Mystery click

JohnPerry

Anyone had this? I get a consistent click through my amps, once every second and a bit. Nothing is faulty...it happens with all guitars, every amp and every cable I've tried. Disappears with the guitar volume down. I have an amp upstairs too and it does it with that also. 

I have shut power off to everything in the house bar my guitar room, and to all devices within it bar the amp. All phones are off. 

So the guitars must be picking up something from outside the house. It started in the last month or so. WiFi maybe? Power lines?

It's a pain in the arse, since I cannot record anything at the mo. It's not loud, but it's there. 

p90fool

Wristwatch? 

Chris_J

Heartbeat?

Maynehead

If all else fails, just play in time to the click.

JohnPerry

Don't have a watch. Nor a heart

guitars4you

might be one for @ICBM or @RiftAmps ;

Process of elimination required

 with nothing plugged into the amp then is all good or still a click - regardless of low or hi-vol and again regardless of clean or gain settings

Now above with just a lead and no guitar

first thought was a mobile phone interference but you state you've eliminated this option - Not sure if wifi can cause this - I've not known it, but wouldn't surprise me either and take into account your neighbours signal is still in your house/room

any dimmer switches in the house/room - but you appear to have eliminated this option

Have you tried amp/lead/guitar in a friends house - again just trying to eliminate options

sorry I have nothing positive to add

Jack_

The only mystery clicks I get are when someone buys guitars on eBay for me and they arrive at my door a few days later.

Still can't work out who's doing it.

sweepy

Is your phone in your pocket ? You can get some very odd interference from those pesky things 

JohnPerry

Lead and no guitar? Haven't tried that yet. Will do later. My suspicion though is that the guitar itself is picking up interference.

Definitely not a mobile! First thing I checked 

RandallFlagg

I get it sometimes with single coils if I get too close to the amp at home, I thinks it's interference from something else running in the house, washing machine, dishwasher, etc. Not had it last permanently so I guess yours may be something outside your house, or interference coming in through the mains? Isn't there something you can plug into to clean up your mains? I don't know much about these kind of things really.

Does it happen anywhere else, Have been able to take your amp outside the house and plug it in elsewhere?

guitars4you

sorry - posted twice in error

guitars4you

JohnPerry said:

Lead and no guitar? Haven't tried that yet. Will do later. My suspicion though is that the guitar itself is picking up interference.

Definitely not a mobile! First thing I checked 

both the guitar and cable on their own, or together, can act as an aerial - so just trying to eliminate the amp is okay with nothing plugged in - try the amp on its own with nothing else plugged in, but vol up and low and with gain on/off - hopefully this will eliminate the amp

sorry if it appears a silly question, but assume no tremelo, or similar, on the amp - or indeed no similar pedal as such connected

JohnPerry

Definitely not a pedal. Think the amp is silent with nowt plugged in. Will confirm when back home tomorrow. Thanks for the suggestions

guitars4you

JohnPerry said:

Definitely not a pedal. Think the amp is silent with nowt plugged in. Will confirm when back home tomorrow. Thanks for the suggestions

sorry forgot to ask - what amp is it - how old and is it valve - 

On a  valve amp , more so if older - the filter caps might be on the way out and can produce an oscillating 'motor boat' click but the likes of @icbm should be able to help better on this then I can

Paul_C

http://www.bugsweepinguk.co.uk/bug-detection-services/bug-sweep-services-throughout-the-uk 

JohnPerry

It's the same on multiple amps. Three old silverface Fenders, a Lazy J and a Jazz Chorus. The amps definitely aren't the problem.

m_c

Anybody with an electric fence nearby?

RandallFlagg

Could it be a sonic attack by the Cubans?

JohnPerry

Paul_C said:

http://www.bugsweepinguk.co.uk/bug-detection-services/bug-sweep-services-throughout-the-uk 

I thought of that. And it would certainly explain why all my riffs end up on hit records

RiftAmps

My soldering station emits a clicking noise that certain guitars pick up if I get too close to it.

JohnPerry

m_c said:

Anybody with an electric fence nearby?

now this is not a bad shout and I had the same thought only this morning. The fence is, however, a good 100 yards away (surely too far?!) and anyway seemed to be off when I inspected it (having left the amp ticking away).

Also, it's been there ten years and I only started noticing this noise about a month ago