Gibson ES-125 - Noise through P90

**pants** · 10-14-2016, 12:55 PM

Noticed an odd thing playing my ES 125 today... There was a slow pulsating surge of noise cresting and falling off in about 3 second cycles. I thought my amp might be getting some electrical strangeness, but it went away when I turned the volume down on the guitar, so I figured must be in the pickup. Then I noticed that the noise was in sync with the wash cycle on my washing machine, which is about 40 feet away with 2 walls between. When I faced the guitar toward where the machine is the noise was louder, when I angled perpendicular it got much quieter. I know single coils are more sensitive to ambient electronic noise, but this seemed kind of crazy to me.

**hotpepper01** · 10-14-2016, 01:02 PM

P90s are awesome sounding, really love them. But as soon as you get in the neighberhood of any large - and I mean real large - powersource they become unusable.
Not surprised you can hear the washing machine on the speaker.
So be sure to take a HB pickup spare guitar to a gig. Especially if the gig is next to a power station...

**Hammertone** · 10-14-2016, 05:03 PM

But think of the convenience - if you tour with them, you'll always have clean clothes. Or something for the crew to eat.

**Little Jay** · 10-14-2016, 06:39 PM

Haha, yeah, when I get close to my laptop with my ES-125 you wouldn't believe the crazy noise it picks up!

Verzonden vanaf mijn iPad met Tapatalk

**Herbie** · 10-15-2016, 01:14 AM

P90's and washing machine sounds like a great duo for modern jazz!

Lindy Fralin makes noiseless P90's, has anybody experiences with them? His P90's are loved widely so maybe the noiseless ones could be a solution.

**pingu** · 10-15-2016, 07:14 AM

Originally Posted by Herbie

P90's and washing machine sounds like a great duo for modern jazz!

Lindy Fralin makes noiseless P90's, has anybody experiences with them? His P90's are loved widely so maybe the noiseless ones could be a solution.

Are they a type of humbucker , ie two coils in there ?

**mad dog** · 10-15-2016, 07:39 AM

Not surprised to hear that noise story. Happens to me in the music room all the time. Not only P90s, any single coil is prone to that. I always figured it was as much the wiring in my house as anything else. And some appliances are worse than others (the dishwasher is pretty bad.) The worst noise I've heard in this regard is from dimmer switches.

My luthier buddy just loaned me a LP Special with Fralin noiseless P90s. He loves those p/us ... I'm not as enthusiastic. Not sure exactly why. There's something missing in the sound (aside from noise). Without having access to Lindy's regular P-90s in that guitar, I'll never know if I'm even reacting to the p/us themselves, versus the guitar. They're not bad, just a bit less of the hot kind of warmth I'm used to from good P-90s.
MD

**icr** · 10-15-2016, 08:02 AM

I use P100 in my ES-135 for that reason.

**vinlander** · 10-15-2016, 08:07 AM

Even the gorgeous sounding Biltoft HCC I have on my 2 Emperors are noisier than my humbucker equipped Gibson.
Dimmers and inductive (coils from motors, fans, compressors) do make things worst, as do older badly grounded household electricity circuit.
Its a trade off for a greater articulated and note defining pickup but an annoying one; there was a reason humbuckers were invented and it was not because of a lack of tone...
Playing single coil pickup guitars without much hum or buzz, sometimes require to find the sweet spot not much different than playing twister...

**Herbie** · 10-15-2016, 08:07 AM

Originally Posted by pingu

Are they a type of humbucker , ie two coils in there ?

Seems like yes. "Thicker and darker" – maybe something between P90 and humbucker?

Hum-Cancelling P90 - Lindy Fralin Pickups

**GNAPPI** · 10-15-2016, 08:41 AM

I don't know why they were so maligned but the P100's I have in my ES135 are totally noiseless... a bit bright but easily toned down with some EQ.

They are sometimes found used inexpensively.

**Herbie** · 10-16-2016, 11:41 AM

I too have wondered the bad reputation of p100s. Then I bought a ES135 with them. After it I totally understand why people don't like them! After p90s or humbuckers or any other guitar picku they sound bland, meh and other words for very low output pickups!

But here is a clip of Lindy's hum-cancellers. Do You think they sound like p90s? I am not sure what comes from pickup and what comes from guitar in the sound.

**Herbie** · 10-16-2016, 12:58 PM

This clip almost makes me wanting another tele...

**Marty Grass** · 10-16-2016, 02:56 PM

I'm a fan of Fralin P92s. They have split coils. They definitely sound single coil. People argue about whether they have that true P90 sound. My response is, "Which P90 sound? There are many." The P92s seem to fit in the family of sounds though.

I also really like the G&L Z coils for the same reasons: single coil sound and no hum.

Lastly, the Humdebugger is very effective in eliminating that P90 hum. I like how it works just fine.

**2bornot2bop** · 10-16-2016, 04:18 PM

If you were an audiophile you'd be plugging into a dedicated circuit you installed just for your gear so it's not being influenced by a 'fridge or anything else. We audiophiles think of such things. I've 4 20 amp circuits in my room exclusive to the rest of the house.

With so many electricians looking for work you can find a qualified individual on craigslist happy to do that job. I did. Food for thought?

**pants** · 10-16-2016, 05:15 PM

Originally Posted by 2bornot2bop

If you were an audiophile you'd be plugging into a dedicated circuit you installed just for your gear so it's not being influenced by a 'fridge or anything else. We audiophiles think of such things. I've 4 20 amp circuits in my room exclusive to the rest of the house.

With so many electricians looking for work you can find a qualified individual on craigslist happy to do that job. I did. Food for thought?

Washing machine is on a separate circuit... I'm not too fussed. I don't generally have issues with interference. Just was surprised just how sensitive this one instance was.

**rob taft** · 10-16-2016, 06:48 PM

I have a Kinman P90 noiseless in the bridge position in my Les Paul Deluxe. I have a Lollar mini hum in the neck. The Kinman is completely noise free. See demo from Mark Mitchell

**agentsmith** · 10-16-2016, 07:07 PM

Originally Posted by rob taft

I have a Kinman P90 noiseless in the bridge position in my Les Paul Deluxe. I have a Lollar mini hum in the neck. The Kinman is completely noise free. See demo from Mark Mitchell

unfortunately, the kinman doesn't really have the same sound or feel as the single coil version. The mojotone quiet-coil pickups seem to be the best noise cancelling pickups on the market but as far as I know, they are only making them in strat configurations. They said they were working on tele and P90 versions. I'd wait for one of those before jumping on any of the other noiseless solutions.