Any noise problems?

[Bro]

I know some of you guys in here have both single coil and humbucker guitars, do you with your single coils ever have any noise problems? I'm thinking a lot about buying a strat at some point, how big is this noise problem?

[SteveB]

JHX - Well if you've bought a decent guitar and amp, and you aren't imitating your guitar hero by standing next to your Marshall stack, you should get very little or no hum at all.

[Sprocket]

I know some of you guys in here have both single coil and humbucker guitars, do you with your single coils ever have any noise problems? I'm thinking a lot about buying a strat at some point, how big is this noise problem?

Single coils will almost always make some noise when in the 1,3 or 5 position. 2 and 4 are hum canceling like Humbuckers(by combining 2 single coils that are reverse wound and reverse polarity).

There are things you can do to reduce this 60 cycle hum/noise...like turning off nasty appliances near your guitar or amp, computers and TVs are pretty nasty, and so is some lighting. Also, as mentioned, dont sit too close to a tube amp either.
You could also shield the body and cavity better, I use cooper foil tape sold at StewMac(specifically)...but Im not totally convenced "star grounding" is necisarry, as I did that once and havent done it since(5 guitars later) and I still get remarkable resuslts from the additional shielding.

On my Robert Cray Strat Ive taken a hard stance(with myself) not to mod it in any way(as an exercise in restraint)...so its not shielded. I kinda like leaving the noise on some guitars...if that makes sense? Id totally forgotten about 60 cycle hum...until I got the MBR and could see it registering on the meter while the guitar was sitting idle.

But the reality of it all is: if your fingers are on the strings, or you are playing and sound is coming out of the amp then you wont hear it, ever.
Also, what I do with my Robert Cray thats not shielded...I sit in a swivel computer chair...if it starts to make noise while trying to record, I just turn a few degrees clockwise or counter clockwise til the noise is gone(and stay in that direction)...this is also fool-proof.

Here are a couple of the guitars Ive shielded...and it has improved each and every one of them.
My current partscaster:

MIM #2(sold it)

MIM #1(sold it)


BTW, noiseless pickups are also an option.

[Bro]

Wow a long well formulated answer, looks like the noise isn't that big a deal anyway! i have thought about noiseless pickups but i was just for single coil sound, and maybe noiseless pickups wouldn't give me that clairity. Thanks

[Sprocket]

Wow a long well formulated answer, looks like the noise isn't that big a deal anyway! i have thought about noiseless pickups but i was just for single coil sound, and maybe noiseless pickups wouldn't give me that clairity. Thanks

They do say that there is some loss with the noiseless...I wouldnt really know.
Ive got a Powerhouse Strat with a dummy coil to get rid of the 60 cycle, so its technically noiseless, but different.

[guitarron]

you can stand certain ways in relation to your amp until the noise is less-

also on a 5 way selector switch, the 2 and the 4 positions are hum cancelling

one of my strats has classic stack seymours that sound great and are hum cancelling as well-i get a lot compliments on the tone

 once the music starts no one hears the hum anyway

noise gates are an option as well-although i avoid them if i can

[Bro]

noise gates are an option as well-although i avoid them if i can

Why avoid noise gates?

[Greeny]

With heroes like Clapton and Hendrix, you NEED a Strat. Forget the noise - this is the guitar for you!!!!!! 

[Bro]

With heroes like Clapton and Hendrix, you NEED a Strat. Forget the noise - this is the guitar for you!!!!!! 

Guess your right. I'm just in a little economics crises for now 

[guitarron]

noise gates are an option as well-although i avoid them if i can

Why avoid noise gates?

I've got one -i rarely use it-the mxr i have tends to cut notes off in quieter passages-
there are better gates available