Rangemaster noise - my guitar or my pedal?

[alange5]

My rangemaster hums/buzzes. I built it negative ground with NPN germanium (hfe around 120, leakage less than 100ua, biased somewhere between 6-7v).

I own two strats, and with both guitars, I get a lot of buzz/hum (not normal treble boost hiss) in positions 1, 3, and 5. It's nice and quiet in positions 2 and 4.

I'm wondering if my single coils are the sole culprits, or if it's possible I have an issue in my pedal grounding. If it was indeed a pedal ground issue, would I still get noise with humbuckers and strat positions 2 and 4?

[a2music]

If it's quiet in the humbucking positions then what you're hearing is more than likely just the natural byproduct of single coils and a treble booster. When you turn yourself so that the pickups face north or south does the hum get quieter? I'm a strat/tele player and I have the same issues with the Rangemaster. It's a noisy pair but the good news is that drummer drowns it out.


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[alange5]

When you turn yourself so that the pickups face north or south does the hum get quieter?

yes, a bit.  Noise doesn't disappear, but it does change.

I don't have a truly isolated/regulated power supply, so I'm sure that contributes.  I've powered it with a 1spot and a Joyo DC Brick knockoff, and the Rangemaster is equally as noisy with both.  I also tried a battery measuring about 8v, and the noise was still there. 

In the humbucking positions, it really is dead quiet, with just a tiny bit of hiss.  So I can safely chalk it up to the single coils?

[GibsonGM]

When you turn yourself so that the pickups face north or south does the hum get quieter?

yes, a bit.  Noise doesn't disappear, but it does change.

I don't have a truly isolated/regulated power supply, so I'm sure that contributes.  I've powered it with a 1spot and a Joyo DC Brick knockoff, and the Rangemaster is equally as noisy with both.  I also tried a battery measuring about 8v, and the noise was still there. 

In the humbucking positions, it really is dead quiet, with just a tiny bit of hiss.  So I can safely chalk it up to the single coils?

I'd say guitar, or cable.  POSSIBLY (but not likely) there is 'something wrong' at the jack or something...but SC's are inherently noisy.  I leave such effects OFF until the drummer says "1, 2, 3, 4!" and then stomp them on      Or use a noise gate.

One thing I do with Teles and Strats is to completely shield them, under the pickguard, w/aluminum foil and spray adhesive.  Pickguard also.   This quiets them down A LOT, in my experience.   Not silent, tho, no!   More like less susceptible to bar light transformers, etc.