[firstmiro]

Hi,

for the first time in my life I faced the situation when: all my hum buckers are damn noisy while single coils are just deadly quiet.

I temporarily moved to (will not name that huge country and same huge city). Everything here look so modern and sophistically well designed, I am starting to believe it's some problem with electricity.
I checked it (as far as I could) and it seems OK (there are even ground wires, and even the residual-current device is working (checked that also)).

So - my AT-1, Super Distortion and The Tone Zone (all bridge positions) are noisy like hell, while Area 67 and Injectors (on those guitars) are lovely silent.

Any idea, what can I do to kill that noise on my (otherwise, in other countries, etc.) normally very quiet humbuckers?

Do you know any devices I can use? Some current filters/conditioners, aluminium hat on my head, or metal shoes? The current supposed to be standard European (220V, 50Hz).

UPDATE:
I checked my guitars with iPhone interfaces (Line 6 Sonic Port and iRig), battery powered. Situation remains. Humbuckers are noisy as hell (even on clean models), while "single coils" remain dead quiet.

Means it is not the AC power, but "something in the air". On other hand - it's very old building, with lot of elements that work like Faraday's cage. Even the phones can barely get the signal inside. I switched off all lights, devices (even fridge).
Microphones are quiet, everything is quiet. Only humbuckers are noisy. Must be some KGB device that disallowed rock music in the city centre. LOL I am giving up.

Best,
Miro

[darkbluemurder]

Hi,

Unfortunately I don't have a solution to this problem, only some explanations.

1) The Area series pickups are quieter than full size humbuckers. They are almost dead silent under any circumstance. That - besides that they sound great, too (which of course is my subjective view) - is what makes them great.

2) With humbuckers, the noise cancellation between the two coils depends on how symmetrical the coils are wound. I think the Tone Zone has asymmetrical coils so it is probably a bit noisier than a regular humbucker. Also, the more power a pickup has, the more inherent noise there can be. All of the humbuckers have a lot more output than even the Injectors.

3) Some environments are conducive to noise - such as being close to a power station, an electric fence, the railway or other.  Not much that you can do in these circumstances but imagine how noisy a "real" single coil would be in that environment. I had major trouble with real single coils in two live environments where the lighting system induced a major hum. Since then I switched to noisecancelling pickups. I have heard of one case where hum was induced by a neon sign close to the stage. When the club owner turned it off the hum disappeared.

What could help - even if I do not have any practical experience insofar - is a power conditioner. I remember that in the 80s almost every major guitar player had a rack system, and almost always had a Fuhrman Power Conditioner in that rack - I guess it was for a reason.

Cheers Stephan

[firstmiro]

Thank for your reply, Stephan.

I was using my guitars in very different places and situations. Always humbuckers were very quiet.

Anyway thanks for the suggestion with power conditioner (you shall see my wife's face, as she suggested same solution "since the beginning was telling you"). Just ordered one. Quite expensive, but if that will do the trick - perfect.

Best,
Miro