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Post subject: My first Fender (also first tele)
Posted: Sun Apr 13, 2014 6:12 am
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Yesterday I bought a brand new Standard Telecaster. It's not my first guitar but by no means am I exactly experienced either. I really love the way it feels and I like the sound but I started noticing a lot of static when I was strumming. It's not just limited to when I strum though, even if I hold my finger near the strings I can hear static. At first I thought it was my cable but I troubleshooted that out. And another thing... it only happens in between the pickups. Like if I move my finger above the strings back and forth between the pickups, I get static or crackling sounds in between the two and then it goes away. This is very annoying especially while playing and even more so because this is a brand new guitar.
Does anybody know what this could be? It doesn't seem normal, but is it? Or is it common? Or should I be taking this thing back to the store?
Thanks in advance!


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Post subject: Re: My first Fender (also first tele)
Posted: Sun Apr 13, 2014 6:50 am
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Static if we talk about same is external to your guitar . Check if too dry in your Home ,myour clothes, carpette on floor.

Try another amp, guitar câble, another room.......or it is not static ?


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Post subject: Re: My first Fender (also first tele)
Posted: Sun Apr 13, 2014 8:33 am
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That's likely not static electricity, but RF interference. Your body acts like a floating ground, and much like a theremin player produces sound by adjusting the distance to the theremin's antennae, you produce noise by adjusting the distance to the pickups, which acts like antennae.
If you touch the bridge, the noise will usually go away.

The problem can be solved in various ways. Most common is to shield the pickup cavities better, with shielding tape or paint, and make sure the neck pickup and bridge plate grounding wires are well soldered. If not, you'll get extra noise.

Then there's RF problems due to your electrical system. If you have a UPS, use it for your amp and pedals. You may also want to try something like a Hum-X. They work wonders.

But even with all this, the Telecaster is a single coil design, and will, by its nature, pick up RF interference / hum. If you really want silence, you may want to consider humbuckers instead of single coil.


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Post subject: Re: My first Fender (also first tele)
Posted: Sun Apr 13, 2014 1:56 pm
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arth1 ,

We must know first what we are talking about !! Static , hum , RF because single coil ????


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Post subject: Re: My first Fender (also first tele)
Posted: Mon Apr 14, 2014 9:28 pm
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I think I have a bit of both going on here. I realized that I had just taken the plastic cover off the pick guard and then plugged it in... and there was a lot of static as a result of that removal. That seems to have drained off now but I still get a lot of other noise depending on which direction I'm facing ... probably interference from the florescent lights in the basement. I was talking about it with a guy at work and he suggested a noise reducing pedal.
I'll look into all the solutions everyone has offered and see what works for me.
Thanks so much.


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Post subject: Re: My first Fender (also first tele)
Posted: Tue Apr 15, 2014 2:49 am
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So you panic without serious tests ? :x


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Post subject: Re: My first Fender (also first tele)
Posted: Tue Apr 15, 2014 6:09 am
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mike.bod wrote:
probably interference from the florescent lights in the basement. I was talking about it with a guy at work and he suggested a noise reducing pedal.

Quite likely, and no, a noise reducing pedal is not what I'd recommend. It cuts parts of the sound that you do want to keep.
Increased shielding and a ground hum eliminator wall wart (like a Hum-X) is what I would recommend.


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Post subject: Re: My first Fender (also first tele)
Posted: Tue Apr 15, 2014 7:31 am
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You want to shield the pick up cavity with copper tape.

Flouro lights will also exacerbate any hum you can get from coils.


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Post subject: Re: My first Fender (also first tele)
Posted: Tue Apr 15, 2014 7:28 pm
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Ok... I will look at shielding to start with. I'll look into a Hum-X after the next (or 2) payday.


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Post subject: Re: My first Fender (also first tele)
Posted: Sat Apr 26, 2014 3:45 pm
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Well we have one thing in common. The Telecaster. Congrats! Like yourself, I am new to this as well.

I do not have problems with a static or popping sound, however I donot like it when my amp is in my bedroom on the carpet. Sometimes I take it to the living room where we have hardwoods. You would think the sound would bounce off the floors, but it is quite the opposite.

Best of luck with the trouble shooting. Sorry I could not help. I hope for a great outcome for you though!


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Post subject: Re: My first Fender (also first tele)
Posted: Sat Apr 26, 2014 5:05 pm
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I was suffering from static causing electrical noise on the neck pickup of my Squier Classic Vibe Tele Custom.
I took the scratchplate off, and found that there was foil stuck to the back around the area where the neck pickup is, but nowhere else, and more importantly with no continuous ground connection.
The whole shebang was acting like an aerial for RFI and static.

My immediate fix was to remove the foil from the scratchplate, and I no longer have the static issues.
Longer term I will properly shield the cavities and scratchplate and ensure that there's proper continuity down to ground between the two.

_________________
Chris


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