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Post new topic buzzzzzzzzzzzzz! MSA Sidekick
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Author Topic:  buzzzzzzzzzzzzz! MSA Sidekick
Bill Alexander


From:
Gowen, Michigan, and Homosassa Florida
Post  Posted 15 Nov 2018 2:36 am    
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Moved over here from wanted. MSA sidekick started a loud buzz. thought it was my amp. had the amp checked out. Still buzz. plugged my guitar into same amp, same chord, etc, Quiet. i have installed a rewound pickup, a new jack input all new wiring, new ground position,(tried several locations) still a loud buzz. Constant. knob settings do not change anything. I'm sure this will end up being something simple i am missing. just wish i could get it solved.
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Jerry Overstreet


From:
Louisville Ky
Post  Posted 15 Nov 2018 3:49 am    
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Hmmmm..., looks like you've addressed many of the potential causes.

I read your history on this issue on both threads, but I may have missed something, so forgive me if I repeat an issue that's already been covered. These are just some things you might look at if you haven't already. Not necessary to post answers to all the ?

First off, is your rewound pickup a single coil or a humbucker? Did you tape off any unused pickup wires? Do you feel the pickup is wired correctly? Input jack wiring as well?

I don't believe the Sidekick had a volume or tone control or any switches on board?

Is the hum exactly the same with the new pickup as with the original?

Does your guitar hum plugged straight in bypassing any volume pedals, fx pedals etc.?

Did you try orienting your guitar in another direction, position?

Is the hum like a constant buzz or does it come and go with volume increase/decrease?

Did this just begin all at once?
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Bill Alexander


From:
Gowen, Michigan, and Homosassa Florida
Post  Posted 15 Nov 2018 4:10 am     Buxx
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Single coil. Same buzz with both pickups. Does go up and down with volume knob. No other controls on the steel. One chord direct from amp to guitar
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Donny Hinson

 

From:
Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.
Post  Posted 15 Nov 2018 8:42 am    
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So, your guitar has a ground wire running from the jack to one of the changer-mounting screws? Make sure that wire is going to the ring of the jack, not the tip!

Also, try moving the guitar and amp to another room, and see if the amount of buzz changes.
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Tucker Jackson

 

From:
Portland, Oregon, USA
Post  Posted 15 Nov 2018 9:51 am    
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So if you replaced the pickup and it still buzzes...

and it's a single-coil pickup...

and if your regular guitar doesn't buzz...

That leaves two more things to check.

1) It could be environmental. If you have a neon light on the same circuit as your rig it can cause this.

If you have an old-school computer monitor or TV set (a CRT) near the rig it can cause this if they're turned on and the steel is anywhere nearby.

As suggested above, move to different location and circuit, or power off the TV or computer monitor. You want clean power which might mean taking the rig to a different venue entirely just to test it.

2) I doubt this is the problem, but we're grasping here: it could be pilot-error on the setting of the gain stage of the amp. A PSG pickup is FAR hotter than a 6-string. You are bypassing the typical volume pedal and going direct to the amp which makes the sensitivity issue much more likely.

If the amp has two a two-stage gain control setup -- two gain (volume) knobs, like, say a 'Pre Gain' and 'Post Gain' on a Nashville 400 -- it's possible the first stage is turned up too high. For example, if that gain knob was all the way up, it doesn't matter where the other knob was set, you would hear a lot of noise when plugging a PSG in directly. I assume you would have already tried a different amp if you had one, so make sure you have the gain stages set correctly. If there are two gains, and one is labeled Master, it's maybe OK for that one to be turned up, but make sure the first gain is not very high, at least for testing all this. And turn off any 'boost' if your amp has that. Also, try to the low impedance, Input 2, if your amp has that.

Food for thought.
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Bill Alexander


From:
Gowen, Michigan, and Homosassa Florida
Post  Posted 15 Nov 2018 4:00 pm     buzz
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i really appreciate all the help. going to be a couple days before i can try the suggestions, thanks everyone
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Michael Brebes

 

From:
Northridge CA
Post  Posted 15 Nov 2018 6:13 pm    
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Can you post some pictures of the wiring in the guitar? That might help eliminate that as a problem.
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Michael Brebes
Instrument/amp/ pickup repair
MSA D10 Classic/Rickenbacher B6/
Dickerson MOTS/Dobro D32 Hawaiian/
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Mesa Boogie Studio Pre/Hafler 3000
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Bill Alexander


From:
Gowen, Michigan, and Homosassa Florida
Post  Posted 27 Nov 2018 1:55 pm     Msa buzz
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OK here you go. I had a bad pup. Bought a replacement pup. Also bad. Replaced with another pup all quiet. Thanks to Dennis Brown for solving the bzzzzzzoi
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