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Thread: Question: Why do single coils hum?

  1. #1
    Forum Member Doc W's Avatar
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    Question: Why do single coils hum?

    Answer: Because they don't know the words (rim shot).

    We all know about humming single coils and how middle positions which combine pickups cancels that hum. But my Tele has a special hum, above and beyond that, that is only cancelled by touching some metal part of the guitar. It drives me nuts but there doesn't seem to be anything that can be done. The goofy part is that it only hums in church and in the room where I teach, both of which have great big fluorescent lights. My Strat does not hum in either place. Everywhere else is just fine. The repair guy I use (who is very good) says he could reduce it a little, but not by much.

    I guess some guitars just hum!
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    ZoneFiend photoweborama's Avatar
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    Re: Question: Why do single coils hum?

    Quote Originally Posted by Doc W View Post
    Answer: Because they don't know the words (rim shot).

    We all know about humming single coils and how middle positions which combine pickups cancels that hum. But my Tele has a special hum, above and beyond that, that is only cancelled by touching some metal part of the guitar. It drives me nuts but there doesn't seem to be anything that can be done. The goofy part is that it only hums in church and in the room where I teach, both of which have great big fluorescent lights. My Strat does not hum in either place. Everywhere else is just fine. The repair guy I use (who is very good) says he could reduce it a little, but not by much.

    I guess some guitars just hum!
    it's a grounding issue if you the hum stops when you touch parts. I also find that when I completely shield a guitar it kills that kind of hum also.
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    Forum Member chuckocaster's Avatar
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    Re: Question: Why do single coils hum?

    Make sure you don't have a ground loop going on. Some guys run extra ground wires on Teles, and they aren't really necessary. I'd look at that first.
    "don't worry, i'm a professional!"

  4. #4
    Forum Member Doc W's Avatar
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    Re: Question: Why do single coils hum?

    I did some basic empirical testing and now I am even more baffled. If anyone can figure this out, there might be a Nobel Prize awaiting.

    Remember, this is not the single coil hum which can be cancelled by the middle position on a Tele. This hum is present in all positions, but only in certain circumstances.

    First, the hum is there in the room where I teach, which also has huge fluorescent lights in the ceiling. There does not seem to be anything I can do about it.

    Second, it hums in church, but last week, I switched things around a little. When I plugged into the same power bar as the piano, which is what I usually do, it hummed. I tried using a second extension cord, just for my amp, and the hum disappeared. Great, I thought, and set up the rest of my gear. Then I plugged in my guitar and the hum was back! I only use one pedal - a Boss tuner - so I disconnected it and went straight into the amp. The hum was gone.

    Keep in mind that in the notorious practice room, I don't use the Boss tuner.

    I am mystified. Perhaps it is a curse for selling an old Strat when I was a teen.
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    Forum Member phantomman's Avatar
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    Re: Question: Why do single coils hum?

    The nature of the beast, Doc.

    And you can discuss, debate, pontificate, and theorize but -- as Walter Kronkite was wont to tell us -- "that's the way it is".

    Now you know why I'm so fond of DiMarzio's Virtual Vintage Noiseless......so I don't have to deal with this shit.

    Ever.

    "When injustice becomes law then rebellion becomes duty."

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    ZoneFiend photoweborama's Avatar
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    Re: Question: Why do single coils hum?

    What you need is an "I meant to do that" mentality.

    Embrace the hum. treat it like a feature. at a gig, turn you amp up and sick your ear near the speaker and yell out "Just listen to that sweet hum! Its so authentically vintage!".
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  7. #7
    Forum Member Doc W's Avatar
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    Re: Question: Why do single coils hum?

    Quote Originally Posted by photoweborama View Post
    What you need is an "I meant to do that" mentality.

    Embrace the hum. treat it like a feature. at a gig, turn you amp up and sick your ear near the speaker and yell out "Just listen to that sweet hum! Its so authentically vintage!".
    THis is a great idea! No doubt some will be convinced of the inherent hipness of owning a humming Tele! You might be on to something...
    "The beauty and profundity of God is more real than any mere calculation."

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    Forum Member chuckocaster's Avatar
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    Re: Question: Why do single coils hum?

    Again, are there any extra ground wires? As weird as it might sound, shielding and extra wires can induce hum. If it were me, I'd rewire the WHOLE guitar, seriously.
    "don't worry, i'm a professional!"

  9. #9
    Forum Member NTBluesGuitar's Avatar
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    Re: Question: Why do single coils hum?:

    The pickups are basically an antenna that is sensitive to the 60 and 120cycle electromagnetic frequencies floating around, and combined with an amplifier doing what it does best, you're re-broadcasting those radio frequencies. Your guitar and amp rig are virtually a radio at that point.

    Another factor is grounding scheme of your guitar (and amp). Where you may think you're going the extra mile in shielding and extra paths to ground, you could be causing a ground loop.

    I've even read that yet another factor is the amount of un-shielded wire in an average Stratocaster comes into play - about 5 feet of wire inside a guitar harness that potentially can pick up these signals and introduce it into the signal path.

    By touching part of your guitar, you become part of the antenna or ground depending on what you touch.

    With the proliferance of mobile devices, cellular and WiFi hot spots, the level of radio signals in any given place is exponentially greater than what it was 10 years ago. Everything is radio waves, baby! And radio waves are light waves.

    There's a whole science to antennas alone in the radio world...I'd love to hear an amateur radio guru's take on this. But I just have a lowly ham tech license.

    That's my pair of pennies!

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    Forum Member S. Cane's Avatar
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    Re: Question: Why do single coils hum?

    Good answers. Nothing to add.

  11. #11
    Forum Member phantomman's Avatar
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    Re: Question: Why do single coils hum?:

    Quote Originally Posted by NTBluesGuitar View Post
    With the proliferance of mobile devices, cellular and WiFi hot spots, the level of radio signals in any given place is exponentially greater than what it was 10 years ago. Everything is radio waves, baby! And radio waves are light waves.
    +1000

    And when they're not causing brain tumors in human beings and killing off entire hives of honeybees, those waves ply their nefarious trade upon electric guitars.
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  12. #12
    Forum Member Doc W's Avatar
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    Re: Question: Why do single coils hum?

    Thanks a lot for the info, guys. I did take the guitar to a good technician and I am assuming it is not caused by a wire out of place, but I will pursue it with him a little more. The weird thing is that my Strat does not hum nearlhy as much in the same situations as the Tele. It seems to be a bit random.
    "The beauty and profundity of God is more real than any mere calculation."

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