 2017 1:25 pm
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Cellphone, PC, electrical motor , neon light, no ground at wall outlet ......


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Post subject: Re: Humming "noiseless" pickups on brand new Tele Elite Thin
Posted: Sat Apr 15, 2017 8:24 pm
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soyburglar wrote:
Yesterday, I purchased a new American Tele Elite Thinline with the supposedly noiseless pickups, but anytime I remove my hands from the guitar, I get an extremely loud, constant hum. I've been playing guitar for 25+ years and have never heard a hum this loud/intense from a guitar that cost $2k. It's particularly bad when I touch any part of the pickup...the buzz turns to a crackle, scratching sound.... How do I figure this out?

Hi soyburglar,
I assume that this problem is happening at home, although you did not specify where this problem is occurring.
As others have suggested, the problem is not your noiseless pickups, but rather, you are probably experiencing electrical interference, or may have a ground solder issue.

Since you have played guitar for 25 years, I assume that you have other electric guitars that do not have the same problem.
If that is correct, or if you are unable to tell because the other electric guitars do not have noiseless pickups, try turning off all of your electrical lights and appliances, except for your amp, and see if the problem continues.
Use a guitar cord that gets you at least 10-15 feet away from your amp.
Also, try plugging your amp into different wall outlets.

If you are unable to isolate the problem, I would take the guitar back to the store and see if the problem can be reproduced at the store.
I would also take your amp with you to the guitar shop, which you could initially leave in the car when you go into the store with your guitar.

If the problem can be reproduced at the store, and other noiseless guitars do not have this problem at the store, you can decide whether to have the guitar repaired, most likely by having the ground wires re-soldered, or whether to return the guitar, or exchange it for another guitar.
If the problem cannot be reproduced in the store, I would then get your amp, bring it into the store, and see if the problem can be reproduced using your amp in the store.

soyburglar wrote:
I read somewhere that this may be caused by the strings touching one or more of the screws holding the barrels at the bridge just as a result of bad design.

A "bad bridge design" is not your problem.
It is not unusual for any electric guitar, including guitars with noiseless pickups, to reduce or eliminate minor or slight electrical interference noise, when you touch the strings or bridge, because your touch of the strings or bridge improves the guitar's electrical ground.

But it does not sound like you are talking about having "minor or slight" electrical interference noise.
For that reason, if you are unable to isolate an electrical interference problem at your house or apartment, I would return to the store with the guitar and your amp, and see if the problem can be reproduced in the store.
Good luck, and please advise how it works out.


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Post subject: Re: Humming "noiseless" pickups on brand new Tele Elite Thin
Posted: Wed May 03, 2017 7:58 am
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I know that if not coated with copper inside where the pickups rest that the single pickups can hum because there picking up other electric components. I would have thought Fender would have done this in the factory as much as they cost.


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Post subject: Re: Humming "noiseless" pickups on brand new Tele Elite Thin
Posted: Wed Feb 28, 2018 8:44 pm
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:( Hi folks , new member here , came here looking for answers to this problem. ( noise) I purchased a Telecaster Elite
I tried the guitar at GuitarCenter at a quiet volume with no noticeable hum , when I got home and tried a few pedals , cs3 compressor , O.C.D. , Tumnus , etc. I notice a hum until I touch the bridge or grab the neck to contact the strings . I am thinking of going to the Lace Sensors if I can't get any other solutions , I have heard some good things .


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Post subject: Re: Humming "noiseless" pickups on brand new Tele Elite Thin
Posted: Sun Aug 19, 2018 6:19 am
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I’m coming in late on this thread but I have the exact same issue with my ‘17 Elite thinline telecaster. I absolutely love this guitar but I can’t stand to play it! I have a dozen other guitars, hollow body, solid, wide range of pickups and four amps in my music room. With the exception of slight buzz (I do have dimmers which I know how to deal with) on my LP, all are dead silent.
I brought it back to GC and it doesn’t replicate. I eventually opened it all up and out shielding tape in and still makes the incessant buzz/hum. Brought it back to GC and it still doesn’t replicate at the store! But at home it still does. So I’m wondering how a pickup change affected the OP’s situation. I may have to go that route.


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