Is my Fender buzzing too much?

    I have this MIJ Fender 50's with a SD SH-4 installed in the bridge. I'm beginning to wonder if the humbucker is buzzing too much, if they messed something up during the installation? I have no real reference so I don't know how quiet it is supposed to be. Also, how would I know if they've installed 250K or 500K pots? They never asked me and I knew nothing about it since I'm not that technical, just a simple guitar player. When you buy a SD SH-4 does the some sort of standard pot come with the package? I play punkrock so I would want as much output as possible I guess. When I play my standard Fender with single coils I feel as if it is a bit louder almost even though not nearly as "fat" of course. The SH-4 sounds kind of dark and thick and trebly. Also the P90 does sound more powerful too gainwise. The Gibson P90 is buzzing/humming a lot less.


    Here's a clip of the buzzing https://www.dropbox.com/s/ahj3zpzk67cjfno/test.mp3?dl=0

    The JB pickup does not come with a potentiometer, so if doing a potentiometer replacement was not discussed, the guitar most likely still has the stock pots in it.


    The pickup should not buzz, if it was wired as a conventional humbucker.


    If you are hearing too much treble from it:


    A common wiring mod for S-S-H strats is to make the first tone knob control the neck and middle pickups, and use the second tone knob to control the bridge humbucker.

    I just found this video on Youtube and it's the same there, so maybe everything is how it's supposed to be? I'm talking about the noise coming from the amp when not playing and when not holding my hand on the strings.
    My guitar is a MIJ 50's Fender Stratocaster 1996. What kind of stock pots would be in that one? It's a SH-4 installed in the bridge. I have no idea if everything is correct. I'm just worried that I one day would find out that I've been playing on a faulty installed SH-4. I guess I'm asking you guys to listen to my clip and let me know if it sounds alright :)

    If the issue disappears when you touch the strings, the bridge, the headstocks... It's a matter of grounding/shielding.
    Does the noise go away when you deselect the PU?

    Quote from viabcroce

    If the issue disappears when you touch the strings, the bridge, the headstocks... It's a matter of grounding/shielding.
    Does the noise go away when you deselect the PU?

    You mean by switching to the neck single coil? No. So grounding/shielding noise is something different from pickup humming?

    They can "sound" the same but be different in origin.


    If the noise is still present when selecting the neck PU only, of course it's not the PU in itself... After all, hum-bukers just... bucker hum :D


    So, does it go away when you touch the strings?
    Try several different wall sockets all over the house and, if nothing changes, at rehearsal/school/aunt. Check/ask if the place is properly electrically grounded.

    Quote from danniee

    So grounding/shielding noise is something different from pickup humming?


    a passive pickup can 'pick up' :D noise, not generate it.
    a humbucker should be able able to block most of the 50 or 60 cycle hum that single coils a prone to pick up - after all, that's their point and origin of name.


    noise that goes away when you touch the strings/connected hardware is related to the grounding of the guitar.


    take a look at the wiring diagrams on the SD website.
    the solder spot on the volume (linked to the sleeve of the output) is the ground.