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Sorry if this has been asked before (and as I age, my memory sometimes fades, so this may have possibly even been asked by me on the olf website etc!)...

Does anyone else have trouble with static causing a crackling or buzzing noise being amplified through the pickups and amp when brushing or touching the scratchplate with the fingers or fingernails when playing? It's almost as annoying as the usual single coil hum which I suppose we put up with...or the bloody amplified metallic microphonic clicking of the plectrum hitting the Tele neck pickup..

I can avoid the unwanted static noise on my Squier Tele, by just removing the scratchplate, although it looks a bit odd, but that's not an option with my Strat copy for obvious reasons!

I suppose it's necessary to just try to adjust your picking syle to avoid making finger or plectrum contact with the scratchplate and pickup?- or there a simple obvious answer to these minor but annoying problems?

By the way, I am not so annoyed by these relatively minor matters to want to stop playing, or rush out and buy different new guitars...

Thanks in anticipation !

Doesnt sound like static to me/ Its a fairly common problem and can be a bl****y nuisance to get rid of. Its normally caused by a bad earth somewhere/ Take off scratchplate and check earthing of pots,bridge etc (could even be dry joint so you might not notice it). check amp grounding (plug amp into a different circuit in house). check guitar cord earth is OK/ I've also got rid of it before by covering the inside of the scratchplate with foil or even gaffa tape! hope this helps.

Mike

By the by... If you are having earthing problems with a Strat (or copy) don't forget to check that the earth wire inside the back cover plate is OK. There should be a soldered wire connecting the tremelo spring anchor plate to the earth side of the main jack socket.

Thanks for the advice chaps...however...

The problem is worse with the Squier Tele. I don't understand how it can't be static, as the Tele scratchplate has no contact with anything electrical, unlike a Strat scratchplate which houses the pickups, pots, wiring, switch etc...it sounds to me as if finger contact with the Tele scratchplate causes static electricity, which seems to be picked up and amplified by the pickup(s)?

Sorry if I seem daft...I can play the bloody thing, tune it, even fix most things on it, but the secrets of electronics are over my head!

yes OK the noise is 'static' and plastic scratchplates can harbour a lot of electricity but think of when you walk on a nylon carpet and then touch something metallic, or you get out of a car and get a shock. Because neither is grounded except you, and electricity will always go to earth/ so if you have an earth fault in your guitar circuitry it will store itself in the scratchplate/ I'd still check every possible earth connection from guitar to amp (including cords , pedals etc if in the line)

mike