little off topic. guitar pops?

[dave h.]

no, this isnt about stratocaster-shaped icy treats.

while playing with NO distortion, NO effects, NOT at high levels, sometimes i get these pops and crackling coming through my amp, and i have verified that it is when i touch or play my guitar a certain way. if im playing any sort of staccato, funky rhythm business, and slightly palm muting, every time i touch my pickguard or bridge, i hear a pop.

is this static? bad grounding? i read something about using a resistor and capacitor in parallel with the ground-to-bridge wire..?

this is more or less a strat-style guitar, so if anyone else has had this problem, please, let me know.

[Ge_Whiz]

Yeah, I've had this too, on a couple of strat copies. I decided it was probably static build-up on the scratchplate in hot or cold, dry weather. Got rid of the problem on one guitar by covering the whole of the back of the plate with screening foil.

[Hal]

whenever my old guitar teacher would get up to go get a CD or book or something, when he picked up his guitar, he got a shock (and the pop).  Thats normal - unground youself, walk on carpet, ground through the guitar.

However, if it happens durring normal playing, its not normal.  Check to make sure that your strings are properly grounded to your bridge, and your bridge to your line ground.  If not, the tapping could be comming from badly potted pickups.  Tap your pickups and around them, and see if thats the problem...

[Paul Marossy]

I had a Strat that had a single ply pickguard on it. Due to my technique, my hand would rub on the pickguard and build up a static charge which would be discharged occassionally when I touch the strings. I assume this was due to the static being built up to a certain point and then discharging. Anyhow, I tried shielding the entire back of the pickguard, but to no avail. I wanted a pearloid pickguard (3 ply + pearloid) for a while, so I bought one and put it there. No more popping noises.

This is kind of mysterious, but my theory is that the 3 layers of plastic somehow diffuses the static, at least to the point where it can't build up enough to cause the popping noises...

[dave h.]

A. i dont have carpet, and it isn't only when i pick it up or put it down.

B. the ground wire is fine.

C. i DO have a 3-ply pearloid pickguard.

the static seems like the only answer. if sheilding the pickguard doesnt work, what does?

[Hal]

the tapping could be comming from badly potted pickups.  Tap your pickups and around them, and see if thats the problem...

??

[Paul Marossy]

Hmmm... still does it with a 3-ply pickguard, huh? I have seen a lot of queries about static/popping noises lately on various forums. The only explanation that I can offer is that it's cold and dry in a lot of places right now, and in those conditions, static electricity thrives. I don't know that there is a solution to it, though, short of going to a metal pickguard.