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Post subject: Static...?
Posted: Sun Mar 29, 2009 8:55 pm
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Location: Texas, USA
I recently ran into an interesting issue with my 2008 American Standard Tele. While playing with the pickup selector switch in the neck position (or in the neck/bridge position) I would hear an intermittent crackling noise, not the typical 60Hz hum, but more like what you would hear with a loose ground. Since I only heard this noise when playing with the neck pickup I ruled out the bridge pickup as the culprit.

Being the adventurous type, I began to try and solve this pesky problem. So I removed the pickguard and tone/volume/switch panel to see what was up. There was nothing obvious that I could see, no broken solder joints or bits of solder rolling around, no loose wires.

After about and hour of tender poking and prodding I was about to reassemble everything when I noticed that as I moved my fingers across the surface of the pickguard I recreated the same crackling noise that I would hear while playing.

The only explanation I can offer for this is that since the pickguard is plastic, a static electric charge was forming on the surface as I moved my hand across it. This was creating the crackling that I was hearing.

My solution (rinky-dink though it may seem) was to attempt to shield the underside of the pickguard with a small piece of aluminum foil. The scary part of the story is that my trick worked and I no longer hear that aggravating crackle when playing with the neck pickup.

I have never heard of a pickguard causing this problem before, and so I thought I would share my experience. I'd be interested in hearing from anyone else that has encountered this problem, particularly if they have a better solution than my 2cents worth of foil taped to the underside of the pickguard. :)


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Posted: Sun Mar 29, 2009 8:57 pm
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That is an all to common problem. Another way to get rid of it is to put a bounce Dryer Sheet under the pickguard.

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Post subject:
Posted: Wed Apr 22, 2009 12:40 pm
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I do the same thing to my guitars use aluminum foil with adhesive spray and unwanted noise is gone forever :)


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Post subject:
Posted: Wed Apr 22, 2009 3:34 pm
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Aluminum foil is nice, but a nice big sheet of copper, and a soldered wire connecting it to a hard ground is much, much better. I discovered this guy's product: http://www.monteallums.com/shielding_supplies.html

and it works great. Please note, I don't get anything at all from him and he probably has no clue who I am...other than a satisfied customer.


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Post subject:
Posted: Wed Apr 22, 2009 4:16 pm
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raeldridge wrote:
Aluminum foil is nice, but a nice big sheet of copper, and a soldered wire connecting it to a hard ground is much, much better. I discovered this guy's product: http://www.monteallums.com/shielding_supplies.html

and it works great. Please note, I don't get anything at all from him and he probably has no clue who I am...other than a satisfied customer.


NICE!


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