EMG 57 Chrome Cover 60 cycle hum/Noise

[Daevasmodeus]

I recently got a B-stock 57 from the EMG reverb store that I swapped into a perfectly working 81/SA/SA set installed in a strat. For some reason it has really loud 60 cycle hum like a passive single coil. It is even slightly louder than an actual passive single coil in another strat I own.

I let EMG know this and they just sent me a replacement b stock chrome cover 57. They said the b-stock status is only for aesthetic reasons and there shouldn't be any functional issues. Now the replacement 57 is doing the same thing.

Because I have 2 in a row that do this I'm concerned I might just be doing something wrong, but I've re-checked my wiring several times with the solderless 5 way switch that came with my 81/SA/SA set. The 81 sounds fine, it's only these 2 chrome cover 57's that are noisy. Almost like the metal covers are not internally grounded. I even hooked all 3 pickups to a simple isolated stereo jack > 25k volume > EMG B245 pickup buss with nothing else in the signal and the 81 is quiet and the 57's are humming like a passive single coil. Touching different components doesn't eliminate the hum like a normal grounding issue though. All my single coil EMG's also all sound fine and silent run in any of my working or test wiring.

I've read some other people experienced this issue with the 57 and it seems like they may have solved it by using a passive bridge ground wire. But that can't be right, and I assume I run the risk of electrocuting myself via that method. EMG is out of the office for the weekend so I was just curious if anyone here had encountered this issue and had any ideas.

 

[lewis]

I know they epoxy them all up entirely but is it worth wax potting it anyway just to possibly help even though it probably can't get in and penetrate ?

I don't know really. I've not had emgs do this but then I've not had the metal covered ones before.

 

[Daevasmodeus]

There's not really anywhere for wax to go. They just poured epoxy into the metal cover. It just doesn't make any sense that an emg is louder hum than a passive single coil.

 

[TonyFlyingSquirrel]

Sounds like a flip in polarity or a grounding out issue. Got pics of the wire job?

 

[Daevasmodeus]

Sounds like a flip in polarity or a grounding out issue. Got pics of the wire job?

You can just take my word for it that the wiring is solderless and identical to what you’re instructed to do in the 81/SA/SA set wiring PDF. I’ve disassembled and reassembled it multiple times.

Interesting you say flip in polarity because the 57’s wiring harness clip is on the opposite side of the pickup from an 81 or other traditional EMG pickups. I don’t know how I would correct for this though. I did try reversing the harness and that just produces no sound.

 

[groovemetal81]

Dude I cannot believe I have finally found a post about the EMG 57 and the 60 cycle hum. I ordered a brand new Sean Long Charvel and it was sent right back to the factory when I complained about the ungodly noise out of the 57. The neck pickup was fine, this is the first time I've ever had EMG noise everything I own has EMG 81/85 or fishman fluence modern or classic OC. The pickup was yellow and it helped make the guitar because the water slide on the headstock is yellow and guitar all black. Long story short they sent me a new guitar it was double triple checked had a luthier go through all the wiring on my dime. Same issue 60 cycle hum regardless of interface and ground lift switch, hum exterminator, I've been through all of it. Finally after all of the fighting and screwing around I pulled it and I put an 81 in the bridge no more issues. This is the only other thread I could find anything about it and I'm really here to post an issue I'm having with my 7-string when I came upon this. I think I saw an original article on the old gear space web page and it was very old and they had come to the conclusion that it was emf/RF induced feedback which sounds exactly like 60 hZ hum. Getting a larger open room helps and making sure you're not by a router or modem and there's no dimmer switches like ceiling fans on the circuit you're using. I was so set on beating this thing I ended up with a Furman power conditioner a Furman EMF surge protector all this crazy stuff that I shouldn't need. I was even powering my interface separately not through the computer!

