strat - crackling sounds

[fibredrive]

hi all;
anybody can help? just got a new strat (jap made). using on my roland cube 30 amp. i know nothin's wrong with my amp, cos i play a yamaha 912J thru it and a les paul thru it and no such probs.

on my strat however, whenever i switch the amp on, and leave the strings open, and just very lightly touch any strings, there's a horrid sharp crackling sound. but if i put my finger on any string (not fretting it, just putting my finger on it), and then i touch the other strings, there's no more crackling. this happens on both clean and distortion channels. on all pickup positions too.

so, whats wrong? my pickups? my cables, amp are definitely ok. am using planet waves gold plated cables and Monster instrument cables. this doesn't happen on my other guitars. would appreciate any help here. thks!

 

[ChanMin]

sounds like a grounding problem dude...

 

[fibredrive]

wah piangz. so must go and change my amp power plug? then warranty void lei...cos my amp plug is 2 pin...

 

[repulse87]

yah.. its probably not grounded properly, take your pickguard out and check for the ground wire, it should be wired to the back tremolo if i'm not wrong.

 

[fibredrive]

hmmm...i've never opened up my guitars before...any clue as to which is the ground wire? pardon my ignorance. thks. or any links to schematics i can follow?

 

[ChanMin]

just open up the strat back plate...if im not wrong should be soldered to sumthing.... this black wire?...correct me if im wrong...

worse case bring to guitar connection... let kelvin check it out lor....

should not be your amp.. as your other guitars sound fine... singlecoil pickups abit more leychey one... but the tone ... SHIOK man...

 

[Chang]

haha dude hooked to ur strat right. How's the holy grails man? Dying to sell them off? Lol.

Anyways ya wot ChanMin said was true. Strats are a bitch when it comes to noise. My fren's SRV has the same problem as u, crackles when u touch the string or cable, feedbacks like hell. Bring it down to a shop and let them check. They noe wot's best for ya

 

[fibredrive]

ok thanks guys. appreciate the advice. will birng down tomorrow then. hopefully can get it fixed tomorrow and its nothin major.
ley chei is right...
eh but, when i played it thru a twin verb before i bought, it sounded fine lei...no probs...so...why like dat now?

 

[Chang]

but dude u've gotta take note. The strat's jack is screwed up. Poke it too many times and it becomes "loose". Just like a gal. *snigger*

 

[ChanMin]

haha the stores always have this invisible force showering their products with protection one ma.... thats why bring home liaoz then start to show its glitches...

abit sad man i playing my strat alot...my prs hibernating in its case for quite awhile liaoz...

the holygrails abit too mellow and clean man... changed to dimarzios..sacrificed the cleans but i get great heavy lead/rythm tones...
my holygrail price like super low leh... basket nobody interested man ... i think i keep then use for next strat... mmmmm

 

[fibredrive]

yo chanmin - can u tell me again exactly what pups/position u using now for ur strat? me dun mind sacrificing the cleans for a heavier sound. my style anyways. thks.

and i understand SD came up with these boxed sets for their pups matching. seems pretty good too, any tips? thks.

 

[mikemann]

Amp change to 3pin plug should solve your problem. I never heard that changing a non compliant power plug could void your warranty.

2pin plugs are meant for country like US, the earth is at side of plug.

NOT COMPLIANT for Singapore power socket as we follow UK standard, remember we were once British colony, that's why we also right hand drive vehicles.

Nothing wrong wif your strat as single coil is more suseptable to noise as you need more gain on your amp to have same volume as humbuckers.

Regards,
Mike
Mikemann Music Studio

 

[fibredrive]

hi mike, thks for the advice. will go change tomorrow. hopefully it works. if not, then will bring the strat down for a look another time. keeping ze fingers crossed....
cheers.

 

[Chang]

fibredrive tell me if its a good job if u change the plug. Me using cube 30 too, playing a strat too. But i dun have such a serious problem as urs. Mine's just "Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm" all the way. Irritating if ur recording tho

 

[fibredrive]

hiya chang! changed the plug. works beautifully now! just go get the normal 3-pin plugs at any hardware store, bought mine for only $2.50 me thinks. wire it up and u're ready to go! now no more crackling, and in fact, no mroe hum too! enjoy!

 

[ChanMin]

im using dimarzios , virtual solo at the bridge , virtual vintage 54(b) middle , and heavy blues at the neck... dun really like the heavy blues ... got a very fusion tone to it...

super quiet. no problems handling distortion , holds its character very well even at hi gain applications. My cleans not as lush compared to the holygrails ... but the 54(b) in the middle really sounds DAMN clean and nice.... perfect for funk... one day if you got lessons with paul daniel , u try my strat la...i also wanna try your strat... jap strats rule...

(looks at chang) mex strats.... also ok lah...

 

[Chang]

k tts cool.
but u got it changed at a store or u diy?
i'm not very good with electrical stuff ya noe.
where ya live?. Probably u can change it for me? I'll pay u a small sum

 

[fibredrive]

chanmin - okie thks dude. appreciate the info. will consider. might go for a change in the neck and bridge. middle will try to maintain my vintage american pups and see how. maybe go for solo at the bridge, but might still get a yjm on neck. anyone with yjm on neck? any comments? thks.

chang - well its really quite simple. no worries. u know how to sheath cables? think its the only 'skill' u need. this period till end of the month i am quite busy. where u live? if nearby i can pop by soon. i live tanah merah. cheers.

 

[Chang]

HAHA. I live in jurong. U sure u wanna pop by? *wink* i seriously dun mind

 

[fibredrive]

erm....pop by only if u live nearby lah bro...under the circumstances ...nah. think if ur house got hard3ware store, they shld be able to do it for you for free or nominal fee if u buy from them. the D.I.Y chain of stores shld offer this svc...cheers