New Eastman Pagelli Electronics Buzz

**Woody Sound** · 08-08-2017, 09:22 AM

Originally Posted by 2bornot2bop

Is that Pagelli tailpiece solid wood, or like many other Eastman's a shadow wood over metal? The base of the Pagelli tailpiece that attaches to the rim is solid metal.

That's also what I am wondering. It appears that way, but it also looks like it uses a Sacconi of some type. The OP should chime in here.

New Eastman Pagelli Electronics Buzz-pagelli-2-jpg

New Eastman Pagelli Electronics Buzz-pagelli-2-jpg

**Duffy Pratt** · 08-08-2017, 04:24 PM

I took it to the tech today. Immediate inspection did not reveal the source of the problem, and the tech guy seemed puzzled by what he was hearing. They are going to take it apart tomorrow and see if there is anything obvious. I'm not feeling good about the whole thing.

The part that fixes the tailpeice to the jack is metal. I don't know if there is any other metal in the tailpiece, or if there is any way that the strings are grounded.

I guess I will have more news tomorrow. I'm hoping this is simple and that I don't have to return the thing. Not sure yet what my threshold is on that decision.

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**rob taft** · 08-08-2017, 04:32 PM

Another data point

Replace floating pickup :: 2009 Eastman Pagelli PG2 — Chubbuck Guitars :: making & repairing Guitars in a old building just north of Boston, Mass.

**furtom** · 08-08-2017, 04:38 PM

The Chinese are not known for excellence in their electronics, but there's no way they designed a guitar without a ground. Well, I guess there is a way for anything, but I'd be surprised.

In addition, I am lead to believe these things go through an inspection/setup in California before shipment to the dealers.

Even if connection to the strings is non-existent, I'm sure your guy can install a ground. Your threshold meaning how much you have to pay before you will give up and just return the thing? That's fair.

Any chance the seller will reimburse you for the repair?

**rob taft** · 08-08-2017, 04:45 PM

I believe that only in the past two years or less have their guitars gone through any kind of inspection in CA. I can personally vouch for the fact that a 2014 Eastman certainly didn't get a setup. And this was a NAMM guitar.

**furtom** · 08-08-2017, 05:19 PM

Originally Posted by rob taft

I believe that only in the past two years or less have their guitars gone through any kind of inspection in CA. I can personally vouch for the fact that a 2014 Eastman certainly didn't get a setup. And this was a NAMM guitar.

I believe you, but this is a new guitar, isn't it? I thought it was a pretty new model anyway.

**Duffy Pratt** · 08-08-2017, 05:24 PM

The guitar is used, but looks new. I got it on Reverb. Yes, the threshold I'm talking about is cost to fix vs. return. I have been in contact with the seller, but we haven't talked yet about reimbursement. It will depend to a large extent on the cost of the fix, and whether the problem has been there from the beginning or occurred in transit somehow.

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**rob taft** · 08-08-2017, 06:10 PM

Originally Posted by furtom

I believe you, but this is a new guitar, isn't it? I thought it was a pretty new model anyway.

PG2 has been around since at least 2010.

**furtom** · 08-08-2017, 06:21 PM

Originally Posted by Duffy Pratt

The guitar is used, but looks new. I got it on Reverb. Yes, the threshold I'm talking about is cost to fix vs. return. I have been in contact with the seller, but we haven't talked yet about reimbursement. It will depend to a large extent on the cost of the fix, and whether the problem has been there from the beginning or occurred in transit somehow.

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Originally Posted by rob taft

PG2 has been around since at least 2010.

Ahh, got it.

I wish you good luck, my friend.

**CamillusUSA** · 08-08-2017, 08:52 PM

someone has already correctly answered, but it sounds like the ground wire isn't secured completely.

Regarding the Eastman Pagelli - I love mine. It's sounds wonderful, is easy to play, sounds clear as a bell and appeals to my eye.

D

**CamillusUSA** · 08-08-2017, 08:52 PM

someone has already correctly answered, but it sounds like the ground wire isn't secured completely.<br><br>Regarding the Eastman Pagelli - I love mine. It's sounds wonderful, is easy to play, sounds clear as a bell and appeals to my eye.  <br><br>D

**Duffy Pratt** · 08-10-2017, 04:02 PM

Here is an update:

The tech took apart the pick guard assembly and could not find any problem with the ground wires, or find anything that was shorting out. He thought he might have to go in and disassemble the rear jack, but from the issue, he thought it unlikely that there was anything there. Instead he thought there was either something wrong with the pick-up or the guitar design.

I called Eastman. I explained to a service rep about the buzz, and what makes it better and worse. He said it sounded like a bum pickup. He offered to send me a new pick guard, electronics and pickup assembly! It's maple instead of ebony. I was dumbfounded. I made sure that he knew that I was not an original owner, and it didn't matter at all to him. Absolutely great customer service so far.

Assembly should arrive next week, and I will know soon after that whether I have solved the problem.

**rob taft** · 08-10-2017, 05:13 PM

From an after sale support side, Eastman in my experience has been very positive.

**2bornot2bop** · 08-10-2017, 06:03 PM

so install the new pickup and elec to your original Ebony guard and you're good to go! Congrats

**Cunamara** · 08-11-2017, 11:40 PM

Originally Posted by furtom

The Chinese are not known for excellence in their electronics

Ummm, every smartphone and tablet sold to the public in the past decade?

But *guitar* electronics? Those have been, shall we say, a work in progress in many cases.

**furtom** · 08-12-2017, 08:11 AM

Originally Posted by Cunamara

Ummm, every smartphone and tablet sold to the public in the past decade?

But *guitar* electronics? Those have been, shall we say, a work in progress in many cases.

