Les Paul crackling - Weird and baffling

Devil#20

mbe said:

You could switch to playing the piano accordion and that would solve the problem.

Or maybe bird spotting. Minimal start up costs too. 

Kittyfrisk

Devil#20 said:

mbe said:

You could switch to playing the piano accordion and that would solve the problem.

Or maybe bird spotting. Minimal start up costs too. 

You seen the price of a good pair of binoculars lately? Scarey...

clarkefan

Is this for real? Some people build up a charge and some don't?  Asking seriously, I've never heard of this problem before. 

Cranky

Did you try the guitar in these other places, like the shop or the tech's?  Or did you just take their word for it?

freebirduk

Took the guitar with my amp, cable and power cable round to my guitar tech. He played it. No problems. I played it. No problems.

Set the guitar up at home direct input into the amp. Left the guitar for an hour. Got my non-player friend to switch the amp on, pick the guitar up, set it on his knee and run his finger along the strings. No problems. He put it down. I picked it up and did the same. Crackle.

As per above I've since discovered that when I grab an earthed central heating radiator the problem disappears.

So, yes I appear to have an electric personality. But it's only recognised by Les Pauls, not Epis. And only at home.

Did I mention at the outset that I was baffled?

RaymondLin

Try putting a 4 way fused power distributor thing between the amp to the wall.  Add another fuse into it?

freebirduk

RaymondLin said:

Try putting a 4 way fused power distributor thing between the amp to the wall.  Add another fuse into it?

You mean like a 4-gang extension cable? The amp is already connected that way. I've tried going direct into the wall socket as well to no avail.Not sure what you mean by add another fuse. Do you mean replace the fuse?

RaymondLin

freebirduk said:

RaymondLin said:

Try putting a 4 way fused power distributor thing between the amp to the wall.  Add another fuse into it?

You mean like a 4-gang extension cable? The amp is already connected that way. I've tried going direct into the wall socket as well to no avail.Not sure what you mean by add another fuse. Do you mean replace the fuse?

Some of these 4 ways extension have some kind of conditioning, but it's more HiFi end of stuff...some call them snake oil, probably are...but if you have one, worth a try, if not....ignore me.

skunkwerx

Dude when I get time I’ll take my crackly Junior to my mums and see if it happens if she touches it. 

We could be the same you and I, I and you. 

I’m not sure what it will prove.. other than our brotherhood in static. 

But the upside is our band name is now sorted. 

idiotwindow

I might have to join the club (or band). My Junior crackled a couple of times earlier today. My theory about the pickguard protective wrapper being the culprit was obviously bollocks. 

normula1

My LP Special crackled like a b'stard till I put grounded copper tape under all the plastic surfaces including a tiny bit under the bridge P90 pickup cover

freebirduk

skunkwerx said:

Dude when I get time I’ll take my crackly Junior to my mums and see if it happens if she touches it. 

We could be the same you and I, I and you. 

I’m not sure what it will prove.. other than our brotherhood in static. 

But the upside is our band name is now sorted. 

No, no we should never meet, or the universe will explode.

freebirduk

normula1 said:

My LP Special crackled like a b'stard till I put grounded copper tape under all the plastic surfaces including a tiny bit under the bridge P90 pickup cover

If it comes to that (and it might) I assume you line the entire cavity, floor, sides and under the plastic 'lid'?

I still think that, at £2k a piece, this is perhaps something that made-in-the-US-of-A Gibson should perhaps have attended to. Yes, I'm sorry, I'll burn in hell for even suggesting it.

ICBM

RaymondLin said:

Try putting a 4 way fused power distributor thing between the amp to the wall.  Add another fuse into it?

Why would that make any difference?

The only way it would change anything would be if it doesn't have an earth connection... and then it would be potentially dangerous. (And illegal, if it was a commercially sold extension.)

RaymondLin

ICBM said:

RaymondLin said:

Try putting a 4 way fused power distributor thing between the amp to the wall.  Add another fuse into it?

Why would that make any difference?

The only way it would change anything would be if it doesn't have an earth connection... and then it would be potentially dangerous. (And illegal, if it was a commercially sold extension.)

Why would the OP or his friend make any difference? Unusual circumstances warrants unusual methods. It's not like it cost him anything as everyone has those. 

Are you suggesting trying one without earth? Because for sure hell i am not! 

ICBM

RaymondLin said:

Are you suggesting trying one without earth? Because for sure hell i am not! 

That's why I asked what would running it through an extra fuse achieve. The problem is caused by static discharge to earth via the guitar strings, cable, and amp, so the only way of stopping that is to disconnect the earth.

The fact that different people either do it or not with the same guitar is a big clue as to what's going on and that it's nothing to do with the house wiring anyway.

RaymondLin

ICBM said:

RaymondLin said:

Are you suggesting trying one without earth? Because for sure hell i am not! 

That's why I asked what would running it through an extra fuse achieve. The problem is caused by static discharge to earth via the guitar strings, cable, and amp, so the only way of stopping that is to disconnect the earth.

The fact that different people either do it or not with the same guitar is a big clue as to what's going on and that it's nothing to do with the house wiring anyway.

Its worth trying as it cost nothing. 

Chris_J

Do you have coated strings on? 

Running your finger along a coated wound string might explain the crackle if the coating was patchy?

ICBM

RaymondLin said:

Its worth trying as it cost nothing. 

Well, standing on your head while playing it is also worth trying, by that reasoning .

Although actually, that would eliminate the shoes as a potential cause... so maybe .

You need to solve this sort of problem by logic and not by just trying random stuff.

If different people both do it or don't do it with the same guitar and same amp plugged into the same socket then it's not an earthing issue, because it's either earthed for both or not earthed (if the cable is faulty) for both. If you want to check whether the cable has an earth fault you need to *replace* it with one you know is good, not add another one.

RaymondLin

ICBM said:

RaymondLin said:

Its worth trying as it cost nothing. 

Well, standing on your head while playing it is also worth trying, by that reasoning .

Although actually, that would eliminate the shoes as a potential cause... so maybe .

You need to solve this sort of problem by logic and not by just trying random stuff.

If different people both do it or don't do it with the same guitar and same amp plugged into the same socket then it's not an earthing issue, because it's either earthed for both or not earthed (if the cable is faulty) for both. If you want to check whether the cable has an earth fault you need to *replace* it with one you know is good, not add another one.

I was going to say stand on the head....lol