Hi all, wondering if anybody is able to save my sanity (well, the bit of it that's left) as "noise" issues are causing me to rip my hair out and it's rather hampering my ability to enjoy playing.
It's a sort of static sounding hum that seems to not be there right away but sort of rises up to a point then stays there. At low gain it seems to not be too audible while playing but as soon as I stop or even just rests between note buzzz there it is again. This happens with an amp, with my Zoom g3 multi fx, and indeed my Amphones headphones thing I bought recently.
I feel like I've tried everything and I'm getting fed up at it. I've tried a cheap starter Strat, a Squier Tele (even had the pick ups upgraded to mini humbuckers to get rid of the problem, no luck), Ibanez Jet King, Yamaha Pacifica. The only one that it has not happened with is my Line 6 Variax, which unfortunately I've sold.
Amp wise I've had the problem with a no-name practice amp, Vox Lil Night Train, Wangs VT15, Blackstar HT5, Vox Pathfinder, Vox Valvetronix 100w head, Marshall MG15, Orange Micro Terror. I've had it with a Zoom g3, Amphones, and my old dodgy Pod x3 live.
I've tried it in a few different rooms and plug sockets. I've tried straight into the amp, through pedals (touching pedals makes it worse). I've tried through a anti-surge extension lead, with nothing else electrical on in the room. I've turned the wifi off. I've DI'd the guitar and used the line out to the amp. I've used the noise gates on the Zoom but they just mess about with the tone. Today I even bought a ferrite bead thing from Maplin and put it alternately on the guitar lead and the kettle lead. Sadly none of these have made the blindest bit of difference.
It also seems to happen when no guitar is plugged in (though I don't think I'm supposed to do this!)
Is there anything else I can do? Is it potentially me being a "static bearing superhero" as was suggested helpfully in Maplin? I do get a lot of static problems on escalator or metal staircase handrails, car doors, that kind of thing. But it does it when I'm not even touching anything.
I chipped my old cheap strat throwing it on the floor cos it's annoyed me so much =[ What can I do?
Comments
Seriously. If that was the only guitar that didn't do it the problem is most likely interference being picked up by the magnetic guitar pickups - the Variax works on a completely different technology.
Does it occur with the guitar volume turned down to zero? If no, it's definitely the guitar. Sometimes noise pickup can be reduced by shielding, but not always or completely.
The interference could be coming from a wide variety of sources, especially if you live in a block of flats - just turning off stuff in your own house might not fix it. Motors, transformers, computer and other power supplies, lights, dimmers, heating controllers, cordless phones, you name it...
"Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski
"Just because I don't care, doesn't mean I don't understand." - Homer Simpson
If it makes noise with no guitar cable at all, that sounds like it might be an overall earthing issue. The Variax might have suppressed it by being a low-impedance source - that can sometimes help.
"Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski
"Just because I don't care, doesn't mean I don't understand." - Homer Simpson
Have you tried your set-up in another house? If you do and it's okay, the problem is definitely caused by something in your house.
I know this sounds drastic! But since you have the battery amp... try turning the whole house off at the main switch and see if it stops. If it doesn't, it's something you have no control over. If it does, it's then going to become a process of elimination to find the source.
"Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski
"Just because I don't care, doesn't mean I don't understand." - Homer Simpson
would a DI fix it?
if its the guitar, how do i still get the noise with no guitar plugged in?
if its the electricity, why do i still get it on my battery headphone amp?
presumably the last two point to it being some kind of interference but I'm stupid so i don't know
if a DI works i presume I'd have to use xlr out, so thinking id have to get a multifx or preamp with xlr inputs and a power amp and chuck out my now useless amps?
Not necessarily.
"Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski
"Just because I don't care, doesn't mean I don't understand." - Homer Simpson
Hmm all of the above noted, thanks again. It is comforting to know it's probably not the mains, however knowing my luck I'm sure it will end up being something like that where I can do precisely nothing about it. It's a shame the DI wouldn't fix it but I suppose that's due to it being the Variax itself that stopped the problem, not the DI it was going through. I'll try turning around thing too thanks
Everything I've read, been told or heard about all the noise reducer's is that at the volume and gain levels I play at, it just messes with the tone and cuts off the held notes, I think actually I have tried the Boss one and like the Zoom it did get rid of the noise but also it got rid of my playing pretty well too haha
Is there anything I can do to the guitar (a Tele with humbuckers fitted) or a different guitar that might do the trick? I'm pretty settled with the Tele sound especially the neck pup, but could switch if I had to I suppose (though it'd be a big hit to take on the Tele £-wise)
"Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski
"Just because I don't care, doesn't mean I don't understand." - Homer Simpson
I can't get used to the noise I've had it since I started playing 8 or 9 years ago and cannot imagine a single application for that kind of buzzing. I could buy another Variax 300 or 500 or something but they look and play like absolute mingers. Obviously I'd love a James Tyler one but even if I sold everything I wouldn't raise that much money =[ oh well, thank you for your help, I think I know which way it's heading
using this one at present but it's no better or worse than any other:
http://www.guitarguitar.co.uk/cables_detail.asp?stock=04071412450528
I've tried a ferrite bead on it which was the only thing Maplin mentioned but it made no difference either
thank you all though for your kindly offered help
if i ever do decide to give up music though i will consider your drumming suggestion!
"Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski
"Just because I don't care, doesn't mean I don't understand." - Homer Simpson
the new Variax is still piezo, but also has proper pickups to use as a normal guitar i think. They said at the repair place today the minimum starting price for a transplant would be £220 for the work, depending on difficulty if the body donor, then I'd have to buy a donor body (£150 for a new Squier, maybe £200 for second hand Mex if lucky?), plus Variax donor, probably another £150 say, so its looking like £600 probably giving them a bit of leeway for labour. Hmm
or get a 500 or 700 model, but it would have to be local i think as i don't trust line 6 second hand at all, I'd need to get it somewhere i can take it back to if it doesn't work. Been burned with my last Variax and a pod x3 before like that
would have to sell my Tele though in this scenario, also sure what I'd do with the pups if i used it for a transplant. Purely from a money view, if i had to lose the Tele, id get nothing for it compared to the money ive spent on it as its only a squier
"Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski
"Just because I don't care, doesn't mean I don't understand." - Homer Simpson
keeping my thumb in the string all the time causes all kind of pain though, not sure I'd agree that the amount of noise i get is normal just because its less if i touch the strings. Touching strings interestingly didn't make that much difference if any on the headphone amp, only through the proper amp, which I thought odd. The buzzing through the headphones was painful to my ears and seemed as loud as the guitar tone when strummed it around the house.
Where sells blank bodies? I don't want to have to fanny about finishing one with paint and stuff. I'd use the Pacifica i picked up cheap but I'm not sure if i have a dud or not as it doesn't seem as good an instrument as id heard talk of!
if anybody wants a squier butterscotch Tele with upgraded pickups, you'll need to be able to catch as I'm about to throw mine out of the window