65 ri mustang, tube amp, boss ds-1 distortion pedal

morimoto

Hi all...i have a couple of questions about the single coil pickups in my 65 RI mustang.

when i use a boss ds-1 distortion pedal with my mustang and tube amp it is unplayable. lots of noise, hum, popping.

i have a similar problem when using the overdrive channel on the amp, but not nearly as bad as with the pedal.

i believe this problem comes from the stock single coil pickup. is this true?

in other posts ppl have recommended changing the bridge pickup with a jb jr....will this eliminate the problems i am having when using my distortion pedal? can i leave the neck stock or should it be changed out to?

other than changing pickups do i have any other options? should i just not use a distortion pedal with my guitar? i mean, was this guitar never meant to do this?

stratocasters have single coil pickups....do they have the same problem as i am when using a distortion pedal?

BanditGuitarist1

could be your cable I play with stangs all the time and never had any problem with them being unplayable due to hum, also consider the DS-1 is very noise on its own.

morimoto

does ur mustang have stock pickups? what about the type of distortion pedal?

after work today i played around with the pedal more....if i turn both pickups on the hum is not so bad. i assume the pickups are somewhat cancelling each other out?

BanditGuitarist1

Yes two of my mustangs have stock pickups they hum a little on just the bridge nothing unbearable though,also both activated will cancel the hum like you found out,for distortion I have used a ds-1,ds-2 or big muff all three of which didnt make to much hum, are there any other pedals in the loop? It could be anything from a bad cable to speakers to you just dont like the pickups.

matte30is

Check your ground wire. There should be a wire going from the control cavity plate to the bridge plate. My original "65 had this and I took it off and it hummed excessive.

morimoto

well, its a new guitar, amp, cables, etc. i am making the assumption that all the electronics are good to go.

i am a bit hesitant to open the guitar up and see if everything is OK on the inside. i guess i will have to do it at some point tho, huh?

BanditGuitarist1

if your nervous take it to a local tech.

dinosaur

check grounding,replace cables.

but im pretty sure that its due to the fact that the ds1 sounds like ass

Rick

it would help if the japanese stangs had 60 cycle hum cancelling effect, with both pups switched on. but i don't think they do

morimoto

ya, it would be cool, but unfortunately it does not seem so....i mean, it does get quieter, but not totally gone.

is this an issue with other guitars with single coil pickups? or is it unique to the mustang re-issues?

here is another question that may seem a bit silly, but is important to me....if i change out the pickups will i still have a mustang? or will my guitar become something else?

BanditGuitarist1

wont sound like a stang unless u put in some strat pups then it will be kindaa somewhat similar, other pickups probley wont be so Stang-ish