My 1st Kelly is buzzing like... A HUGE bee!

[Saw]

AAAHHHH help me!

My Kelly KE3 sounds like an angry bee the size of.. well, a guitar.

Every time I plug it in, all I get is BUUUZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ, then I play and the strings are audible, but when I am not playing just this awful buzzing sound.

I have tried to "jimmy" the jack but that doesn't help, I'm thinking maybe a wiring error? I bought it used so there's no telling what might be going on with it.

Any suggestions?

So sad, iI just want to play it!

[warlok]

Does the wiring look like it was messed with? Was it like this when you got it or did it just start? From your description I assume it does it whether or not you are touching the strings with your hand? Probably a grounding issue. What pickups? Duncans? EMGs? Is the bridge grounded to the spring claw? Passives should be, EMGs shouldn't have bridge grounded.

[Saw]

Does the wiring look like it was messed with? Was it like this when you got it or did it just start? From your description I assume it does it whether or not you are touching the strings with your hand? Probably a grounding issue. What pickups? Duncans? EMGs? Is the bridge grounded to the spring claw? Passives should be, EMGs shouldn't have bridge grounded.

It's been like this since I got it (not so long ago)

Ok, the wiring on the volume knob looks absolutely awful, there's like a mountain of solder on it..

You're right about my description, buzz whether there's a hand or not.

The pickups are stock Duncan Designed (passive, no battery). Floyd Rose bridge, and it has the wire on it.

I guess it's that mountain of solder.. I can solder pretty well but I have never messed with the insides of a guitar before.

Thanks for your questions!

[jdr94]

Can you take a pic of the control cavity? Def a wiring issue.

[straycat]

Try to get as much old solder off that you can and re-solder

[MartinBarre]

The amount of solder wont be the issue, there will be a wrong connection or something. You need to find a wiring diagram to match your Kellys control layout (look on the Seymour Duncan website) and compare it to the wiring in your guitar.

First thing I would try is swapping the wires on your input jack around.

[guitardudeluke]

is there a ground wire in place ?

[Saw]

Yeah, there's a lot there.. I'll take it off and try to re-solder it.

I'll also take a few shots tonight when I get home, thanks for the suggestions so far guys

[MartinBarre]

And that was a poor analogy. A bee?

You mean, its buzzing like a buzzsaw blade!

EDIT, I got the lyrics completely wrong there, who knows why, that wouldnt even fit, and I've been listening to that song for years hahahaha!

[Saw]

Ok a buzzsaw is definitely more descriptive.

Here are a couple of shots with and without flash so you can try to see the mountain of solder.





Hopefully someone can say if this is the problem?

[jacksonkellyfreak]

ive had this problem before. try switching the wires on the output jack. maybe they replaced it, and got it wrong, so they thought it was another problem and sold it. if thats not it, there nust be a bad ground, but id bet a dollar thats the problem

[cullenszoo]

You guys are killing me. I keep reading threads that just dead end. Was it the jack wiring? did you find out the problem? do you need a new cord. (that was the problem I had and thought I had guitar issues.)

[Saw]

cullenszoo

You guys are killing me. I keep reading threads that just dead end. Was it the jack wiring? did you find out the problem? do you need a new cord. (that was the problem I had and thought I had guitar issues.)

I actually haven't been able to try to fix it yet, but I will this weekend

My g-d soldering iron broke

Sorry for the loooongass wait

[jdr94]

That toggle looks like it may be the problem can you move some wire so we can see all the connection points

[jdr94]

Also if im not mistaken it should be red and white together, green ground and black hot.