Jazzmaster pickup static problem

[copperheadroads]

I've recently installed a set my own Jazzmaster pickups in a VM Squier JM & I get this static buzz when the string or anything metal touches the pole pieces ,It's only on the neck pickup & mainly on the outer poles . I checked to make sure all things are grounded & check for shorts to magnets on the pickups & also I have foam installed under the pickups instead of foam ....I even tried the dryer sheet to reduce the static ....Any one have any ideals ?

[copperheadroads]

I'd like to add that (without strings on the guitar & plugged into an amp) ,touching the pole of the pickup will get a little buzzing going & i'm not even touching any other part of the guitar .

[David King]

It sounds like the ground for the metal parts is actually going to the hot lug of the output jack. Can you confirm continuity between the poles and the bridge?

[copperheadroads]

The problem has been resolved !
The pickup with the static/Ground problem which was the neck pickup ,well this set was rw/rp but on this pickup i didn't wind it the opposite way ,instead I wound it the same way & reversed the leads .so the start wire was the closest to the magnets which I used for my hot wire .when i reverse the leads with it wired start to ground the problem was resolved (no noise/Static & quiet ) So I wound another with the bobbin flipped & No More noise or static ......there you go a lesson learned on shortcuts for RW/RP.

[big_teee]

I ran into that same problem with strat pickups.
I used to wind them all the same and wire like you mentioned.
I changed to true RWRP.
T

[Jim Darr]

The problem has been resolved !
The pickup with the static/Ground problem which was the neck pickup ,well this set was rw/rp but on this pickup i didn't wind it the opposite way ,instead I wound it the same way & reversed the leads .so the start wire was the closest to the magnets which I used for my hot wire .when i reverse the leads with it wired start to ground the problem was resolved (no noise/Static & quiet ) So I wound another with the bobbin flipped & No More noise or static ......there you go a lesson learned on shortcuts for RW/RP.

That can happen when the hot is closest to the magnets, if the magnets are not well insulated from the coil. Usually it is the two outside poles. The symptoms usually present themselves exactly as you have described. I've had this happen to me even when I thought the magnets were well insulated. Glad you fixed your problem

[rjb]

Dumb question:
Would grounding the poles have eliminated the buzz?
(Just how to ground the poles would be a separate topic...)

-rb

[David King]

If the inside winds were shorting to the magnets then grounding the poles would have shorted the pickup which would certainly of "taken care of" any noise problems including the signal.
Any conductive parts will act like an antenna for noise when in close proximity to the coils so it's always a good idea to ground the magnets/ poles, frame, cover etc. There are several ways to ground Fender style alnico magnets, probably the best way is by using a conductive foam block under the pickup that connects the magnets to the copper shielding tape inside the cavity. You can also use a copper foil strip with conductive adhesive across the bottom of the magnets but you need to maintain physical pressure to maintain that contact via foam rubber blocks or some other trick. I use nickel conductive paint on the bottom of the bottom flatwork and apply conductive tape over that. The nickel paint does seem to dull down the pickup a little which may be due to eddy currents but it may also be due to the magnetic property of the nickel.

Any EMI RFI place sells conductive foam, usually in the form of foam rubber with a fine woven metal mesh covering over it. I've only seen samples and imagine that the cost is quite high. You can get conductive foam cheap for storing sensitive ICs but it's not very conductive or supple.

[copperheadroads]

No continuity between poles & the coil or ground ,Poles are laquered & taped

[Mike Sulzer]

No continuity between poles & the coil or ground ,Poles are laquered & taped

Yes, the culprit is capacitive coupling between the poles and the windings closest to them. It is buzzy rather than hummy because the small capacitance is best able to transfer the higher harmonics of 60Hz, and the pickup is least able to shunt interference to ground in the range of its resonance, which is also in the higher part of the frequency band.