Consistent loud clicking from all my guitars

[Labbah]

Hello fellow guitar friends.
I fear I will loose interest in playing electric guitar unless I fix this issue.

My Fender Mustang GT 100 amplifier pick up severe interference. It’s a high rate click which gets louder depending on guitar orientation and gain.
Please watch my uploaded video: Youtube short

One day it came and never went away. The click tempo is always the same, and there’s no orientation where noise goes away completely.

What I’ve tested:
- Different guitar = No difference.
- Different rooms = Source of noise identical in all rooms.
- Basement with super-thick walls built during Cold War to withstand nuclear warfare = No difference.
- Copper shielded = No difference.
- Installed EMG active pickups = No difference.
- Turned off power to different parts of my apartment = No difference.
- Tried to tell landlord about possible electrical failure somewhere in his building = Not in his interest to help.

Is it something in the power lines, or is an amp component broken? Ok, but why is the noise volume affected by guitar orientation?
Is it outside factor like magnetic interference?

Any help is appreciated! I’m willing to spend time and money to figure this out.

 

[tubedude]

With humbuckers also?
Sounds like radiated noise from a fan or motor. Your fans, motors, refrigerator etc. might be ungrounded or have a fault. Try shutting down everything on a circuit breaker but the amp. If it's still there, it's external to the house. If it stops, it's likely a bad ground or equipment fault. Check your wall outlets for proper ground wiring. If bad, you may need to drive a ground rod.

 

[Subotai]

Take your amp and guitar to a friend's place, repeat the test. If it continues, I'd put money on it being your amp. Go to a guitar store with your guitar, plug into different amps to check your guitar, just in case, but I bet it is your amp. I had an LT25 and LT50, they never did that even when my guitar was close.

Edit - also try a different cable. And you can buy a cheap EMF meter and go around your house checking everything.

 

[Such Friends]

if it just started and happens with all your guitars id also bet its the amp. I believe you can do a factory reset on Mustangs that might resolve the issue.

 

[Ringthane]

Take your amp and guitar to a friend's place, repeat the test. If it continues, I'd put money on it being your amp. Go to a guitar store with your guitar, plug into different amps to check your guitar, just in case, but I bet it is your amp. I had an LT25 and LT50, they never did that even when my guitar was close.

Edit - also try a different cable. And you can buy a cheap EMF meter and go around your house checking everything.

I was gonna say that too - you didn't say anything about trying another cable. If it's doing it with everything, the first thing I'd try is the common elements. Such as the guitar cable.

 

[West44th]

Maybe a long shot but do you have any of those plug in rodent deterrents in your home? If you have one on the same circuit as your amp you could try unplugging it.
I could be wrong but i think I have heard that some of them emit an ultrasonic click and perhaps somehow causing your problem.

 

[Subotai]

And make sure you have a good power strip. One for electronics, etc. Not a cheapo.

Edit - Hmmm, if these solutions don't work, put it in the shop, grab an Orange 12, or something, and just keep playing while it's being fixed.

 

[tubedude]

As the level changes with the pickup orientation, I believe it's an external field.

 

[BelairPlayer]

Theory: One of your neighbors (or you) has a plug in rodent/pest deterrent. You’re picking up noise from its power supply or a parasitic radiated frequency

 

[Such Friends]

digital amps can do weird things. if you read online other people have experience various weird sounds or issues that started randomly. I seen them say a factory reset fixed it as its a programming issue not a mechanical. Im not saying that is exactly what the OP's amp is doing, but if it were me factory reset is the first thing id try even if just for process of elimination

 

[The_idiot]

Same day that you got your brand new pacemaker?

 

[Labbah]

digital amps can do weird things. if you read online other people have experience various weird sounds or issues that started randomly. I seen them say a factory reset fixed it as its a programming issue not a mechanical. Im not saying that is exactly what the OP's amp is doing, but if it were me factory reset is the first thing id try even if just for process of elimination

Just tested same gear at different location without reset, no noise at all. I think we can rule out amp being problem. Must be power lines or environmental interference

 

[Labbah]

Update:
I borrowed a DC Blocker and a GND Defender at a local Hi-Fi store. They’re modular so I can stack them in any order I want.
Tested all combinations but no difference in ticking sound.

 

[Ringthane]

Have you tried a different guitar cable? Or speaker cable if your amp uses one? You continue to refuse to say.

 

[Labbah]

Have you tried a different guitar cable? Or speaker cable if your amp uses one? You continue to refuse to say.

Sorry! Forgot to mention.
Yes I’ve tried switching all cables.

Breakthrough however:
Bought an AM radio and walked around my area listening to similar noise. At frequency 585 I found identical ticking. I traced it to be the robot lawnmower's charging station causing the noise. This could explain why the noise came from multiple directions (since there’s a charge station north and south of my building).

I will contact landlord Monday and negotiate some sort of solution.

 

[Hal Nico]

As the landlord doesn't seem interested I'd suspect faulty mains grounding. See this post,

How important is it for you to eliminate single-coil noise?

I've got noiseless Strats and noisy Strats. They all sound like Strats, just different Strats. The noise doesn't add anything useful and the noiseless lose minimal tone, especially if using overdrive or effects. I like the variety

strat-talk.com

You should be able to buy a cheap mains tester where you are in Norway. If there is a faulty mains ground then that's a safety issue and the Landlord should have to fix it.

HTH

 

[Guitarista]

Sorry! Forgot to mention.
Yes I’ve tried switching all cables.

Breakthrough however:
Bought an AM radio and walked around my area listening to similar noise. At frequency 585 I found identical ticking. I traced it to be the robot lawnmower's charging station causing the noise. This could explain why the noise came from multiple directions (since there’s a charge station north and south of my building).

I will contact landlord Monday and negotiate some sort of solution.

robot lawnmower??

 

[Robins]

Burn the charging station, problem solved.
You have to get a sheep then to "cut" the gras.
But you could make some sheep cheese then.

Take care,
Robin

 

[Hal Nico]

Sorry! Forgot to mention.
Yes I’ve tried switching all cables.

Breakthrough however:
Bought an AM radio and walked around my area listening to similar noise. At frequency 585 I found identical ticking. I traced it to be the robot lawnmower's charging station causing the noise. This could explain why the noise came from multiple directions (since there’s a charge station north and south of my building).

I will contact landlord Monday and negotiate some sort of solution.

Some people here in the UK and I think in the US have also had noise problems with Electric companies who have fitted ,"Smart Meters" :/

 

[Wound_Up]

Some people here in the UK and I think in the US have also had noise problems with Electric companies who have fitted ,"Smart Meters" :/

There's a guy on YouTube that had a similar issue. He took his battery powered amp and walked around his neighborhood until he pinpointed the noise. It ended up being the big electrical box in his neighbors yard.

So he called the Power Co and convinced them to come 08t and look at it and sure enough, the shielding was busted on it or something. So they fixed it a few weeks later and all is good now.

At one point, he wrapped himself and his guitar in aluminum foil lmao. It was pretty interesting. He had a similar clicking to @Labbah