Just how noisy are your pick ups?

[Freedom777]

Hey everyone?

I bought a custom built 7 string and it has Dimarzio pickups. It plays great and tone is off the charts. But here's my problem, any amount of gain I add creates a crazy amount of hum even from my humbuckers. I've followed the schematics listed on Dimarzio's site using the fender 5 way switch (not the super switch) and it's wired "correctly"...but I can't seem to shake that nasty hum. The cord is new but still I tried another new one. No change.

I'm not plugged into an outlet shared by something with neon or flourecent lighting or anything electrical for that matter. So I went to the local music store and tested their amps and it's still humming badly. My RG321 doesn't hum at all and I've replaced the original pickups with Duncan Designed ones with more output.

Are these Dimarzios *that* moisy?

Any ideas?

Thanks for your replies.

[brothersnowgone]

Are the cavaties shielded?

[Freedom777]

...hmmm...nope, none are. I guess I should start there eh? Which is best?

[reguv760]

there's two ways:

cheap - aluminum foil + spraymount or glue stick

expensive - copper tape or shielding paint.

also... are all the ground connections in tact?

DiMarzio's are fairly quiet. However, IMHO feel that the hum is a result created by the design of the pickup itself. The X2N and Evo are actually quieter than a D-Activator bridge or a D-Sonic even though all 4 are high powered p/u's. Despite that, a quality noise suppressor is necessary if one uses a high-gain p/u through the lead channel of any loud amp with gain at 11.

Reg

[rty13ibz98]

you can also use hvac foil tape to shield. works like a charm and is pretty thick/cheap. i've used it on over 20 guitars. easier to find locally, too.

rich

[-Rhaab]

i sorta have the same problem as you, i got like hands that turn humbuckers into singles lol, like a wire a stock pickup out (i used that with the marshall mg gain at about 7-8 with no hum) and put in a tone zone and with the same setting it made as much hum as the middle single coil, so i put the stock back in exactly how it was before and now it makes a bit of hum, not like how it was before. Right now i have the tone zone in and it still makes hum, but if im at a certain angle it doesnt, and i made sure it was all grounded and shielded

[Freedom777]

Originally Posted by judasbane

there's two ways:

cheap - aluminum foil + spraymount or glue stick

expensive - copper tape or shielding paint.

also... are all the ground connections in tact?

DiMarzio's are fairly quiet. However, IMHO feel that the hum is a result created by the design of the pickup itself. The X2N and Evo are actually quieter than a D-Activator bridge or a D-Sonic even though all 4 are high powered p/u's. Despite that, a quality noise suppressor is necessary if one uses a high-gain p/u through the lead channel of any loud amp with gain at 11.

Reg

Yeah, all ground wires are soldered perfectly which is what surprised me...
Yesterday I went to the local music store to buy some things and brought the guitar along to try their amps and I plugged it into a Marshall 2x12 combo. It hummed so I compared it to one of their guitars and it hummed slightly less. I'm beginning to wonder if it's the amp. I have a Peavey Transtube Bandit 112. But at the same time, when I play my RG321 it's dead quiet. I have other guitars too and it's boiled down to the 7 string...

I'm going to Home Depot later so I'll check for the HVAC foil and the painted sheilding...see what happens from there.

Thanks for the help, I'll keep you all posted if there's something else I find.

[Freedom777]

Just an FYI, I bought the HVAC foil tape and applied it yesterday and IT WORKED !! The noise is 99% gone ! Thanks for your help everyone !

[rty13ibz98]

YAY!!! it's the little things we treasure.


rich

[Crazy_Guitar]

Just out of curiosity... are you 200% sure you don't have any ground loops on your rig?
That can be REALLY tricky!

EDIT:

Originally Posted by Freedom777

Just an FYI, I bought the HVAC foil tape and applied it yesterday and IT WORKED !! The noise is 99% gone ! Thanks for your help everyone !

Ok... update here!
Glad you have your problems sorted out. However, check that 1% for ground loops. It's worth the time spent!

[texshred777]

emg 85/81-not noisy at all. However, I'd trade some hum for a TZ/PAF anyday.

[mi2tom]

I've always felt that the dimarzio's are quieter than the duncans, but I think the most important thing is the effects, I used my zoom G9.2tt with no noise gate on and the gain nearly fully and it's fairly quiet and without the noisegate to cut off the sustain. Anyway when I plug into my friend's xt it just become noisy as hell. And when I set the noisegate it just doesn't have that sustain anymore.

[Freedom777]

Originally Posted by texshred777

emg 85/81-not noisy at all. However, I'd trade some hum for a TZ/PAF anyday.

Yeah, I'm not too into active pickups...I have a Schecter exotic that has EMG's (which I'm considering going back to stock and going active in my Saber), but I only did it for tonal versatility (recording purposes - great clean sound).

I think I killed the Schecter when I did the swap...

[Freedom777]

Originally Posted by mi2tom

I've always felt that the dimarzio's are quieter than the duncans, but I think the most important thing is the effects, I used my zoom G9.2tt with no noise gate on and the gain nearly fully and it's fairly quiet and without the noisegate to cut off the sustain. Anyway when I plug into my friend's xt it just become noisy as hell. And when I set the noisegate it just doesn't have that sustain anymore.

Personally I hate noisegates or anything that causes one to need a gate...

I really love playing dry with MAYBE a minimal touch of verb. Back in the day when I had my rack going, I had all effects in parallel to the preamp to minimize noise, even so I needed a gate on the return from the loop. To compensate for the loss, I had to go to just over 50% (in relation to my dry sound) on most of the effects to get past the choking of the gate.

The price you pay for tone...