Guitar issue question?

Dirty Mosquito

Hey everyone I think I am having an issue with my guitar, maybe you guys can help. When I plug my guitar in my amp it sounds fine. When I plug it into my 4-track recorder at any channel it has a buzz or hum when idling. I thought maybe it was my effects processor and or my cable, but I tried different cables and plugged it directly into the 4-track and it still does this. When playing you don't notice it, but when I am waiting to play my solo on a particular part you can hear it, which I don't want transferred to my recordings. My 4-track has DBX noise reduction and doesn't make this buzz or hum with my microphone so I know it's not the 4-track itself, but rather something with my guitar. Does anyone have an idea of what it might be? Frets?, pickups?, Strings?, Truss-rod? It only started doing this maybe a month ago, and if it is my guitar, how come it is not doing this through the amp?

Pacomc79

do you play with single coils or humbuckers?

It sounds like classic 60 cycle hum to me.

Dirty Mosquito

Pacomc79 wrote:

do you play with single coils or humbuckers?

It sounds like classic 60 cycle hum to me.

I play a 2004 MIM Fender Stratocaster with single coils.

Pacomc79

Dirty Mosquito wrote:

I play a 2004 MIM Fender Stratocaster with single coils.

it's probably a ground loop my friend. you could try an eb tech ground loop eliminator (about 30 bucks) and or see if it cancels the hum in position 2 or 4.

Dirty Mosquito

Pacomc79 wrote:

it's probably a ground loop my friend. you could try an eb tech ground loop eliminator (about 30 bucks) and or see if it cancels the hum in position 2 or 4.

Cool thanks....forgive my ignorance, but what does a "ground loop" mean? Does that have to do with the guitar's wiring? I was planning on upgrading that anyway.

Pacomc79

Dirty Mosquito wrote:

Cool thanks....forgive my ignorance, but what does a "ground loop" mean? Does that have to do with the guitar's wiring? I was planning on upgrading that anyway.

it's electronic interference, generally from electrical devices like the TV or flourescent lighting. Ex should have some tips, this used to drive him up the walls.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mains_hum that should clear it up

exhausted

ground loop hum is a different issue.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ground_loop

the single coil hum is unavoidable as it is the nature of single coils.

ground loop hum is curable with the above mentioned isolator.

i only have ground loop problems when running stereo into two amps.

single coil hum was a major problem in my old basement and i could only solve it with noiseless pickups. my new basement has no such issues so i no longer worry about it.

Dirty Mosquito

Thanks guys for your help. Weird that this would happen all of a sudden.