Comments on: The Esquire Project Part II

By: Matt

Matt — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 02:29:07 +0000

Just to put this issue to rest: I checked the output jack wiring, and it is correct. I have the hot to hot and the ground to ground, so that’s not what’s causing the buzz. It’s just a buzzy hummy guitar. I’m pretty sure it’s the pickup. But, except for that hum, the pickup sounds good–quite hot. There must be way to tame it….

By: Matt

Matt — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 14:38:08 +0000

Thanks for the tip. I did think of that already, but I’m pretty sure I got it right. However, perhaps I’ll unsolder the wires, reverse, and see what happens.

I’m using the fender hot alnico 3 pickup, which I think is high gain enough that it’s going to buzz no matter what–especially when recording in front of a computer monitor.

By: dope scumbag

dope scumbag — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 09:18:18 +0000

Hope this isn’t insulting cuz it’s pretty base, for guitar electricals, but your buzz issue rings familiar. Maybe it’s this:
i recently made this mistake myself replacing the output on a johnson bass –
make sure you have ground going to ground and hot going to hot on the output.
i reversed it and had hella hum, this with no distortion gain at all.
Once i got past my I-would-never ego, i put it back right – all cured (other than a you-idiot feeling, which may dissipate esp. if i hear that one other person ever made the error).

[Anyone who knows the cheapness of johnsons' pickups may want to state that that is a source of buzz, but the originals are no longer on it.]

I’m enviously stamping foot like Rumplestiltskin cuz i wanna make an esquire too.

By: Matt

Matt — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 00:47:14 +0000

I’ll cock your wah cold.

By: Sir Pent

Sir Pent — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 00:05:43 +0000

I don’t have any capacitor jokes.

By: Matt

Matt — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 16:57:02 +0000

I actually gave up on ebay and ordered the cover from the guitar parts resource web site, along with some wire and copper tape–now we’ll see if I can’t finally get rid of that goddamned electrical hum!

For my next Esquire update: rewire the forward switch position. I have no idea how to do this, but apparently it’s possible to add a different capacitor and get a (Pent can now start with the jokes) “cocked wah” tone instead of the standard forward position tone, which is a very weak sound with the top end rolled off.

By: Matt

Matt — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 03:27:46 +0000

Uh, lost it. Well, it’ll come around again. Nothing is ever gone forever on ebay.

By: Matt

Matt — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 19:15:45 +0000

As a very minor update, I just bid on a bridge cover–seeing as how I’m so rich and can afford endless guitar equipment. But mostly because 1) I felt like it, and 2) the damned string height screws on the vintage saddle really dig into my hand when I do any sort of string muffling.

By: Matt

Matt — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 23:38:27 +0000

Yes, it is.

Your wife’s guitar looks nice, too.

By: Sir Pent

Sir Pent — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 22:59:07 +0000

I think he was talking about the acoustic guitar I bought for my wife, Matt.
Geez…it’s always all about you, isn’t it?