LOL. Very true, and of course what I meant to say!

**Duffy Pratt** · 08-24-2017, 10:03 AM

Quick update. Eastman sent me a replacement pickguard assembly. It's flamed maple, not ebony, and is quite cool looking. I had installed, and the problem is gone. There is still a hum, but I think it's ordinary 60 cycle hum, and nowhere near as bad as it was. It goes away when I touch the pickup or tailpiece, so am I wrong. Is it that the strings are not part of the grounding, so that I am not making a connection to anything grounded?

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**CamillusUSA** · 08-24-2017, 10:26 AM

This doesn't seem right, there should be no hum if things are as they should be (agreed?).

Sounds dopey, but is there a 3 prong plug on the amp? If not, flip the plug 180. Is there a ground switch (I'm showing my age) on the amp?

**Woody Sound** · 08-24-2017, 10:33 AM

I don't think you ever answered about the tailpiece. Is it solid wood, or is there metal underneath?

**Duffy Pratt** · 08-24-2017, 11:26 AM

Tail piece is solid wood. Amp is just a Yamaha THR10c. It has three prong plug, no ground switch.

I am not sure what the answer is here. When they demo'd it for me at the shop, there was absolutely no hum, and that was at fairly loud volume. On my THR10c, there is a hum, but its not the same as it used to be. It now goes away when touching the pickup, instead of getting worse. And it does not go away anymore when I roll off the tone nob.

I'm not sure if the pickup is a single coil or hum bucker. The tech thinks its a single coil, and that may simply be the answer. Also, I have noticed on other guitars, properly grounded, that there is a hum when nothing touches the guitar, but when a person touches the strings or other metal on the guitar, the hum goes away. That's supposed to be correct behavior for grounding. Here, I think the same thing is happening, except the strings aren't part of the circuit, so nothing happens when you touch them.

I haven't decided yet whether this is a problem. I definitely think that I can live with the guitar as is. And if I decide it is a problem, then I will deal with it on my own. I'm otherwise happy with the guitar.

**JazzNote** · 08-24-2017, 12:15 PM

Originally Posted by Duffy Pratt

Tail piece is solid wood. Amp is just a Yamaha THR10c. It has three prong plug, no ground switch.

I am not sure what the answer is here. When they demo'd it for me at the shop, there was absolutely no hum, and that was at fairly loud volume. On my THR10c, there is a hum, but its not the same as it used to be. It now goes away when touching the pickup, instead of getting worse. And it does not go away anymore when I roll off the tone nob.

I'm not sure if the pickup is a single coil or hum bucker. The tech thinks its a single coil, and that may simply be the answer. Also, I have noticed on other guitars, properly grounded, that there is a hum when nothing touches the guitar, but when a person touches the strings or other metal on the guitar, the hum goes away. That's supposed to be correct behavior for grounding. Here, I think the same thing is happening, except the strings aren't part of the circuit, so nothing happens when you touch them.

I haven't decided yet whether this is a problem. I definitely think that I can live with the guitar as is. And if I decide it is a problem, then I will deal with it on my own. I'm otherwise happy with the guitar.

Most probably the strings are still not grounded. (in my second post in this thread there's a link to a pdf with a suggestion how this could be done)

I have experienced some excessive hum when playing in old buildings with electrical systems that were wired differently*. Usually it was possible to find a position of the volume control where there was a little less hum (don't ask me why) either i stuck to that position or i cranked the amp up so that the volume on the guitar could be kept down.

* In old times the didn't use separate ground wires here, but utilized the neutral as ground. When they introduced the new system with a separate ground wire they didn't demand everybody to reinstall, but rather to connect the neutral to the ground at the point where the cable entered the house. As renovations have been going anywhere there are less and less buildings with these problems.

Question: did you try playing with your equipment at other places, not in your building?

**sgosnell** · 08-24-2017, 12:20 PM

I agree, the strings aren't grounded, and will be noisy. The location makes a huge difference. Fluorescent lights, computers, light dimmer switches, routers,etc all contribute noise. It's very possible for a guitar with ungrounded strings to be quiet in one place and noisy in another. Sometimes just changing the orientation makes a difference. But you should look into grounding the strings. It's not dangerous, but you will have noise without the ground.

**Duffy Pratt** · 08-24-2017, 01:38 PM

I haven't tried different locations yet. I have satisfied myself that I will not return the guitar. I will look into different positions, etc., later. Also looks like I could get rid of it with an equalizer.

At some point I may decide to put on a different pickup, and new pots. If I do that, I will have the strings grounded at the same time.

Right now, I like best the sound when both acoustic and amplified are audible at once, and like that, the hum is not a problem.

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**sgosnell** · 08-24-2017, 02:09 PM

As long as you're happy with it, that's all that really matters. It's not unheard of for guitars to have ungrounded strings, and their players not to care. Play it happily.

**Jerry405** · 08-21-2021, 11:25 PM

Hi there,

I am glad that I found this post because I recently bought an EASTMAN PG2 off reverb too and had the exact same problem described in the OP. I am hoping to find more insight into the grounding/earthing for guitar before thinking of get a different tailpiece that had a metal plate like my D'Aqusito and not a sacconi loop. My tech said he manage to reduce the hum by making an aluminim plate under the tailpiece but he said there is still hum but a lot less and it is design floss for the guitar. I believe the stock pickup is mini humbucker.

Also my guitar tech said he had so much problem trying to get the pickup unstuck as I wanted to upgrade the pickup. He suggested that I might to need to get a complete new pickguard made for the new pickup (Kent Armstrong PAF 12 pole). Ideally I want to keep the original tailpiece and pickguard

I would like to know from the OP to see how is the guitar holding up now and some advises from others.