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I installed a couple of K&K Pickups and one is giving me a hum - sounds like a ground issue.

I know nothing about pickup electronics but the discs are glued well on the bridge plate per specification.

I took the cover off the end jack and there are no loose wires, all solder joints look ok.

This is the larger K&K vs. the Mini which I have in the other guitar and no problems there.

To better describe: I removed the jack from the end block to experiment. WHen I hold it in hand it works fine. When not holding it, I get the hum including louder hum when I touch strings.

Did some research on line and found one site that suggested using a copper tape to improve ground but thought I might ask here first and not sure where I would attach

Thanks guys (and gals)

Check to make sure the pickups, all three, are well glued. Imagine one of those pickups with a free surface. It may act like a loose trim on the side of a car going 80 down the highway, flapping in the breeze.

Also, you can pick up or may have a DI box with a ground lift, that may help?

Then there is the phase thing. I like you know little about electronics, but do know your pickups can be out of phase with sound amplifiers, and by flipping the phase switch it can be in or out of phase.

Where is Rick T.?

One reason K and K now recommends the mini pure westerns is they have less output. The standards you mention put out a bunch of excess signal that basically goes unused.

One last thought about pickups flapping in the breeze. I had one Martin Dred with little space to mount the Standard K and K pickup. It had a little overhang of the bridgeplate when in position for gluing. After consulting with the owner, I added a 1/4 inch additional bridgeplate across the front of the existing bridgeplate. That way, no piezo discs out there doing their own thing. The were all glued in securely, and never had a problem with it.

This is the first time I've heard of a problem with a k and k pickup. I can make a recommendation, undo K and K's wiring scheme and test all three pickups indivivually. IF only one is bad, you could isolate it that way. A pain to do but having the guitar problem free may require it.

Good luck finding the problem. I find myself humming occasionally.   

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http://www.dickeyguitars.com

Rich,

Why don't you call or e-mail Dieter at K&K - hes's very helpful. dieter@kksound.com

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Dave White
De Faoite Stringed Instruments
". . . the one thing a machine just can't do is give you character and personalities and sometimes that comes with flaws, but it always comes with humanity" Monty Don talking about hand weaving, "Mastercrafts", Weaving, BBC March 2010

Thanks Dave, excellent - will do.

"To better describe: I removed the jack from the end block to experiment. WHen I hold it in hand it works fine. When not holding it, I get the hum including louder hum when I touch strings. "

This is typical of a grounding problem. Are you using the same amp plugged into the same outlet as you use with the pickup that doesn't hum? Are the outlet and the amp's plug polarized? Since polarized outlets and plugs became the norm, ground reversing is rarely the problem, but one does find outlets that were not wired correctly, especially when an amateur electrician has been at work.

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Howard Klepper
http://www.klepperguitars.com

When all else fails, clean the shop.

Howard, I didnt compare this closely so might be a good first easy step to rule out. In fact, I thought this guitar was working well and then went to play out with it and couldnt use it as a result. But now that I am describing this I did use the other guitar with no issue. WIll check both with same amp and same power supply tonight.