Bad electronics or wood?

[Larrikin666]

I picked up an ESP STEF B7 about a month ago, but I didn't really mess with it much at first. I no longer practice with an amp or anything at home, so it took a few weeks for me to decide to bring it to practice instead of my JPX-7. This is my first experience with an alder body, and it has been years since I played anything with EMGs.

I seem to be getting a lot of background noise from the guitar. My Axe-FX II is dead silent and clear when I use my XPT750 or JPX-7 with it, but I hear a ton of extra sound with the ESP. If I mute the strings with my left hand and flip the pickup switch, it rings out quite a bit. Similarly, any movement while I'm playing seems to resonate and get mixed in with my notes. How anyone else experienced an issue like this? I'm not crazy about the guitar, so I'm probably going to get rid of it soon, but I'd like to know what is the X factor to make sure I don't end up with the same issue down the road.

 

[MaxOfMetal]

Sounds like an electronics issue, or possibly the worst case of sympathetic resonance ever.

I don't know what it is about the SC/STEF series, but I've heard a lot of folks get some pretty dead/off guitars. Myself included.

 

[theo]

microphonic pickups perhaps?

 

[MaxOfMetal]

microphonic pickups perhaps?

I know in some wiring schemes that EMGs (assuming the STEF 7 has stock electronics) can be a little noisy, but microphonic? That's a first on me.

 

[theo]

I've very little experience with EMGs, but I did have an old dimarzio super distortion with near identical symptoms to this, repotted it in wax and it was dead quiet.

 

[Larrikin666]

I was going to replace the pickup selector anyways, so I might as well upgrade everything while I'm in there. Any pots and switches that you guys are particularly fond of?

 

[bonethug]

sounds like you have poor shielding, check inside the electronics cavity for black paint or copper tape before doing anything drastic.

 

[Oceans]

if it helps, I was told EMGs feedback like hell...

 

[Floppystrings]

Does it do it with both the neck pickup and middle pickup?

Did you turn the gain down for the EMG's a bit?

 

[Larrikin666]

sounds like you have poor shielding, check inside the electronics cavity for black paint or copper tape before doing anything drastic.

The shielding on the cover is one of the first things I checked for. I haven't been able to eyeball anything that looks off.

if it helps, I was told EMGs feedback like hell...

I've had way more issues with high output passives producing massive feedback. Also, this isn't normal feedback. It's more like a constant resonance.

Does it do it with both the neck pickup and middle pickup?

Did you turn the gain down for the EMG's a bit?

I thought about the gain issue at first too, but I can also hear it on my clean channel using either pickup.

 

[Floppystrings]

None of this sounds normal.

I dunno man, I would probably start by replacing the wiring, and then maybe the pickups. Bummer. I HAVE heard of EMG's that were bad, that is why I asked if it is both of the pickups, because if the problem is with both, then maybe it is wiring.

Maybe one of the pots is bad?, one is broken on my 5150 and if it is in the right spot it will squeal, it is the volume pot, so maybe your volume pot is messed up??

 

[Kurkkuviipale]

JPX - 7 actually has an alder body (with a mahogany toneblock). All bfrs do if my memory serves me right. So I wouldn't think it was the wood.

 

[Tranquilliser]

Sounds like an electronics issue, dude.
You can buy official EMG pots and switches off their site.