I've always told my [computer] users that the only time a computer acts "weird" is when it levitates. Of course there are other weird things that can happen every day. Take this morning for instance.
I was reworking one of my [CBGs], had put everything back together and was testing the electronics to make sure I hadn't wiggled a wire loose. I plug up a practice amp, put the power on and nothing. Ok, so this is not unexpected, except there was some... noise. No, voices. Faint, but there. I figured it was coming from a TV that was on. I began to think my box was possessed.
As I fiddled with the volume controls, my pickup response showed up, so the electronics were still in tact. But when I turned the volume to 0, I could hear the voices again. As I moved my hand closer to the volume knob, the voices got louder -- until I heard John Boy and Billy [local radio personalities]! WTF?!?! My Ruby preamp that I built is picking up stinkin' radio! No kidding. It ceases if I increase the volume so it doesn't interfere with the pickup, but I can hear it clear as a bell.
Ok, this qualifies as weird.
AH HAH! Cordon Bleu! Quasimodo (and all that sort)! I found out why my CBG picks up radio...
... The strings weren't grounded. Ok, ok, so they should be I suppose, but when I built it, I didn't realize its importance. While adding my preamp back into my newly renovated first box, I noticed an extreme hum. Not problem -- ground the pot. Did that, no effect. Touch the strings -- hum goes away. Right. Ground the strings. So I ground the strings by grounding the bridge, which was metal, and voila! No hum. Also no FM reception. Keep in mind the strings weren't even touching the pickup directly or any other metal part. Must have been some kind of induction, capacitance, or other electronics word I've never heard of.
Usuallyy those ruby/gem amps will pick up radio stations and other radio interference. By sheilding and grounding the circuit board willl make it go away. You can also sheild and ground your cbg electronics to cut down on noise
Wish I knew. I don't even know the station. Just the personalities. I guess this is why they shield pickups on guitars eh?
You know, I heard about that (foxhole radio). Kinda like a crystal radio... sorta.
Dave Alexander said:
How far away from the radio station are you? I worked at a station located at the tower site, and everything would pick up the AM signal. Cassette machines, audio boards, recorders. All of our commercials had ghosts in the background.
Foxhole radios from WWII amount to simple headphones and a razor blade. Guys could pull in just enough signal to run the headphones. No amplifier. Given the number of noise producing items in our environment, it's a wonder that this doesn't happen more.
How far away from the radio station are you? I worked at a station located at the tower site, and everything would pick up the AM signal. Cassette machines, audio boards, recorders. All of our commercials had ghosts in the background.
Foxhole radios from WWII amount to simple headphones and a razor blade. Guys could pull in just enough signal to run the headphones. No amplifier. Given the number of noise producing items in our environment, it's a wonder that this doesn't happen more.
john boy and billy gots way to many gigawatts fer their programs,but thats why they make the big bucks.this has happened to me before also many years ago. i had some kind of little diode that i soldered into my electronic component structure[i said to myself i wonder if this will boost something if i add it] so the same thing happened when i turned the volume down i heard voices,then i listened real close and it was a high powered radio station,and i turned the volume back up and the voices went away. so this was a funny thing to me,made me think of tesla and what he was up to back in the day. haaaaaaaaaaa.
Ohhh yes it is. In fact one great thing you can do with it (that i'm doing tonight) is testing piezos. I can do this with headphones and can hear it really clear.
Ted Crocker said:
A guy who bought one of my guitars has that and it is a sweet little amp!
Wes Yates said:
Now that is interesting!
J. K. said:
If you have wiring that goes to the amplification and the wire length is the same as the radio wavelength divided by X you can pick up FM transmissions. Darn creepy when it happens.
If you have wiring that goes to the amplification and the wire length is the same as the radio wavelength divided by X you can pick up FM transmissions. Darn creepy when it happens.
Keep this in mind, this is a practice amp and not the big ones.
One good little practice amp. You can plug in an MP3 and have your guitar along with the music. You can also plug it into a normal amp. Kinda like a pre-amp for an amp. HOLLOWBELLY said:
owned a vox ac30 in the early seventies that did this-picked up the taxis-I knew where everyone was goin in Warrington on a Friday night!
If you have wiring that goes to the amplification and the wire length is the same as the radio wavelength divided by X you can pick up FM transmissions. Darn creepy when it happens.
Replies
... The strings weren't grounded. Ok, ok, so they should be I suppose, but when I built it, I didn't realize its importance. While adding my preamp back into my newly renovated first box, I noticed an extreme hum. Not problem -- ground the pot. Did that, no effect. Touch the strings -- hum goes away. Right. Ground the strings. So I ground the strings by grounding the bridge, which was metal, and voila! No hum. Also no FM reception. Keep in mind the strings weren't even touching the pickup directly or any other metal part. Must have been some kind of induction, capacitance, or other electronics word I've never heard of.
-Wes
You know, I heard about that (foxhole radio). Kinda like a crystal radio... sorta.
Dave Alexander said:
Foxhole radios from WWII amount to simple headphones and a razor blade. Guys could pull in just enough signal to run the headphones. No amplifier. Given the number of noise producing items in our environment, it's a wonder that this doesn't happen more.
Ted Crocker said:
J. K. said:
One good little practice amp. You can plug in an MP3 and have your guitar along with the music. You can also plug it into a normal amp. Kinda like a pre-amp for an amp. HOLLOWBELLY said:-
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