Well, I should start off by requesting no replies that completely negate the information provided within my post. PLEASE, don't suggest a "remedy" after I've clearly explained that it has already been tried, tried again and still did not solve the issue. Not to be crass, but I've talked myself blue in the face and typed my fingers ragged trying to remedy this and don't want to be going in perpetual circles forever with this with anyone.
This is the issue: I have a custom made single pickup guitar. Glued-in neck thru. Rock maple neck with an ebony fretboard set into a myrtle body with a burled maple top. 7 string floating tremolo with a Tremel-No. 36 frets, hence only one pickup. I ordered the alnico bridge Nailbomb 7 covered because Tim recommended it as the best fit for having a lot of variety in one pickup, as I would need it because I would be playing distorted/ clean & rhythm/ lead with the one pickup and trying to cover a lot of territory tonally and by genre, etc. A multi-purpose guitar, this is.
Now, the pickup sounds just fine clean, both full hum and coil tapped. Just rolling the tone knob off and on between tapped and hb is like toggling between pickup combos with a single coil and humbucked guitar. Sounds great. Distorted is an entirely different story though.
I cannot seem to rid of a buzzing/humming sound that I get with gain and I don't use an obscene amount of gain neither. EVEN if I switch between a multi fx module like a Korg Pandora (and using full noisegate) through a little practice amp, or running Amplitube Metal in Nuendo3 (obsolescent, I know!) going through a Digidesign MBox2 (using noisegate. *Also, this is the worst sounding of the 3 setups I use and there's no amp in this equation), or simple analog pedals through an old school tube amp (Boss NS-2 Noise Suppressor can't even get rid of the noise), I have the same problem more or less. I've tried different outlets in different rooms in the house. I tried different guitar cables in different orders with the 3 different setups. I have 2 other guitars, one with slightly hot passive HSS set and another with 2 active EMG. Neither have ANY noise problems whatsoever through all 3 aforementioned "rigs" that were tested.
I had the luthier that made the guitar AND installed the pickup check it out at least 3 times now. Everything comes back clear as far as there not being an issue with the grounding, as there is a test tone to confirm continuity EVERYWHERE including the pickup cover, etc etc etc. The solder joints all checked out, as the wiring, for he has installed a BK in many a guitar, and all without fault to any degree like this, save one pickup which he ultimately DID have to send back (a Black Dog) for being faulty, which is where I think this may just have to go towards as well.
I also bought a multimeter and tested at home just so I knew what to look at/for and also had checked at a well known guitar shop here for continuity, proper wiring, etc. Checks out fine.
Its metal components DO cancel out A PARTICULAR noise, (though not the droning, monotonous noise I have been speaking of) of which sounds like that of a grounding issue and is apparent when NOT touching the strings or metal components, but I have been told is just sometimes apparently inherent of hotter passive pickups(?)
The hum/buzz I originally spoke of, though, is present regardless. In fact, it actually sounds like a guitar cable unplugged from the guitar and on the floor, but LOUDER and more pronounced when plugged in. As mentioned, even with noise gates/suppressors in use, it is heard WHEN playing or sustaining notes.
Now...since this is NOT, I repeat, NOT a ground issue as should it be apparent thus far...nor any of the other problems I incorrectly diagnosed myself so far, what could it possibly be besides a faulty pickup?!?
OHHHH...and I should mention that the sound is literally 2x louder and worse sounding when coil tapped.
Oh yeah...and the volume knob makes scratching noises when rolled off and on, BUT...BUT only when the strings are not being touched. It is NOT the volume pot, which has been replaced 2x just in case and plenty of contact cleaner and compressed air has been blown in the current one to fix the problem IF that was the problem. The major red flag here being that it ONLY scratches when NOT touching the strings and rolling the volume up and down, which means goodbye volume swells and slow fade outs without having am/fm radio station changing sounds in the mix.
:' (
