I just got a L - 1 model two AND a Taylor 314ce.
When I plug in the Taylor, I get a significant buzz. I can adjust the noise gate and it goes away but as soon as I strike any note/string, it starts right up again.

This is got to be easy right??? Please - say YES!

Hi thegiftofsong,

This should be easy.

Have you tried any other inputs? e.g. A different Guitar, a microphone.

How about different Channels on the T1™ ?

Try turning down the input trim - a little.

Have you tried a different cable.

How about plugging the L1™ Model II into a different power outlet?

Just trying to isolate the source of the buzz.

Thanks for being so fast. I also have a Martin 15ce and a Ibanez. Quiet as can be.

Okay - well then we have narrowed it down to the Guitar.

I'm not familiar with the pickup that is in your Taylor 314ce, but if it takes a battery - change it . Put in a new one.

Have you run that Taylor through a different amplifier lately?

Any problems?

This is very cool to get such quick responses! I changed the battery. Just realized that it has a lot to do with where I am in relationship to the stick. If I am 10' away facing it, it is very noticable. If I am positioned a couple of feet from it and facing away from it, then it stops.

All in all, I think it has to do with the multiple pick-up sources in the Taylor expression system. I will experiment more and thanks again!!!

The gift of song...

Hi thegiftofsong,

re: quick responses

Well it gets a little quieter around here on weekend evenings. I'm outta here pretty soon.

I don't recall anyone mentioning excessive buzz with the Taylor ES system and the L1™ .

You could try scrolling up to the top, try "Find" for Taylor ES buzz

Try different word combinations and see what comes up.

Catch you later.

Found several references on the web.

Google Search for Taylor ES buzz

I'd try a different cables, balanced, unbalanced. See if that helps.

When we were introducing the L1 system (the model now known as the Classic) we were at a particular venue and we could not get a high fizzy buzzing sound out of the Taylor with ES.

We worked very hard, for hours and hours to get this resolved. We knew what was happening: the radiated electromagnetic waves coming from older stage lighting dimmers that were located just offstage.

So, to be clear, airborne noise from the dimmers was seeping into the circuitry of the Taylor and then being transmitted by the guitar cable to the L1 system.

In order to get through the press conference we had to rig up an awkward extra ground wire that connected the steeel strings of the guitar to the ground shield of end pin connector. This was like doing surgery on a mouse.

On another occasion I worked with a gentleman from the south who was experiencing terrible problems with his ES equipped Taylor at his church. Again, the culprit turned out to be lighting dimmers. He gots buzzes and hums when he plugged into any guitar amp and he was hoping that the L1 would solve the problem. It did not. Eventually, he was able to have Taylor re-work the guitar electronics so that they were immune to the radiated emissions from dimmers.

Try turning off any lights -- especially those on a dimmer or flourescent and see if that changes the buzzing.

With best regards,

Ken

Hi thegiftofsong,

I have a very similar situation when using my ProMag pickup at home. The source of the buzz in my case is an air ionizer (see Dimmer Switches thread). Fortunately I have not experienced electromagnetic field induced noise at any venue in which I have played and the dimmers in my house do not cause any problems.

After reading Ken's post I did some reading using the link ST provided. I believe this Harmony-Central Review (scroll down to the bottom of the web page) may apply to your situation.

Hi:

quote:

Originally posted by thegiftofsong:
I just got a L - 1 model two AND a Taylor 314ce.
When I plug in the Taylor, I get a significant buzz. I can adjust the noise gate and it goes away but as soon as I strike any note/string, it starts right up again.

This is got to be easy right??? Please - say YES!

The other guy in our duo has a Taylor with the expression system. His guitar always has electrical noise to some degree. Most of the time it's manageable so that once we start to perform the hissing/buzzing is barely audible, etc. Some venues it's worse than others though. About the best I've been able to do, when it's really bad, is to feed his guitar though a decent-quality DI box, which helps to the extent that, while the noise/buzzing doesn't go away completely, it is at least supressed to the point that it isn't objectionable.

The best fix I've found so far is to touch the socket where the guitar cord plugs in, with a finger. Once I did that the noise went away, etc. Of course that's not practical in a performance situation but it did lead me to believe there was a grounding issue somewhere.

I was always amazed that a Taylor with the expression system would be that noisy. My Martin OM28/LR Baggs Dual Source combo is absolutely silent with respect to extraneous noise, etc, so I know the L1 isn't causing the problem in our case.

Good luck,

Stu

Hi thegiftofsong,

Do you have a new 314ce, or an older one? There is a big difference between the original ES and the current (last year or so) version. The original had several issues: noise, magnetic sensors that got stuck, poor battery life etc. If your 314 uses 2 AA batteries, it is the older ES, the newer version uses a 9v battery.

Having an 814ce with the older version, I suggest you try the balanced ouput from the 314 rather than a standard guitar TS cable to reduce buzz pickup. I find that using the balanced cable helps the interference, but also slightly increases the noise level. I use my 814 under flourescent lights and around dimmers all the time, without buzzes. Also, I have heard that Taylor will upgrade an older ES to the new version for a fee, but no idea what that may cost.

If you already have the NEW ES, then using the balanced cable may help a lot. Be careful, a lot of the postings from the searches are specific to the old ES version.

Good luck!

Don

I have a Taylor 410 CE with the older ES. Running into a T1 and L1 Compact. I also have the dreaded loud buzz when switch with a dimmer is on. Absolutely horrible. Is there any fix using some kind of ground wire etc? It only does this with this particular guitar. I've read a jillion threads about this problem but no one seems to address how to fix it.

Hi RKBGAP,

From what I've heard you need to have Taylor fix that problem.

Have you talked to them directly?

Ken