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Post subject: 60 cycle hum between my ears
Posted: Sat Apr 24, 2010 10:30 am
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This probably does not qualify as a "new topic" as I have been reading everything I can find on the 60 cycle hum and find there is a lot out there. I have a '68 Tele on which I recently installed a set of Fender Texas Specials (not to address the hum but becasue the original bridge P/U was corroded and rusty). My home was built in the 1920's and still has the original knob and tube wiring - which I know is the issue. I had taken the guitar and amp to Guitar Center for testing and there it was delightfully quiet. I recently bought a Furman power conditioner which cut the noise in half; but since I play in a very small room, in a densely populated neighborhood, I only play my electrics using a headset for speakers so I will not bother anyone. I have only one electric outlet in the room, so I have to play very near the amp.

Questions:

1) Does the ancient wiring of the house trump all of the common fixes (i.e., shielding, positioning, noiseless pick-ups, dummy coils, etc.) so that nothing I can do will make a difference? I also have an arch top and a few acoustics with pick-ups and the problem is almost non-existant with those.

2) Does the fact that I exclusively use a head set for playing / listening change any dynamic, or approach to solving the problem. I can only take about 20 minutes of the hum in my head before I have to power off. Consequently I rarely play it.

I am concerned because I just ordered an American Delux Strat HSS, and am afraid I will not be able to play it more than 20 minutes a day.

I will appreciate any input / help from y'all


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Posted: Sat Apr 24, 2010 12:38 pm
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Knob and tube wiring? Remember in the Indiana Jones movies where he says, "this belongs in a museum!" ? It sounds like you are in a very single-coil pickup unfriendly environment.

Seriously though, if you're practicing with headphones, take a look at the little battery powered headset amps. For $39.95 or so you get enough volume to rattle the headphones, all for power of a 9V battery. And if every cable is shielded, no ground hum. you could even take yourself out to the porch or the roof.


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Posted: Sat Apr 24, 2010 8:40 pm
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I use a Vox AC 30 model Amplug and find it great for private listening even with cheap earbuds.Would it be possible that the fault is in your headphones?

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Posted: Sun Apr 25, 2010 8:28 am
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Thanks for these comments - helpful.

I will look at the battery powered headset amp. I wonder if I could also use it to play through my Ipod dock speakers - for my tiny outdoor gigs.

Also, Vox AC30 - although I do not know what it is; but I will Google it.

After posting yesterday, I went to my luthier / repair guy at GC. Said that shielding doesn't work and he would not do it for me. Suggested noiseless Fender Pickups - which they had in the case for ~$180 (I imagine I can get them cheaper).

Something I want to try before another set of new pickups is to add another circuit from the E Box directly to my room and putting a couple new wall outlets on that circuit. One thing I am uncertain of is - even with brand new wiring on a dedicated circuit, will the existing old funky wiring create a magneting field rendering the excersise futile for a hum fix? If and even so, I should do it anyway b'cause I need more power sources on another wall of the room.

If anyone is interested, I let you know how it turns out.


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Post subject: Re: 60 cycle hum between my ears
Posted: Sun Apr 25, 2010 9:27 am
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markbrisson wrote:
I only play my electrics using a headset for speakers so I will not bother anyone.



like mentioned above, check these out. they aren't too bad for headphone use and you can't beat the price.

http://www.voxamps.com/amplug/


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Posted: Sun Apr 25, 2010 9:42 am
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Wow, that could be huge - solving more than one problem. No more tangling myself up in the guitar cord, and the tightly coiled cord from the Sennheiser headset tugging the thing off my head - and easily portable.

I will try it. Thanks!


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Posted: Sun Apr 25, 2010 1:17 pm
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Consider that aside your houses wiring issues, it could be your headphones.

If your not getting the hum from your amp, but are headphones, then thats where the problem lies.

