Hello from new member with a Luke III

[royb3988]

Greetings,

I recently purchased a Luke III HSS...excellent instrument!
Questions that were not (could not be) answered by the salesman at the music store:

1. What, precisely, does the 9 Volt battery do?
2. Is the battery being drained any time a guitar cable is plugged into the guitar?
3. Are the DiMarzio Transition pickups active or passive?
4. Should I get any buzzing at all when in switch position 3,4 and 5, (position 1 is the bridge pickup) a buzz that goes away when I touch metal on the guitar?

Many thanks,

RB

 

[jones4tone]

Welcome to the forum, and congrats on the new guitar! The Luke III is a great guitar.

The 9v battery powers the boost circuit (push/push on the volume knob) and the HSS may have the silent circuit for single-coil positions as well. (My Luke III is an HH, so I'm not sure on the silent circuit part.

Yes, the battery is draining any time the guitar cable is plugged in, so you won't want to store it plugged in.

The Transitions are passive, but there is an active circuit with the pre-amp and boost.

Does the buzzing change in volume as you move the guitar around, or as you change position in the room?

Have fun with the new guitar.

 

[johnnyboogie]

Congratulations!! =)

 

[royb3988]

Hello J4T...

Yes the buzzing varies slightly depending on my position in the room. I do not know if the guitar has the "Silent Circuit" or what that actually is supposed to do.

Thanks for the reply.

RB3988

 

[tbonesullivan]

That sounds like a grounding issue, possibly with the amplifier or what it is plugged into.

The pickups on the Luke HSS are all hum cancelling, so there should not be any 60 cycle hum from those.

 

[beej]

There are a lot of kinds of buzz. Noiseless pickups are designed to eliminate 50/60 cycle hum, but not other types of noise.

Good quick read on the subject from the late great Bill Lawrence:

Bill Lawrence Website

 

[Tollywood]

Welcome to the forum!

 

[GWDavis28]

Welcome!! You know it doesn't really exist without pictures right?

Glenn |B)