Rockhorst Posted March 12, 2009 Report Share Posted March 12, 2009 I replaced the pots of the bridge pickup on an Epi LP with active EMG. When I finished and plugged in I noticed that it makes a buzzing noise, much like you'd expect on a single coil Strat. Only the bridge one does this, not the neck one. It disappears when I touch the metal pickup selector, wich makes sense I guess. I checked for continuity: all pots are connected to each other, and to the pickup selector, so it's all part of the ground circuit. Yet, the buzz would indicate a problem with the ground of the bridge pickup. Any ideas? Additionally, the cap that's connected for the tone circuit runs from the middle pin of the vol to the middle pin of the tone pot, on both pickups and originally. If I check it with the schematic by EMG though, it should be connected to the 'hot' first pin which carries the guitar signal. Intuition is saying that it wouldn't make a lot of difference. Correct? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wood is good Posted March 13, 2009 Report Share Posted March 13, 2009 Is there a ground wire to the bridge, (actual bridge, not pickup) This usually is the main cause. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rockhorst Posted March 13, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 13, 2009 (edited) Is there a ground wire to the bridge, (actual bridge, not pickup) This usually is the main cause. How would you wire it to the bridge on an Les Paul?!? Besides, the bridge pickup is buzzing, but the neck one isn't. Yet, they share a common ground if I read my multimeter correctly. EDIT: maybe I shouldn't say buzz, HUM seems to be the correct word. Edited March 13, 2009 by Rockhorst Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westhemann Posted March 13, 2009 Report Share Posted March 13, 2009 Yes..you have it grounded to the bridge and you should not..not on active pickups How would you wire it to the bridge on an Les Paul?!? Umm..it already was...from the factory...there is a wire running through a small hole in the control cavity to the t.o.m. or tailpiece insert...it is in the insert hole...you probably left it connected... Also..you are supposed to replace all of volume and tone pots with the ones emg supplies... Also...you should not have a passive in the neck and an active in the bridge... My guess is that you are doing almost everything you should not do in an active pickup install Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rockhorst Posted March 13, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 13, 2009 @westhemann: Sorry, maybe I should've been more specific, my bad. It's an Epi LP Zakk Wylde model. It came stock with EMGs. All I'm doing is replacing the pots. I have however found that little hole with a wire sticking out. So I should leave that unconnected, and it never was connected anyway. So I'm not changing any actual wiring or pickups, just inserting new pots. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rockhorst Posted March 13, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 13, 2009 Reading over EMGs instructions I think I've found it. I didn't solder the braid on the silver wire to the volume pot. I had mistaken this as a quick and dirty 'third hand' technique used for quick assembly. Let's see what happens. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westhemann Posted March 13, 2009 Report Share Posted March 13, 2009 The epi ZW model has EMG HZ pickups stock IIRC...they are passive,not active...and they should have a ground to the bridge... Actives do not ground to the bridge,they ground through the battery...passives ground to the bridge. Does your guitar have a 9 volt battery?If not,the pickups are not active. EMG HZ are not quiet pickups..they are in no way as good as the 81/85 active combo that the Gibson model comes with.But by your descriptin of the buzz you have it really sounds like a ground problem.If they are passives,grounding the bridge wire to the common ground on the back of your pot should do it... Also...I have no idea of your soldering skills...hopefully you know how to properly solder or you can create bad connections everywhere and have a very noisy guitar...if it works at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westhemann Posted March 13, 2009 Report Share Posted March 13, 2009 I didn't solder the braid on the silver wire to the volume pot. That is the ground on EMG pickups. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rockhorst Posted March 14, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 14, 2009 Thanks for the thoughts westhemann. Rest assured: all is now beautifully silent unless equilibrium is intentionally disrupted. It was the ground indeed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westhemann Posted March 14, 2009 Report Share Posted March 14, 2009 Thanks for the thoughts westhemann. Rest assured: all is now beautifully silent unless equilibrium is intentionally disrupted. It was the ground indeed. Awesome.Glad to hear it.I always love it when a new guy gets his first dose of EMG awesome hum free mayhem.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.