Hi guys,
I´m new to this site and only mechanical and no electrical engineer, so my question is the following:
I´ve got a Ephiphone Les Paul Standard. When I turn up the tone controls of each humbucker I get a loud, high - frequent noise out of my amp. If I turn down my tone controls to the minimum the noise is not there anymore but the sound is terrible damped as you know.
Does anyone of you know how to fix this problem or can anyone give me a link?
Thanks beforehand!
From what you are describing, it sounds like a classic case of high pitched feedback from the amp. Are you sitting with the guitar in front of the amp? If so, the relationship of the amp to your guitar pickups are causing the feedback.
Turn/face another direction, move to the side of the amp, see if that helps.
Oh, and welcome to GN! :D
thx for advice :) , but I´m sure that´s not the reason for my problem because I´ve never had this problem before which means that this problem appeared suddenly (I ´ve been playing this guitar with this amp at the same place with the same distance and orientation between the amp and the guitar for years!). Furthermore I tried my other guitar with this amp in this place and everything was fine like every time. So the problem is surely the Les Paul and as I mentioned the problem appeared from one to the following day! The only help I could give is that I´ve transported this Les Paul quite often in the last months so I considered about having broken coils in the pickups because I´ve heard that Ephiphone Pickups are not that high in quality.
I think your problem is a broken ground or a shielding issue. Do you feel comfortable enough with electrical repairs to do the repair yourself (will probably involve soldering)? If the answer is no then take it into a local reputable guitar tech.
If you do feel comfortable in dealing with this then do this and report back to us on what you find. Open the covers on the control cavities and look for a loose wire. Are the cavities shielded - copper or aluminum foil or a flat black carbon paint? Is something touching them that shouldn't - i.e. a loose wire? Are both the wires on the jack properly connected?
Pop music is about stealing pocket money from children. - Ian Anderson
Schrosist, the first answers here will confirm so far that these forum members know what they are saying about the guitar, and to assist.
The first thing to think about is always feedback as mentioned, or microphonic squeal, and that is still possible if something came loose inside a pickup, but surely not in both? Due to your transport, it could be a bar magnet that came out of place, and that condemns the pickup, or at least one of them. Generally, Epiphone pickups have no wax inside to keep things tight, and nothing to eliminate air space where sound waves can get it and become re-amplified or microphonic.
However, if a winding or coil broke inside the pickup, you would get no sound, period. Just a little extra fact FYI there. :D
The common problem when these guitars lose their grounding is usually the wire in the body to the bridge or tailpiece. You can see where it's route begins inside the control cavity, may be able to tug on it a bit, but you can not see it or trace it from there. You could use a jumper with small alligator clips to bypass if it is evident as the possible problem. Technically, when you have that ground broken, you will get a hum, and the hum is amplified and can become the squeal.
Try what Hyperborea has said, and let us know, or take it to a reputable pro for a diagnosis or estimate.
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