OK, Pickup Wizards, I Have An Issue......

Ramo said:
I have a pick up question.

When I do slow chug chug in percussive style, i get unwanted noise. I have to use noise gate to clamp down unwanted noise but problem is more I use noise gate more it sucks tone out of my guitar.
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All parts of the system create the noise and it adds together.
It's usually not from any one thing, but several things.

Single Coil PU? Will have a lot more noise buzz/hum.
Recommend shielding inside of guitar and using humbucking PUs. Recommend wire used inside guitar should all be shielded wire.
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Noise from the amp itself (test this with no guitar no effects plugged in)
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Noise from each effects pedal. Test each pedal one at a time by itself and locate the noisiest pedal.
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Noise from effects pedal power supplies. Can be significant.
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noise from cables. Test each cable one at a time and find the defect cables.

The trick is to go through it one part at a time, identify the worst individual sources of noise.
Eliminate or correct each part that is noisy.
 
eclecticsynergy said:
Brand new pots are unlikely to be the problem (though it's not impossible either).

Checking the jack for solid physical contact was good advice.

Like others, I suspect the push-in-&-screw-down connector. I'd solder all ground leads to the back of the volume pot (or to the bus wire that ties all three pots together, since there isn't much free space on the pot housing) and solder the jack hot lead directly to the center lug of the volume pot.

That should take care of it.
If it doesn't, the problem is most likely with the switch or pots and the whole shebang should be exchanged IMO.
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New pots can be a problem if the solder heat damaged the pot, the pot solder lugs are riveted and the rivets can come loose or become intermittent..sometimes the plastic cracks where the rivet solder lug attaches.
It's been an occasional problem...
 
Yep, there's a extra ground wire on the American Professional Strat's that was connected to the push pull pot they have, I incorporated that ground wire ( that was not needed in the new application and it was causing intermittent shorting out the pickups, disconnected it and everything was fine!!
 
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