Comins GCS-1 BUZZ

[YooperMichigan]

Good Evening Everyone,
 

I have a Comins GCS-1 and a Fender Blues Junior (pictured). I record with it into an iMac, either direct through a Scarlet i88 or a Zoom R16 or with the amp & microphone Shure 57.

 

The guitar has a terrible buzz, (audio attached). It is not the amp as it is apparent when I run the guitar directly into the iMac as well.

 

I’ve tried all the usual suspects…it sounds like a 60 cycle ground loop… when I touch the strings, jack etc it is a little better … I know, I know this is “normal” but it isn’t, it can’t be…it’s a low drone beneath everything I record it’s terrible.  
 

I am running everything through the same house circuit…I even turned everything off in the house via the breaker panel except the guitar and amp, still BUZZ.

 

I am using a surge protector with RMI filtering.

 

I tried a HumX eliminator…it only made it worse!

 

It’s a semi hollow so shielding is out.

 

I recently had the guitar rewired, it was there before and still is.  Guitar tech says it’s normal but it just can’t be…it’s a terrible noise.

Please help, I play mostly clean, so it is very noticeable in recordings.

Thank you!

 

 

[Caevan O’Shite]

Welcome to the Guitar Forum, YooperMichigan. That's a hard one to diagnose from long distance! It IS normal to have SOME of that...

Have you ever plugged your guitar in at a different location altogether, at another place?  Does the level of buzzing 60 cycle hum vary as you move around the room?  Are the metal humbucker covers grounded?  Are there too many ground-connections within the guitar's circuit, creating 'ground loops' that can actually make 60 cycle hum even worse?  Have you checked all AC outlets with a simple Outlet Tester?

[YooperMichigan]

Thank you for your response. I understand it’s difficult to diagnose.

 

I have tested the outlets, appropriately grounded.

 

I had the wiring reworked by a local shop with a good reputation, can’t say much more for the internal but the tech says it’s good and the buzz is normal.

 

I haven’t tried the guitar at another location other than the guitar shop, seems to be the same…

 

im not sure about the covers being grounded, but I don’t think so.  I believe just a single ground off the bridge to the jack, pots and switches grounded to bridge if I remember the wiring diagram correctly.

 

Thanks Again!

[Larryz]

@YooperMichigan,  Testing house outlets, using hum elimination, surge protection and filters, etc. along with testing your guitar at other locations, and having a tech look at it, is all a great thing to do, especially since you had the whole guitar rewired.  It may still be the guitar, amp or guitar cord.  Narrow it down by just using these 3 pieces of equipment to be sure.  No pedals, mics, filters, other equipment, etc. You are probably right that it's in the guitar but bring a different guitar with humbuckers to your home and plug it in using the same outlet, amp and cord.  If the buzz goes away, then you know it's the guitar and not the cord or amp. If both guitars are humming, try a different or new guitar cord. If both guitars are still humming, it's probably in the amp and then you can try a different amp. A guitar buddy can bring his/her guitar, amp and cord over to your house for comparison if you don't already have the extra equipment.  It's a good way to check your house circuit if his/her equipment does not hum using your power outlet.  Once you know it's not your cord, amp or house power, then you can concentrate on the guitar. It's just a thought...😎

 

 

 

 

[Scott Fraser]

I reduced an objectionable amount of hum in my rig just by replacing a George L cable with one I soldered up myself. 

[YooperMichigan]

Thank you Scott,  for the response… you mean you replaced the guitar cable?  I tried a few cables I have but no change.  I did order some balanced cables to try…I’m scrambling here so I’m trying anything.

[Caevan O’Shite]

8 hours ago, YooperMichigan said:

I did order some balanced cables to try…

Those are TRS (Tip Ring Sleeve, three conductors/three separated contacts on the plugs), right? I suspect that this won't work for you with your guitar, but I'd love to be wrong.

I'll tell you what would be very quiet and low-hum/low-noise, but it'd require replacing both pickups, and all four pots and the output-jack, and at no small price: a set of EMG pickups and electronics. I'd suggest a pair of EMG 85's (chrome covers would looks sharp with your axe), very PAF-voiced active (battery powered) alnico-magnet humbuckers. (The string-ground wire that connects to the tailpiece or bridge would be removed, too.) These sound and feel great! These would almost certainly noticeably reduce the hum and noise-floor.

[Winston Psmith]

Seems to me that completely rewiring a Guitar of that quality should be the last step, but that's just me . . .

 

Have to agree with @Caevan O’Shite regarding balanced cables. At best, you're not likely to get any improvement, at worst, you'll have spent money on cables that will be of no use at all.

 

Also have to agree that certain amount of noise is normal, even with HB's, and that having the noise level drop when you touch the jack or the strings, is also common. Try touching the bridge or tailpiece, you'll likely hear much the same result.

 

Failing everything else, I'd run the Guitar through a Parametric EQ, either into your Amp, or direct to the Mac, and see if I could identify and notch out the frequency band causing the noise. That's more of a diagnostic approach than a cure-all, but it's a start. Best of luck!

[Scott Fraser]

15 hours ago, YooperMichigan said:

Thank you Scott,  for the response… you mean you replaced the guitar cable?  I tried a few cables I have but no change.  I did order some balanced cables to try…I’m scrambling here so I’m trying anything.

Yes, I changed out the cable connecting my compressor to my rack preamp & cleaned up a bunch of hum. Clearly it was not shielding properly. Do not buy balanced cables. The benefit of a balanced circuit requires at least a balanced output & preferably going into a balanced input. A guitar is unbalanced, pedals are unbalanced, amps are unbalanced. It won't work, zero benefit in your case. 

As others have said, change one thing at a time to find the offending link in the chain. Are your humbuckers tapped or switched into single coil mode? Is the bridge ground wire  unconnected? Does another humbucker equipped guitar plugged into your rig sound as noisy? Does the noise go away when you roll down the guitar's volume control? Is the noise only half as loud when you swivel 90 degrees & face the wall to your right or left? Is there a computer monitor within a few feet of the guitar? Are there flourescent light fixtures (including CFLs) in the room? Is all your sound gear plugged into the same circuit? Are your electrical outlets grounded? Have you tried a ground lift plug on your sound gear?

[YooperMichigan]

Yeah, I don’t expect the cables to do anything but thought I’d try…I also ordered an audio isolator…ha ha, digging in the bin of ideas here.

 

it is the same reduction in noise (minimal) when I touch any grounded component, which I understand to be normal but the presence of the initial noise is just too loud.

 

I have actually used an EQ to isolate the noise, I forget the exact frequency (not home at the moment) but that’s a bandaid not a cure.

 

I love the new pickups idea!!  
 

Scott, yeah I hear you about the cables.  The pickups are tapped. I don’t believe the bridge ground is unconnected, if it was I think touching the bridge would have no effect on the sound. Turning the volume on the guitar down removes the noise, oddly enough with the volume all the way up the noise is reduced but not eliminated, moving the guitar has no effect, I tested with everything in the house off via the main panel, just left on one circuit, no change, so it’s not lights computer etc.

 

I tried a ground lift and humX eliminator, both made the sound WORSE!?

 

Thank you folks, you’re so generous with your time and advice!

[surfergirl]

Would a EHX Hum Debugger help? They are kind of expensive, at least to me. Good luck and welcome to the forum. I hope you get it cleared up.

Edit: I guess I should have read your last post. I see you already tried a humX eliminator, which I imagine is the same as the hum Debugger.

[YooperMichigan]

Thx Surfergirl…yeah the HumX and a ground lift made it worse? Strange.  I’m trying an audio isolator next, which is more expensive than the humX! Yikes! We shall see.