Quiet in the stand, BUT

**mandroid** · Jun-01-2005, 8:40pm

General Electric, Question hour :
When I pick it up, or hanging from the strap, but hands off, noo, but, the thing hums when I touch It , is something not grounded, like the bridge/and thus the strings.?

**bjc** · Jun-02-2005, 5:47am

What type of mando is it? My guitars with single coil pick-up will do that to some small extent and my mandobird hums when I touch the pickgard.

**billkilpatrick** · Jun-02-2005, 5:52am

"on - off" is all i really know about electrics but that doesn't sound good.

... could be the voices in your head are seeking another venue ...:laugh:

**Pedal Steel Mike** · Jun-02-2005, 8:44am

That definately sounds like some sort of grounding problem. I suggest you take the mandolin to a repair person.

I further suggest that while you're there, you replace the pickup. More often than not, the pickups are the weakest aspect of many electric instruments. The makers take great pains to make a really good instrument, then skimp on the electronics.

Since the pole pieces of most pickups are designed for guitar and won't line up with mandolin strings, Perhaps a "blade" humbucking type would be best. (Several companies make them.) I have a special mandolin stacked humbucker made be Seymour Duncan but this was a special order and is not a production model. I don't know if they still do that.

Rigel makes a solid body (special orders only) with an EMG "Select" pickup. I'm not familiar with that particular pickup, but EMG generally makes very good and very quiet pickups.

**johnsmusic** · Jun-02-2005, 10:01am

"Quiet in the stand, BUT, hums in my hands."... Michael Jackson???

**thistle3585** · Jun-02-2005, 11:29am

It could be a couple things, most likely a groundng issue. I would check the grounds on the individual pots then check the ground to the bridge. It could also be a shielding problem. You might look at lining the pickup and/or control cavity with copper shielding tape and run a ground to it. Some people will use coaxial cable to wire from the control cavity to the pickup because it is self shielding.
A humbucker might resolve the issue, but you may still have a grounding problem which can cause other problems.

I was told by a tech at EMG that the EMG Select pickups aren't made by them. The name is licensed to a pacific rim company.

**glauber** · Jun-02-2005, 11:35am

If all else fails, increase alcohol comsumption.

**mandroid** · Jun-02-2005, 12:56pm

This is a custom hi zoot seymour duncan 5 pole.
maybe its a signal to noise problem, need to get out where there is a bigger amplifier to use.
I did note wiring was treated as a profit center ,tinyest hookup wire Ive seen, ever.

lovely plumage , the norwegian blue, though..

**Lee** · Jun-02-2005, 5:57pm

Could also be a problem with the amp.
Don't play barefoot!

**Jonathan Reinhardt** · Jun-02-2005, 6:25pm

You should talk to SD about it. Probably correctable.

rasa

**mandroid** · Jun-03-2005, 1:15am

FWIW, the 'amp' at home is the yamaha DG stomp, to a sub mixer to some NHT studio monitors [ a universe of discontinued gear ,,,shortly after i got it , coincidence,,?