Was recording yesterday. My old 50's watkins amp that hums even with the volume on zero and nothing plugged into it, in my kitchen. Using a strat with 3 very vintage sounding pickups, even the middle pickup is stock polarity. Theres no shielding in any of my guitars, I hate the stuff. Plugged that watkins in at the studio, no hum. Plugged the guitar in, no hum. Them power conditioners are great tools.

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Posted: Sun Apr 25, 2010 1:30 pm
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The Amplug AC30 is a little amplifier that plugs directly into your guitar,it's not much bigger than a matchbox but sounds a lot like the Vox Ac 30 amps the Beatles used when you plug in your headphones.They come in several models besides the AC 30 model and go for around $50.You can check them out at www.voxamps.com I hope this provided you with enough info.

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Posted: Sun Apr 25, 2010 1:44 pm
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I am playing the AC30 right now. For $30 it was a perfect solution. I am using the same head set and it is QUIET!!!

Thanks guys. mucho appreciado


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Posted: Sun May 02, 2010 2:34 am
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First let me say I am glad you found a solution and can finally enjoy your guitar. Was just wondering though if you had any fluorescent lights in the house as they are big culprits in turning out the hum. I also found it strange that your luthier at GC said shielding does not work = which is not true as though non of my Fenders are shielded a lot of my friends have shielded there axes and it diminished the hum greatly. The odd thing is you said he refused to do it, I mean if you are paying him and that is his job working on guitars that is odd. I think he was more interested in just selling you different pups.


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Posted: Sun May 02, 2010 3:34 am
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Do you have ground in your house outlets ? That a must to have no hum.

If your house ( 1920) have not a new electic wiring you have no ground.

If you have an electric stove with an outlet, try your amp plug in it. This outlet must be grounded


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Posted: Sun May 02, 2010 9:19 am
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Thank you for your input. I guess I need to defend my luthier, whom I trust implicitly. I have used several over the years, but I have been with this guy for 5+. He has never sold me anything - he is independent from GC and only rents workshop space. I appreciate the fact that he will not let me spend money on a solution with only a 50% chance of success. He often doesn't charge me for looking at stuff. Said he would put a dummy pup in to cancel the hum. I want to do the electrical work on the house for other reason as well. If that doesn't fix the hum, I will go with the dummy pup. Meanwhile I can play to my heart's content with the Vox AC30 - since I almost exclusively play electrictly through headsets.

And, I am completely stoked about my new American Delux Strat. It is as quite as a Lexus.


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Posted: Sun May 02, 2010 9:34 am
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Slightly off-topic, but it does appear you're liking the VOX. I've been dithering about ordering a headphone amp and this one seems, well, ok.

It appears to me that it's set up physically more as a Strat style, then Tele, how is that working with it hanging off the jack?

Do you have a read on battery life yet? I would probably get NiMH rechargeables.

And of course, does it have a good sound? Not so concerned about volume level to vibrate the headphones off my ears as to reasonably fidelity.

I tend to agree with your guy. Shielding is good, but if you're in such a less than good environment, there's only some much you can do with single coils. There is a reason they call them "humbuckers".


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Posted: Sun May 02, 2010 11:11 am
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The Vox is the only one I have tried and at $30,, I felt I could not go wrong. The sound / tone is fine even at low volums. The gain, tone, and volume controls have wide ranges.

Accocrding to the manual Battery life: zinc carbon 7 hours
Alkaline 20 hrs

I don't even notice it on the Tele because it is hidden by the body of the guitar. There is eneough tension between the jack and the input so that it stays however it is positioned.

I would try it. You can always return within 30 days.


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Posted: Sun May 02, 2010 4:42 pm
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straycat113 wrote:
... . I also found it strange that your luthier at GC said shielding does not work = which is not true as though non of my Fenders are shielded a lot of my friends have shielded there axes and it diminished the hum greatly. The odd thing is you said he refused to do it, I mean if you are paying him and that is his job working on guitars that is odd. I think he was more interested in just selling you different pups.


he would not be the first luthier I've heard say that. Both of the guys I use were glad to do it for they've done it before, but recommended noiseless pickups instead. So, that's the route I took. Couldn't be happier. To each his own.


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