Anybody have a Magnum?

[Bradley Harper]

Hi all,

First of all, this only seems to happen when I disconnect everything from my chain, i.e just go straight from guitar to amp; no volume pedal even. But, do any other Magnum owners get poor-ground noise/ buzzing when they touch their neck (or selector switch even)?

It’s not a problem practically as I always use a volume pedal (as almost all of us do) and that gets rid of it. But I’ve been doing things on my guitar to improve grounding regardless. I’m wondering if it’s a design thing e.g the powder coated aluminium preventing proper grounding. Or alternatively whether it’s just my guitar/ pickups.


Any thoughts are welcome! I’m a complete novice when it comes to tech - I’m a ‘set-it-up-and-play guy’…

[Bradley Harper]

Also, I only really hear it when my amp is turned up to a relatively significant level

[Tom Sosbe]

I have a Magnum D-10 bought new never had a problem but sounds like you may have loose wire. Get out your screwdriver and tighten all the screws. Hope this helps.
Tom

[Jerry Overstreet]

When you go straight to the amp from the jack, the guitar is at full volume so you are going to hear some hum provided your guitar is equipped with a single coil pickup. Humbucker pickups will have none or at least very little.

If you are not experiencing hum with everything hooked up and playing I would say that it's a non issue and not worth worrying about.

Again, if your guitar has single coil pickups, orientation of the guitar to the amp and circuits can effect hum and or noise.

[Richard Sinkler]

When you go straight to the amp from the jack, the guitar is at full volume so you are going to hear some hum provided your guitar is equipped with a single coil pickup. Humbucker pickups will have none or at least very little.

If you are not experiencing hum with everything hooked up and playing I would say that it's a non issue and not worth worrying about.

Again, if your guitar has single coil pickups, orientation of the guitar to the amp and circuits can effect hum and or noise.

Doesn't sound like a single coil hum issue. When he touches different parts of the guitar, the buzzing starts is how I read the OP. That does sound more like a ground problem.

But as Jerry said, and he is a smart man, if everything is OK when playing, rock on and enjoy yourself.

[Bradley Harper]

Hi guys,

Thanks for the thoughtful responses! I am using humbuckers so certainly not a single coil thing, the guitar is silent until I touch the neck (again, only going guitar directly to amp). When I put my volume pedal in the chain I assume that helps to ground everything (maybe?).

Indeed, it doesn’t cause any problem in reality. I’ve never not used my pot pedal, it’s more a thing of principle and something I’d want to know more about for if ever I move it on.

I was beginning to suspect it was a design thing and something related to the powder coating preventing proper grounding. If that was the case I’d try just filing bits off for better connection.

However if it doesn’t happen on any other magnums then I’m at a loss! The pickups themselves can be eliminated, I had them changed by an experienced tech and it still persisted.

[Jerry Overstreet]

I see. No, connecting the volume pedal doesn't help to ground the circuit. You probably notice it less because the volume is attenuated. The powder coating neither. The ground comes from attaching the pickup's grounds to the neg. terminal of the guitar's jack.

It does sound like you may have a ground issue if you are using 'buckers but it seems very benign.

The only suggestion I have forward would be to check the integrity of all the wiring grounds from the pickups, tone control if it has one, out to the guitar's phone jack.

Examine that too. An output jack can be or go bad.

Magnums are fine guitars by all accounts and I would not expect this issue to be unique to them. Generally, all things electrical and routing are the same for just about all pedal steels.

[Bobby D. Jones]

Take a piece of very fine grit sand paper/emery cloth , Roll into a cylinder that will fit snug in the guitar plugin jack and turn it a few revolutions. Some times over the years. Spills and dirt picked up on the cable connectors can cause grounding problems, In the female jacks of guitar and volume pedals.