My buddy took it home cleaned all the electronics (on the 2nd NEW guitar)fixed the zip tied wiring put in the Faraday type material to prevent noise, verified there was no paint on the grounding Jack or the bridge. And after all his efforts it didn't hum as bad over there. The 60hz hum was in the background but not too bad when I brought it back home it was still loud. Come to find out I play upstairs in my loft in a smaller space I went as far as killing the power to everything in my house and using different outlets and a power conditioner. I verified outlets with one of those little plug testers in the wall an I have ground. In a small compact area the hum gets louder along with some feedback if you're in a larger open area it isn't loud that pickup is prone to radio frequency interference or EMF. Once I killed all the power and moved into a bigger area I could make the noise subside but still you're probably a perfectionist and any bit of noise will piss you off as it does me! I was able to deal with it by going through a passive di box plus GL switch and then into my interface that would take out the 60 cycle hum. but the fact that I had two guitars and two pickups and they both did the same thing!? Hope this helps I'm on to find a threat about the emg-81-7 TW because it's a muddy sounding mess in my new Arctic White LTD M7 hardtail. I don't know what y'all's thoughts are but I think EMG is starting to slip in their quality all my problems have started in the last 8 months with EMG pickups and they're all brand new factory installed by the guitar company. I will be going with the fishman fluence modern open core alnico V in my 7 string now. I have all Jacksons an charvel's Plus One ESP. I've been playing 81/85 since 2001. I try to stay away from the saddler stuff and anytime you get a high-end South Korea build or even a high in Mexico build the wire gauges are way too thin and not shielded enough. I think after 23 years I might be a sliding over to the fishman side!

 

[groovemetal81]

I recently got a B-stock 57 from the EMG reverb store that I swapped into a perfectly working 81/SA/SA set installed in a strat. For some reason it has really loud 60 cycle hum like a passive single coil. It is even slightly louder than an actual passive single coil in another strat I own.

I let EMG know this and they just sent me a replacement b stock chrome cover 57. They said the b-stock status is only for aesthetic reasons and there shouldn't be any functional issues. Now the replacement 57 is doing the same thing.

Because I have 2 in a row that do this I'm concerned I might just be doing something wrong, but I've re-checked my wiring several times with the solderless 5 way switch that came with my 81/SA/SA set. The 81 sounds fine, it's only these 2 chrome cover 57's that are noisy. Almost like the metal covers are not internally grounded. I even hooked all 3 pickups to a simple isolated stereo jack > 25k volume > EMG B245 pickup buss with nothing else in the signal and the 81 is quiet and the 57's are humming like a passive single coil. Touching different components doesn't eliminate the hum like a normal grounding issue though. All my single coil EMG's also all sound fine and silent run in any of my working or test wiring.

I've read some other people experienced this issue with the 57 and it seems like they may have solved it by using a passive bridge ground wire. But that can't be right, and I assume I run the risk of electrocuting myself via that method. EMG is out of the office for the weekend so I was just curious if anyone here had encountered this issue and had any ideas.

Yeah I'm the one that just left this massive long message at the end of this thing I went through the same ordeal twice and on the second guitar my luthier went and did all new shielded wiring disconnected the neck pickup and I don't have a tone now I have a selector switch and a volume. I tried a new stereo Jack and the only other possibility would be that maybe or the guitar rounds I don't know what Bridget has but the painted bridge is keeping it from getting a perfect ground but you are correct I don't see how that ground wire is you could be the cause I think we read the same article or same post there

 

[Daevasmodeus]

Yeah I suppose I should have mentioned that I’m generally testing this in a small office with computers and studio monitors. However what tipped me off on it initially was plugging into the lead channel of a Mesa mark IV in my basement and it was incredibly squealy and microphonic sounding. Basically unusable without an extremely tight noise gate. My stock SSS passive strat is less noisy with a high gain tube amp. So while it is picking up 60 cycle it’s also much worse.

 

[groovemetal81]

If it's an old house you may have only 2 prongs and 2 wires or you have 3 prongs and 2 wires. Place the behringer DI passive 4100 between your axe and interface and flip ground switch?