hey guys, I bought an Ibanez arz200 , and I’m having some major feedback issues when I touch any pickups that are active. I mean I’ve already checked the ground wire post. The ground wire is or at least feels connected. The one that goes towards the bridge through the body all by itself. I mean it appears they didn’t run a wire off the Pu selector for each pot , instead it looks like they piggyback them. Could that be it? Could it be doing that because they piggybacked them? now, I have taken a wire and ran it from all the ground positions I can find and ran the wire to everything. I mean everything LOL. I even ran it out to the front off the bridge and it didn’t get rid of the problem. So I don’t know exactly what it would be. Any suggestions? Thanks in advance if so…
Im not sure that feedback has anything with grounding (I could be wrong). Grounding and shielding are for hum and buzz problems. Properly done (one common point star grounding, no ground loops) it helps to quieten and clean up unwanted noises a lot. It can be tricky sometimes.
Usefull infos:
http://www.singlecoil.com/docs/shielding_strat.pdf
http://guitarnuts2.proboards.com/thread/4452/star-grounding-quieting-beast-question
Hey thanks Groff! Hoping somebody would be able to help me LOL. So I think I get what you’re saying. Haven’t viewed the links you posted yet oh, been working. Plan to this evening though. But while I have time to talk right now, is what you’re saying that piggybacking is basically like creating that Loop you’re talkin about. Ground loops. Because looking at my own picture I see where the ground is just jumping from every pot to every switch everything LOL. I mean Ibanez doesn’t really wire their guitars like this right? Seriously?! Because I was told that this was a factory made and sent guitar. Not pre-owned in the slightest. Which I’m finding small discrepancies all about it and around it that are pointing to pre-owned or refurbished. Greatly saddens me. but I kind of get what you talkin about with the shielding. I forgot all about that. I watched a video on and I don’t know why it didn’t strike me. Can’t remember when I watched it is like two three weeks ago. I was trying to find the answer to the same problem. but I’m almost positive it’s what you’re saying it is or your hunch or hypothesis. Because it makes sense. I mean moving the wires around all I’m getting is home and Buzz just at different levels LOL thanks again man. I was planning on taking it back to the shop I got it from but these guys are shystie and I don’t think they’re going to let me order a new one in its Stead. I swear these guys keep breaking everything I got to where I have to come back at least if not every month once every other month. I mean they screwed up the nut on my Viper 10. I know cheap guitar that’s all I gots cheap guitars LOL. I’m a poor man LOL but I think if you can make it cheap guitar sing then it shouldn’t matter. Thanks again man!
No problem at all. The best thing you can do is to find original wiring schematic from Ibanez, then find LesPaul wiring (I’m not Gibson guy, but as I can recall, there are at least two different original wiring… vintage 50s and modern… something). Compare side by side to your current wiring and find out what’s wrong or different You will learn something and solve your problem. Forget those arrogant guys, you can DIY better.
Btw, humbucker PU in general are less prone to buzz, and LP style guitars aren’t first candidate to be extra shielded, therefore I think this wiring is first step you should check. Any daisy chain ground wiring even the smallest is potential problem. In a such loop you have mili parasitic current (voltage potential difference: higher to lower) that floats around, can’t get out of here and makes noises (50 Hz buzz).
The first link won’t help you directly. It’s a strat related, but it will help you to figure out how it works in general and what is all about. You can possibly find direct answer in the forum linked second, or just google for LP wiring diagrams.
I wish I could help you more. I hope Gibson brothers will chime in here.
Hey wanted to give you an update on that Ibanez arz. Finally got brave enough to mess with it. both pickups were wired backwards. And everything was grounded to everything. You were right about that. it was all one giant Loop. And only one of the pickups was actually grounded. I mean they were all still connected but only one of them truly grounded. put it all back together myself and now has pristine clear sound. Thanks again for your advice
Rock on !!!