Wiring questions-AKA I may have messed something up

[Cagey]

If you've got any alligator clip leads, go short the pickups out and see if the buzz goes away. If so, that's where it's coming from. If not, clip onto ground and start touching things moving back from the pickup until the noise disappears. If it doesn't, then try clipping the ground to the bridge or springs. Somewhere along the line, you've got an open ground, or you've just got unusually high expectations of those single coil pickups, which are known to be sensitive and noisy.

 

[Danuda]

I will have to try that.  I suspect an open ground, otherwise the buzz would not disappear when I touch the bridge or the control knobs.  The hum is always there, but I expected that.

 

[Firebird211]

It's not the pot.  If you turn the tone knob down all of the way the buzz gets sent to ground with all of the high and mid guitar tone.  I would try what Cagey suggested.  I have another possible source of the problem for you.  If your tone knob can cut out the buzz then that must mean the frequency of the buzz must fall somewhere within that tone cut range.  Is there some kind of noise source that you are close too, when playing the guitar, like flourecent lights, electric heater, minifridge, or something of that nature?  Even harder to track, the noise could be coming through the AC, then you would need a power conditioner.

 

[AutoBat]

My old watch used to cause interference when the gain was turned up to 11.  I'm guessing most people don't wear their watches on the strumming hand.

 

[Danuda]

I went over the entire guitar and checked everything.  It turned out to be a slightly bad connection on the signal end.  I re-soldered the connection and the buzz dropped considerably.  It is still there, but it is more in line with what I hear from my other guitar.  I imagine the rest of it is from outside interference since my PRS makes the noise as well.  Thanks for the help everyone.

 

[Firebird211]

Wow, it doesn't take much to cause noise does it. :laughing7:  Good work.

 

[Danuda]

Yeah, I was surprised myself.  What was wierd is my digital meter really was not help at all.  It told me the connection was fine.  In the end I notticed it becuase the solder joint did not look nice and shiny.

 

[Cagey]

Wow, it doesn't take much to cause noise does it. :laughing7:  Good work.

The signals are very, very small in a guitar and the input impedance to guitar amps is pretty high, as is the gain. So, a small amount of resistance to the reference point (ground, or neutral) can have quite an impact on the sound, as it creates a voltage drop. A less-than-ideal solder joint can present that small amount of resistance, or more.

 

[Firebird211]

Wow, it doesn't take much to cause noise does it. :laughing7:  Good work.

The signals are very, very small in a guitar and the input impedance to guitar amps is pretty high, as is the gain. So, a small amount of resistance to the reference point (ground, or neutral) can have quite an impact on the sound, as it creates a voltage drop. A less-than-ideal solder joint can present that small amount of resistance, or more.

Yup, the signal to noise ratio is a mother.  I have strict quality control on myself for every connection to prevent that kind of problem.