Wurlitzer 200A constant noise

[grahamgrocho]

Hi guys. I have a 200A that I got a few years ago. Haven't touched it in about a year and when I went to play it today there is CRAZY noise coming from both the phone and aux jacks (worse on phone but both are unusable at this point) that doesn't seem to get worse when playing or with tremolo or anything like that. In fact: it's even noisy when it's plugged In but not turned on! Unplugging it entirely results in no noise. Any ideas? I'm no expert.

[cinnanon]

Sounds like you have a ground loop issue

[Tim Hodges]

Couple of options:

Try connecting the amp or whatever you're connecting to from the same outlet socket as the Wurlitzer

Or buy something like the Behringer HD400 hum destroyer which safely stops ground loops.

Usually when this topic comes up someone suggests removing the ground from a cable or using a ground defeat adaptor which renders the earth pin redundant. Don't do it as it's necessary to keep an earth connection to stop you from being electrocuted if something goes wrong.

[grahamgrocho]

Couple of options:

Try connecting the amp or whatever you're connecting to from the same outlet socket as the Wurlitzer

Or buy something like the Behringer HD400 hum destroyer which safely stops ground loops.

Interesting. Now that you mention it, I feel like the noise was more prevalent when I was connecting to my racked preamp DI's and less so when I was just connecting my headphones. At the time, I thought I was just crazy but now I see what you're saying. I'll try connecting the Wurli to that same power source as that DI preamp first. Thanks for the tips. Any other tips/tricks I should know in dealing with this?

[sean]

"CRAZY noise" like Arnold Shoenberg singing karaoke?

Or do you mean hum? 

If you mean hum or buzz, I would suspect the following source:
1.  Is your cable a shielded instrument cable, or is it an unshielded "speaker" cable.  An unshielded cable will provide crazy hum.  This would provide hum with the piano turned off.  Is the cable good?  Does the sleeve at one end still electrically connect to the sleeve at the other end?

Other things to check:
2.  Is one of the solder tabs of any of the 1/4" jacks involved (on the piano or on your amp) disconnected?  Are the terminals that push against the jack still strong and springy so that they make clean electrical contact?
3.  Is one of the legs from any of the potentiometers in the piano broken or disconnected? 
4.  Bees.  Are there bees?


Sean