Bizarre Guitar Issue

Mixerboy

I have a guitar where if it's plugged into the interface and pc and running through an amp sim, and music is being played on a hifi in another room, the music from the other room comes through on the guitar tracks really noticeably, almost as if it were picking up a strong radio transmission (not in a microphonic way as if you play any sound directly into the pickup it's silent, so it's as if it's coming through the cabling), no other guitar does it, I'm presuming it's just some sort of a pickup wiring issue but it's really strange, I didn't think such a thing was even possible.

Any ideas?

AlanRatcliffe

Guitars and cables can pick up radio signals on occasion. Heavy duty screening helps as does a better instrument input on your amp/interface.

But unless your system is broadcasting RF, it's unlikely to be that. More likely something silly like a mic you've left plugged in. With high gain, can also be instrument and speaker cables lying together. Theoretically could also be dirty power...

So you'll have to try a few different things to narrow the source down. Different guitar, cable, laptop on battery, all but essential cables unconnected, etc.

Attila

Doesn't make sense. The music in the room next door is not RF. It's AF. Your guit is somehow mic ing the AF. You most prolly find mic ing everything not just the noise from next door. And it's being amplified as normal. Check for dry joints in that guitar

Xx
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Mixerboy

I already checked the obvious stuff plus plugged in a couple other guitars which didn't do it so I'm thinking it's just some pickup wiring issues on this one (which has been screwed with a couple times already trying different things). Just going to wire it straight out to jack I think.

lapdawg

I am not sure I fully understand this is it only the music from the next room coming though? If you make any other non-electronic sound does that come through in the recording?

Othewise as a longshot - Has your PC got a built in microphone? You might double-check your sound config on the PC.

Mixerboy

It's definitely "bizarre" hence the thread title, it's most definitely not something "dumb" either, I doubled checked all the obvious stuff as well as plugged in a couple other guitars (which don't do it, if it was a common issue they all would have done it), so pretty much just one guitar which has some funky wiring already is picking up the music played in the next room, if you wind the volume knob off the music disappears, if you gradually wind it up the music comes in stronger and stronger.

It's a strange one for sure, I'll check around on the internet more to see if we shouldn't start looking into paranormal investigators or psychics just yet.

Wildaker

If the pickup isn't "classically" microphonic (i.e. shouting into it doesn't generate sound) then I reckon it must be picking up RF—which means the music machine in the next room must be generating some RF (which isn't that uncommon).

Most likely culprit, therefore, is bad shielding somewhere inside the guitar (if all other variables are removed). Something that should be earthed probably isn't (or it's not connected to all the other earths—if you've been fiddling around with the wiring it's surprisingly common to end up with two separate "earth" circuits, only one of which is actually grounded).

Mixerboy

Is there any reason why the hi-fi in the other wood would/could be broadcasting?

Wildaker

Mixerboy wrote: Is there any reason why the hi-fi in the other wood would/could be broadcasting?

Faulty (or absent) EMI filtering is the most obvious answer, but it could be a whole host of things, including the hi-fi's power cord acting as an aerial (which does happen in some circumstances). Lots of consumer electronics devices generate electro-magnetic interference, and there's a lot of different ways in which they can do so. And if it's at just the right frequency...

I'm not an expert in this field, but I do know that it happens, and it seems like the most logical explanation. Quick test: connect/jump one pickup's wires direct to hot and earth on the jack socket, plug in, and see if the problem has gone!

ezietsman

Is this possibly an acoustic guitar?