Tracking down a nasty static buzz in on board effect

[Muttstang]

So I'm working on installing a tube screamer circuit into a telecaster.  When I test the board assembly in an external box it works find, no extra noise and sounds great.  But in this guitar I'm having a heck of a time getting rid of this hiss.  I'm hoping someone has encountered and fixed something like this before.  I'm going to be doing some tests installing one component at a time until the hiss shows up or goes away next.  The hiss occurs with or without the pickups hooked up.  Volume and selector switch adjustments don't have much effect on it. 

I'm wondering if it is an issue with wire routing.  I'm using shielded wire for my input/output to the electronics but they are routed next to each other.  Maybe they need to be separated.  How often does a switchcraft jack go bad?  I'm about ready to swap the jack from my test box in there. 

Here's the sound test.  The 60Hz hum isn't bad when it is assembled and I have continuity between grounds on the shielding.  As far  as I can tell I have no ground loops but maybe I'm mistaken there.

[GibsonGM]

Hi Mutt, welcome.   

First of all, it sounds to me like all that's happening is you're picking up buzz from the lighting in your room there.  The guitar is not shielded, and will be susceptible to this.   The TS is amplifying the crap that's 'floating around' from lights, transformers and so on...they emit a field around themselves.    Very common when playing in bars.

Second, I'd just check around to make SURE the bridge ground is connected to ground >> cable  >> amp.   

Shielding the guitar with copper foil (or even "Reynold's wrap" - I tend to use this cheap stuff more and it works the same for me) would probably help this issue enormously.  Always has for me!  You remove everything, and paste the foil into the body cavities.  Back of the pickguard as well.  It all connects to ground; makes things much more quiet....

Hope that helps! 

[brianq]

U might wanna check all your solder work too? Have u went over your ground connections also? Is there a ground wire attached to the bridge? But I think gibson hit the nail on the head about shielding tho? Distortion circuits amplify the hell out of noise.

[Muttstang]

Everything is grounded, no loops, I re-did the wiring though and it has gone away, I was able to reproduce the sound by shorting my output to ground, so I think one of the shielded wires that I used on my effect input/output may have had a nicked inner wire and I was shorting signal to ground, or close to it.

forgive my poor playing

[thermionix]

How often does a switchcraft jack go bad?

We're still waiting for the first instance.

[stringsthings]

How often does a switchcraft jack go bad?

As stated, not very often. 

Good job in finding the problem.