My guitar is an antenna? / help with buzz

[synergyscott]

My guitar rig has always been noisy in my basement. I get a buzz around the 2k range. When I move around with my guitar, the noise changes in intensity.

I have tried a lot of potential solutions:

installed a dedicated 20A line with separate wall outlet
tried a Furman Power Factor Pro line conditioner
swapped out every variable I can think of (guitars, amps, all cables)
turned off all the electricity in the house except this outlet

It's not as noisy in other locations (my practice space). Any ideas for solving this buzzy beast?

[benjammin420]

it could be a bad/old wiring job in your house where its not grounded properly. ive had the similar sort of problem, and i noticed it was always in older house/ buildings. have you tested it in other rooms of your house? it could be just your basement.

i dont mean to sound patronizing buts I assume its not single coil hum

[johnny q]

To the original poster - I feel your pain and sadly I dont know what to do about this either!

My gear is set up in my basement. Some days, it's dead silent, and other days the buzzing and humming is so bad I need to power down and walk away from it. Like yourself, moving around the room and facing the guitar in different directions makes a dramatic difference. Even a boss or dunlop noise gate doesnt get rid of it, it makes me want to go 100% acoustic!

[synergyscott]

Thanks - yeah it is frustrating. I have thought about re-wiring the house ground to a "star ground" like the studios do. I think it is some kind of ground problem. More money... :(

I have tried a Gibson Les Paul, thinking my Strat "Stack" humbuckers weren't the real deal. No change.

I have also tried other rooms in the house. No change. Ugh.

[benjammin420]

...for what its worth, at least its not the gear

[Keyser Soze]

Since you turned off all of the other power sources and that didn't solve the problem then it probably is some non or poorly grounded water/sewer pipe or ventilation ducting acting as an antenna. It might even be some old disconnected electrical/telephone/intercomm wiring.

Or maybe you've been bugged - so what is your day job? Never mind, I don't want to know.:eek:

If your water/sewer lines are not properly grounded you also have the much greater problem of the possibility of someone being electrocuted.

[5er Driver]

You're playing in a basement, right? Any chance your lighting is Flourescent ?

[Keyser Soze]

Yeah, I though about that too, but he did say he turned off all other power in the house - except the outlet for his rig.

Fluorescent is bad, but halogen is even worse. Lord I hate coffeeshops with all that track lighting, single coil hell...

[fumbler]

Try this maybe?

Any electro-acoustic which uses piezos (also the line6 variax guitars) should be completely noiseless - piezos only pick-up mechanical vibrations. See if you can find one used or borrow one.

If it still hums it's the amp.

[synergyscott]

Hmmm.... anyone have experience with wiring a better grounding system? (sigh)