ES2 basic hum and introduction hello

[Paul D]

Hello UTGF! I am a long time Taylor owner and enthusiast. I purchased a GTe Urban Ash in February of this year and in March shipped off my 1989 855c(it's the Florentine cutaway) to Taylor for basic service and the ES2 install. After nearly 6 months I got my beloved 12 string back and it plays simply amazing! Probably better than new! So glad I did it. I have played many gigs with that guitar over the years and used different string gauges and tunings and that guitar never let me down. Just a real beast and workhorse guitar and being 30 years old the rosewood is really doing it's thing now! My question to you all is in regards to the slight but totally audible, hum sound on the ES2 pickups. It is the same on both guitars. Sure enough as mentioned in a couple other posts I've read, it is eliminated by touching the cable plugged into the guitar. I would like to understand why and how to eliminate it. Can you help me? I have plenty of experience recording and playing live, own several DI boxes and understand gain structure no problem. I have been running a project studio out of my basement and back room for years and perform as a soloist to this day. I would like to know if others hear what I am describing and the easiest fix. Thanks so much!

[HasseFX]

My question to you all is in regards to the slight but totally audible, hum sound on the ES2 pickups. It is the same on both guitars. Sure enough as mentioned in a couple other posts I've read, it is eliminated by touching the cable plugged into the guitar. I would like to understand why and how to eliminate it. Can you help me? I have plenty of experience recording and playing live, own several DI boxes and understand gain structure no problem. I have been running a project studio out of my basement and back room for years and perform as a soloist to this day. I would like to know if others hear what I am describing and the easiest fix. Thanks so much!

Hello and welcome to the group from a fellow ES2 equipped Taylor user/studio geek 

My ES-2 has no hum issues whatsoever and I'd look for some ground loops or other ground problems in the studio itself. The ES2 output is quite low impedance and it seems unlikely that there should be faulty ES2 systems in both guitars. Do you have any similar problems with other audio gear like microphones or electric guitars? Have you tried other cables and also any of the DI-boxes? (Not very likely though, as the ES2 is low impedance already, but maybe any ground lift on the DIs could help)

[Hippy]

Welcome!
I just today, for the first time since getting my new custom GC with ES2 last year, plugging into a recorder with headphones & noticed the HUM coming from the guitar! Goes away when I touch the jack, but not when I touch the strings. Immediately figured that the ground fuse had blown. Opened it to replace it and discovered that, unlike the ES1.X the ES2 has no fuse! Why? Because they don't ground the strings anymore!!! 

What's with that?? Unacceptable. Back at the intro of the ES1 Taylor did the same lame thing, and eventually added a metal plate under the pins to ground the strings. (And also added the questionable fuse).

The only solution to this is grounding the strings. Because sometimes, you know, life isn't perfect and there is 60Hz floating around. I really cannot believe that the electronics are not A) better shielded, and B) that the strings are not grounded.

Shame!!!

[HasseFX]

ES2 are piezo, galvanic isolation from the strings and picks up just mechanical vibration - no magnetic field to handle (like ES1). But that is of course no excuse for bad shielding for the piezo wiring and preamp.

[Hippy]

But that is of course no excuse for bad shielding for the piezo wiring and preamp.

Exactly!!! 

[Paul D]

My question to you all is in regards to the slight but totally audible, hum sound on the ES2 pickups. It is the same on both guitars. Sure enough as mentioned in a couple other posts I've read, it is eliminated by touching the cable plugged into the guitar. I would like to understand why and how to eliminate it. Can you help me? I have plenty of experience recording and playing live, own several DI boxes and understand gain structure no problem. I have been running a project studio out of my basement and back room for years and perform as a soloist to this day. I would like to know if others hear what I am describing and the easiest fix. Thanks so much!

Hello and welcome to the group from a fellow ES2 equipped Taylor user/studio geek 

My ES-2 has no hum issues whatsoever and I'd look for some ground loops or other ground problems in the studio itself. The ES2 output is quite low impedance and it seems unlikely that there should be faulty ES2 systems in both guitars. Do you have any similar problems with other audio gear like microphones or electric guitars? Have you tried other cables and also any of the DI-boxes? (Not very likely though, as the ES2 is low impedance already, but maybe any ground lift on the DIs could help)