Static noise from pickups

Babones

I've got a weird static sound coming through on a new SG tribute (open coil 490s and PCB board) when I play chords. It doesn't happen straight away but eventually starts. I get it when I play in the middle position (clean, so that I can hear the issue) and it will go if I change pickup. However it returns again back in the middle position. Have a listen to the clip as this shows that. 

It's definitely the guitar, as my Tele doesn't do it. I've tried different amps and a different cable straight into said amps.

What do you think it might be? Faulty pickups or wiring? Some kind of static charge? I don't get any static from the pickgaurd but I do a get a bit from the control cavity cover. Enough to result in this though?

skunkwerx

Whats weird is on my LPJ, I can rub my hand over the body near the socket/jack and hear static! Had it on pickguards before but never just from touching the body itself! Its nitro coated as usual.. 

weird. 

ICBM

Could be dirt in the switch or the shitty jumper connectors on the PCB.

The PCB itself isn't the problem with these guitars, it's the connectors. I fixed one with random crackling and cutting-out noises perfectly by doing this...



If your guitar has the newer black plastic block pots, you need to connect the pickup grounds to the oval eyelets on the PCB instead of the pot casings.

Babones

So you mean maybe unplug, clean and replug the connecters? You'd think that it shouldn't be dirty, given it's new.

Here is my controls cavity. The input jack is not on the PCB.

http://i.imgur.com/Nezl7zk.jpg

ICBM

Babones said:

So you mean maybe unplug, clean and replug the connecters?

You could try that, but removing them altogether is best if you can solder.

Babones

ICBM said:

Babones said:

So you mean maybe unplug, clean and replug the connecters?

You could try that, but removing them altogether is best if you can solder.

As you can see mine has 5 wires rather than the two in your image. I could solder but I'd like to know if that's the real issue first if possible. Could the toggle switch be an issue perhaps?

Babones

I assume I'd only solder two wires (green to the pot and black to a lug?) and tape off the others?

ICBM

It's more complicated than that, because Gibson have decided to be a massive pain...



So on the bridge pickup you connect the red and black together and tape off, the bare wire and the green to ground, and the white to the volume pot terminal. On the neck pickup you connect the white and green together, the bare and black to ground, and the red to the pot terminal.

Also solder the bridge ground wire to the pot casing closest to it.

Babones

By volume pot terminal, you mean the back of the pot? By 'to ground' do you mean to the ground lead that you soldered to the nearest pot? Don't any go to the lugs?

ICBM

No, I mean the terminal... have a look at the pic above.

By the back of the pot I mean the back of the metal pot casing.

Ground is any available ground, the easiest are the pot casings.

Babones

Bare with me. I need to visualise it more clearly. ie how it needs to look. The above diagram seems how it's currently wired. Ok so:

Bridge:
Bare and green to back of a pot casing.
White to (which terminal/lug) on the bridge volume?

Neck:
Bare and black to back of a pot casing.
Red to (which terminal/lug) on the neck volume?

ICBM

Babones said:

Bare with me. I need to visualise it more clearly. ie how it needs to look. The above diagram seems how it's currently wired. Ok so:

Bridge:
Bare and green to back of a pot casing.
White to (which terminal/lug) on the bridge volume?

Neck:
Bare and black to back of a pot casing.
Red to (which terminal/lug) on the neck volume?

Both pickup hot wires (white or red) go to the input terminal of the pot, which is the one at the bottom in the diagram and in the photos, connected to the 22nF caps (brown discs in my pic, yellow blocks in yours).

Babones

So I cleaned the inside of the toggle switch with some cleaner and after 30-40mins I'm not getting the issue. I wonder if it was only the toggle switch contacts. Given that I got the issue in the middle position and when I nudged the switch (not even changed position) or changed position it went away, but then returned in the middle position again.