Noise floor on Dimarzio Super Distortion

[wilkinsi]

I'll admit, there's more "zing" in the Super Dist. But I've had to raise the NS in my Boss GT-10 because when I stop playing, there's far more noise than I'd get from my Seymour Duncan SH-8 or even Dimarzio Evolution pickups. Is this because the Super Dist. has more output or should I start dropping the pickup height?

[Nightbat]

Copper up your cavities for starters
check ground connections

[wilkinsi]

Buzz disappears when touching the strings or pots/switches. That means there is ground, right? Never had this problem with other pickups.

[Nightbat]

Buzz disappears when touching the strings or pots/switches. That means there is a problem with the ground, right? Never had this problem with other pickups.

Yup, cold solder joint, broken wire, F'ed p'up, lousy pots

any of those usually

[Twitch]

No, buzz going away when touching ground is proper, youve completed the circuit. If it lingers then your ground is open. In case of EMGs however a buzz appearing when strings touched is a prob, EMGs dont use string grounding(irelevent, I know). If its a super hot pickup then what has happened in essence is that youve boosted gain level at the guitar creating more feedback opportunity at the same distance as you were with the old p/u. Like plugging a hotter mic in where a lower output mic once was and not compensating the gain to account for the extended o/p capability. Move further away or, like youve done, adjust NS accordingly, or turn down the pre-gain on the amp a hair(which would however defeat the purpose of a higher o/p p/u). If this werent a SD we were discussing, Id say, poorly potted/shielded p/u.

[Twitch]

BTW, p/u cavity grounding/shielding is a gimmick. Unless your penis is a broadcast tower for a radio station or you have active circuitry anywhere in the guitar its useless. External causes of interference dont just attack from the back and sides of the p/u cavity, theyre everywhere 360 degrees, all day long. Interference will come through front too, and since the front CANNOT be shielded(think putting a faraday cage around the receive antennae of your radio, you wont pick up shit, yes youve shielded it from all external interference but youve also now managed to block what you want it to pick up) since thats where it receives its input. Therefore, in most cases p/u cavity shielding/grounding is like balls on a priest or, tits on a boar hog for those of you who are catholic and were offended by the first analogy.

[Grandturk]

BTW, p/u cavity grounding/shielding is a gimmick.

Yeah but when I put copper shielding tape on the underside of my strat pickups, it stops the snap crackle and pop when my fingers brush the pickguard while playing... so... I'll keep using it despite what you're saying.

[Twitch]

Wasnt meant to be a cut on you turk, just was illustrating that this likely wasnt his issue. I think I have a theory as to why that may work for you though.

[Trem]

BTW, p/u cavity grounding/shielding is a gimmick. Unless your penis is a broadcast tower for a radio station or you have active circuitry anywhere in the guitar its useless. External causes of interference dont just attack from the back and sides of the p/u cavity, theyre everywhere 360 degrees, all day long. Interference will come through front too, and since the front CANNOT be shielded(think putting a faraday cage around the receive antennae of your radio, you wont pick up shit, yes youve shielded it from all external interference but youve also now managed to block what you want it to pick up) since thats where it receives its input. Therefore, in most cases p/u cavity shielding/grounding is like balls on a priest or, tits on a boar hog for those of you who are catholic and were offended by the first analogy.

shielding the pickup cavities works great.
most guitars are shielded with paint in all cavities - while it's kinda shit job usually they do it for a reason.
it works really good in fact does a lot more than just shielding your control cavity.

works for me anyway

[straycat]

I'd bet its a bad solder joint or some wires touching or bad ground.
A super D is around 13-15k so not a real high output pick up