Wah Hum Bug

[petemoore]

  What besides a bad ground would make an otherwise working fine wah hum real loud?
  Because I checked all the grounds, re-adjusted all the mod trimpots...changed the transistors...and...measured a buncha connections...can't seem to get the 'direct' hum out of it.
  V847, both signal jacks are connected to the case...should they be ?

[Arn C.]

Maybe sub in a pot and manually turn it to see if hum is still there.   Just a thought

I believe the case is used as ground for the jacks.
Peace!
Arn C.

[heyniceguy]

i dont know if this is your situation, but i used to have a BAD hum on my wah on my pedal board. turned out that it sat directly above my boss ac adapter and the inductor was picking up the transformer interference.

location may be your problem.

[m-theory]

Can we nominate this for "Best thread title?" 

Are you sure it's the wah that's humming, and not just the wah magnifying a hum that's present elsewhere? 

[Paul Marossy]

dont know if this is your situation, but i used to have a BAD hum on my wah on my pedal board. turned out that it sat directly above my boss ac adapter and the inductor was picking up the transformer interference.

location may be your problem.

+1

Are you sure it's the wah that's humming, and not just the wah magnifying a hum that's present elsewhere? 

+1


I've experienced it from both of these sources...

[petemoore]

  Guitar seems quiet, then wah...humbuzz.
  It's sitting on the floor with nothing really near it.
  The noise does lessen when it's upside down...go figure.
  The latest testing was done with no bottom tho, with bottom on it, was noisy.
  Wah Humbug !!
 

[gez]

Can we nominate this for "Best thread title?" 

+1

Is this a recent problem, or has it always been like this?

If the shell is being used as the ground connection for the jacks, check continuity (dirt etc may have built up).

[petemoore]

  Seems like it just 'grew' noise.
  Still works about the same other than that.
  For a time while it was on the pedalboard, I attributed the noise to a possible power supply issue or one of my non-LED boosters being on..till I checked that, and pulled the pedal and substituted a battery to the DC jack, just has noise in it, I just put everything on bypass, perhaps I should straight wire it between the G/A, just to see, because it wouldn't ever be the only pedal I use.
  I do have another board which I fried a while back with reverse polarity, maybe I'll get that one going a'la carte', put that in and try it.

[Shepherd]

  The noise does lessen when it's upside down...go figure.

A component might be settling when you turn it upside down.  I'd check to make sure the connections are secure.  Especially on the inductor.

  I attributed the noise to a possible power supply issue or one of my non-LED boosters being on..till I checked that, and pulled the pedal and substituted a battery to the DC jack, just has noise in it, I just put everything on bypass,

It seems to me that wahs can be contaminated through ground by a power supply that is friendly with other pedals.  Sometimes power supplies themselves seem to develop hum if they've been damaged.  I'm anxious to hear what happens when it's the only effect in your chain.

[aron]

Run it off battery as test. If it still hums, at least you know it's isolated in the unit. Check your ground connections. Measure the output of the unit with a 1/4 jack plugged into the output (guitar plugged into input) and measure the tip to ground with DC on your meter to make sure the wah is not leaking DC.

[petemoore]

I'd check to make sure the connections are secure.  Especially on the inductor.
  If anything was ever it...the inductor puts out amazing signals into nearby wires.
  I had a purple and white wire on the wrong side of the bolt [near pot side of board] going right under by the inductor.
  Moving the wires over 3/8'' or so to the other side of the threaded post removed the nasty hum, 90% of it anyway, much more than I expected it would, to 'normal' noise volume, not bad even when not playing, undetectable when playing.
  I've got my nice wah [love that wah] sound back to usable / great sound.

[sevenisthenumber]

I have one of those BBE Wah's (http://www.americanmusical.com/Item--i-BBE-WAH-LIST?SRC=D0407FG0HAMS0000&utm_source=froogle&utm_medium=feed&)
Ive used it for 2 years and all the sudden, WahHUMBUG!! I have isolated it from the board, used different supplies, 9v battery, different amps and still HUM.... 
I dont see anything wrong inside....
Any new thoughts?

[Electron Tornado]

I have one of those BBE Wah's

Are the components on the BBE wah through hole or surface mount?

[sevenisthenumber]

They are through hole. So... Today I changed the inductor, pot and the Q pot? Still getting HUM! INSANE FRUSTRATION!!!!