Fixing Pickup Noise in Guitar Kits

You have just finished your first guitar kit, you plug it in in anticipation of that first power chord but what the?  It’s noisy – almost a humming noise? Relax, this is actually quite common, and lucky for you with foil or paint this noise can be reduced and even completely canceled out so you can continue without the interruptions.

Why is my guitar kit humming when I just want it to sing?

Because coils get their noise from the magnetic field around you, and not the coil itself, even professionally built guitars will make some pickup noise at times. Your guitar kit will have either single coil pickups, which are more likely to pick up a hum, or “humbucking” coils, aka dual coils. These are better for eliminating external noise factors because the two coils are specifically made to cancel out the noise as they work together. Hence the name ‘humbuckers’.

How do I free my guitar from the perils of pickup hum?

Nobody likes pickup hum!

To fix this problem you’ll need to become proficient at shielding, and when I say shielding I mean shielding your guitar cavity and maybe even some wires if need be. There are two basic approaches; copper foil and shielding paint. Both will help the problem, but you’ll need to weigh up the pros and cons before you start. If you just completed your own guitar kit, you are more than ready to handle this type of job and either method will serve you well.

The first option is copper shielding, which is sort of like copper tape. It is important to cover the entire cavity of your guitar, including the sides. The pieces covering the sides of the cavity need to be touching the copper tape that you’ve stuck on the bottom.

Though using paint is easier, it’s also messier. This can be trouble for you, especially if you’ve just finished the guitar kit; you don’t want to ruin the hard work you’ve put in up to this point. You can buy a pint of shielding paint for around $60 and, regardless of which method you’ve chosen to pursue, it is very important to get your hands on some painters tape and mask your guitar appropriately.

Stay cool and shield those hot wires

Depending on how much your sound is being affected, it’s a good idea to also shield your hot wires. If this is something you choose to do, keep in mind that you will need to make sure all your wires are grounded. Without doing this you can actually end up creating a great deal more noise, thereby canceling out the work you’ve done building the guitar kit and fixing that pesky humming noise in that first place.

Whichever method you choose, it is recommended to find detailed directions, there will be a future article outlining the techniques in the future but for now just be aware that you can avoid pick up noise and it isn’t that tricky. For the sake of not only your newly completed guitar kit, but yourself. Doing it right the first time will give you the best results so there is no interference for your next solo.

Got a better method to reduce pickup hum? Why not add a comment below and join the conversation.
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