Dimmer Switches - Ugh!

**Tom Karol** · 01-29-2021, 02:15 PM

I've got another thread going on upgrading the pickups in my 8-year old Montreal Premiere - just about to pull the trigger on a pair of Lollar Imperial Low Winds.
So, I thought I'd play it amplified to hear again how it sounded with the stock pickups.
I plugged it in, and it was buzzing even with humbuckers, and it sounded sort of thin, too.
Then I realized that I never play it amplified in that room which has a dimmer switch on the overhead light.
I turned off the light, and everything was fine!

(I'm still going to get the Lollars, though.)

**Dennis D** · 01-29-2021, 02:20 PM

Originally Posted by Tom Karol

I've got another thread going on upgrading the pickups in my 8-year old Montreal Premiere - just about to pull the trigger on a pair of Lollar Imperial Low Winds.
So, I thought I'd play it amplified to hear again how it sounded with the stock pickups.
I plugged it in, and it was buzzing even with humbuckers, and it sounded sort of thin, too.
Then I realized that I never play it amplified in that room which has a dimmer switch on the overhead light.
I turned off the light, and everything was fine!

(I'm still going to get the Lollars, though.)

Sorry Tom but your story just reminded me of the one about the guy who had his vasectomy done at Sears - -now every time he gets an erection, the garage door opens.

**skykomishone** · 01-29-2021, 06:23 PM

I've used one of these at an old friends house that has ancient wiring and it's really effective (no affiliation):

Electro-Harmonix Hum Debugger Hum Eliminator Pedal

I'm going to buy one for my own use. They're handy, especially with single coil P/U's in places with dimmer's, neo lights, refridgerator compressors, etc., i.e., small bars and venues, friends basements, where there are all sorts of odd electromagnetic interference.

**skykomishone** · 01-29-2021, 06:38 PM

Also, regarding the Lollar P/U's, I put a gold foil floater on my L7, and I love the sound. I play the guitar mostly acoustic, but when I plug it in, it is really nice. Jason does a great job.

**jazzkritter** · 01-29-2021, 08:08 PM

Wall Warts! They are either quiet or send out more noise than anything. Non shielded high frequency switching power supplies. If the Chinese really want to take over the world they best keep those engineers out of defense,

**John A.** · 01-29-2021, 11:53 PM

Originally Posted by Tom Karol

I've got another thread going on upgrading the pickups in my 8-year old Montreal Premiere - just about to pull the trigger on a pair of Lollar Imperial Low Winds.
So, I thought I'd play it amplified to hear again how it sounded with the stock pickups.
I plugged it in, and it was buzzing even with humbuckers, and it sounded sort of thin, too.
Then I realized that I never play it amplified in that room which has a dimmer switch on the overhead light.
I turned off the light, and everything was fine!

(I'm still going to get the Lollars, though.)

I feel you pain. I mainly play in my living room and kitchen, both of which have dimmers. I use an EHX Hum Debugger with my single-coil equipped guitars, which buzz like mad without it. The humbuckers do buzz a little bit as well, but not unbearably.

John

**KirkP** · 01-31-2021, 01:24 AM

If your dimmer is very old or a cheap brand it may be noisy, especially if used with LEDs. And some LEDs, particularly older ones, may be noisier than others.

**campusfive** · 01-31-2021, 03:17 AM

I've successfully used a EHX Humdebugger in a couple venues where the buzz with my '37 ES-150 was unusable - and it saved the day. And it required the "high" setting to get under control.

But, I can't say the weird artifacts, sort of reminiscent of a modulated slapback delay almost, are an everyday solution. Maybe that's just my unique scenario - an 84 year-old, 1st generation, guitar pickup and this one particular hotel ballroom with something terribly wrong in their electrical system - but if I had a dimmer switch causing problems in my home, I'd swap the dimmer switch before I'd run a Humdebugger all the time. Maybe if you can run it on low, it's not as noticable, but again that pedal strikes me as a the kind of thing that can really save your butt, but isn't something you want to be running all the time.

**John A.** · 01-31-2021, 03:31 AM

Originally Posted by campusfive

I've successfully used a EHX Humdebugger in a couple venues where the buzz with my '37 ES-150 was unusable - and it saved the day. And it required the "high" setting to get under control.

But, I can't say the weird artifacts, sort of reminiscent of a modulated slapback delay almost, are an everyday solution. Maybe that's just my unique scenario - an 84 year-old, 1st generation, guitar pickup and this one particular hotel ballroom with something terribly wrong in their electrical system - but if I had a dimmer switch causing problems in my home, I'd swap the dimmer switch before I'd run a Humdebugger all the time. Maybe if you can run it on low, it's not as noticable, but again that pedal strikes me as a the kind of thing that can really save your butt, but isn't something you want to be running all the time.

I generally don't experience any artifacts (and to the extent I do, it's more with my Strat+OD than my P90 archtop). Far more hassle involved in getting a dimmer replaced than using a piece of gear I already have.

John

**sgosnell** · 02-01-2021, 01:05 AM

Replacing a dimmer switch with a normal on/off switch is a 5 minute job - just sayin'. But it's your house. We used to have a dimmer in the living room until we bought a new ceiling fan with LED lights and its own dimmer through a remote. I just bypassed the dimmer and left it in place.

**Tom Karol** · 02-01-2021, 12:32 PM

I know: I installed the dimmer switch myself years ago. I just won't play amplified in my bedroom at night!

**John A.** · 02-01-2021, 01:12 PM

Originally Posted by sgosnell

Replacing a dimmer switch with a normal on/off switch is a 5 minute job - just sayin'. But it's your house. We used to have a dimmer in the living room until we bought a new ceiling fan with LED lights and its own dimmer through a remote. I just bypassed the dimmer and left it in place.

It's my house? That's news to me. Replacing the dimmers with switches is not an option, for domestic tranquility reasons. Replacing them with better dimmers is potentially an option, but it's an apartment in a rental building with all kinds of other wiring issues, and the dimmers themselves (of unknown quality) are actually new-ish (installed at our expense). So I don't have any confidence better dimmers would be an improvement. Hence the Hum Debugger (which I have anyway), rather than going down a dimmer/wiring/domestic-squabble/landlord-squabble rabbit hole.

John

**sgosnell** · 02-01-2021, 05:24 PM

Well, as a lady once said, "It's always something". Your house, your apartment, whichever. What my inartful comment meant is that it's your home, and we don't get to decide what happens there. Everyone's situation is different, and each may require things others haven't even thought of. A quick and easy fix for some is beyond the pale for others. Good luck with the Hum Debugger, and rawk on.