Buzz when rolling the volume off: do you experience this?

[slidincharlie]

When I turn the volume down in my '66 Starfire V I get a buzz. This happens in whichever setting between 1 and 8 in either volume pot, if that pup is engaged (it happens also in the central position with either volume pot).
I've been told that this is normal with the stock Starfire wiring, that is with the hot lead from the pup going to the center lug of the volume pot.

Do you guys experience the same problem?
I suppose this happens with all archtop Guilds, because all the models seem to share the same wiring scheme according to the Guild resource web page.
:?

--Carlo

 

[GuildAAPlayer]

I recently experienced the same electrical noise with the Volume turned down. Flipped the ground switch on my amplifier and it's quiet again at all volume levels. Hope that works for you.

 

[slidincharlie]

I recently experienced the same electrical noise with the Volume turned down. Flipped the ground switch on my amplifier and it's quiet again at all volume levels. Hope that works for you.

The ground switch does not have any effect on ground issues (e.g., buzz) in Italy, due to the different electric network. In fact amps for the Italian (European?) market come without a ground switch. Further, only Fender amps (and a few others brands maybe) have a ground switch...
Thanks for your advice anyway.

--Carlo

 

[slidincharlie]

Maybe it's the pickup (odd resistance reading)

I've found that the neck pickup has got something wrong: it reads 0.L (open?) on my DMM.
It sounds apparently normal (maybe brighter than expected, but not weak); could this apparent internal problem be the cause of the odd behaviour of tone pot describd above?

--Carlo

 

[capnjuan]

Hi Carlo:

It must be something else; if the pups reads 'open' - having infinite resistance - then it shouldn't work at all because of a continuity problem, that is, a broken wire.

Are the tone/vol pots clean? Are the 'arms' completely connected / not cracked? You can test this by connecting your DMM across the wiper (center arm) and ground, spin the pot, and watch the resistance vary. If it doesn't, then it might be the pot.

Is the contact arm at the input jack clean? Over the years, the contact arm will get a film of corrosion and lose their tension. They can get so weak that they don't make positive, firm contact. This is a common source of hum in tubes amps.

If you want to keep the original pups, then you'll have to eliminate all the other sources of problems. If you do that and still have a bad result, you might need to replace the pups or have them rewound. If you get lucky, you might fix the problem and keep the pups.

good luck!

 

[slidincharlie]

capnjuan:
thanks for your reply.
I must clarify a few things that are not still very clear maybe.

1) the neck pup does read open: I have probed it carefully both at the cable terminals (disconnected from the volume pot) and directly on the back of the pup. The pup does have sound, although I suspect that it is more trebly than expected; it is not weak anyway. Could there be only partial or little breakage in one or both coils?

2) The tone pots are brand new, while the volume pots are stock ('66 CTS): all read good on the meter while I turn the shaft.

3) If there was a contact issue at the jack it should cause a constant buzz, right? Instead I have a noticeable buzz only when I roll a volume pot off.

Sorry if the topic is getting confused: I am getting several threads running on this guitar's troubles.

Still troubleshooting...

--Carlo

 

[capnjuan]

Agree; bad jack would influence tone / vol for either pup equally.

If the jack is good and the pots are good and the wiring is good....then...

If one of the magnet windings is broken, it might behave that way. I am in a little over my head but, if it was me, I'd decide whether I wanted the guitar perfectly original or go out and get a replacement pup; if for no other reason you can put it in and see what happens.

If the problem goes away, you've found the source. If it doesn't go away, then there is something else wrong, find it, and keep the new pup as a spare.

 

[Darryl Hattenhauer]

Slippin' 'n' Slidin',

I'd be thankful for any buzz I could get.

 

[capnjuan]

Peepin' and a Hidin'...

No buzz in the desert? Must be hot out there by now; 100 deg daytime highs?

I'm making a point to look for Gs with maple fondleboards; will forward any leads, look to be pretty rare, no? Which models had these?

 

[Darryl Hattenhauer]

Capn Crunch,

Not 100 yet, but soon.

I think the only 25.5 inch scale Guildy pleasures with maple boards on bolt-on necks were detonators, flyers, and teles.

 

[capnjuan]

I'm on it!

 

[Darryl Hattenhauer]

On what? Something you got from Keith Richards?

 

[capnjuan]

Detonators, Flyers, and Teles...

I spend too much time looking for / at stuff anyway. Being that my GAS runs in a little different direction, as long as I'm checking, no harm in looking for something that somebody else is interested in.


Glad you're feeling better.