Your guitar stops buzzing when you touch the cable because you are grounding yourself to the cable. This creates a path for the electrical interference to flow away from your guitar, which stops the buzzing.
Electrical interference is caused by electromagnetic fields from other electronic devices, such as amplifiers, power lines, and computers. These electromagnetic fields can cause the strings on your guitar to vibrate, which produces a buzzing sound.
When you touch the cable, you are creating a path for the electrical interference to flow away from your guitar and into the ground. This stops the buzzing.
There are a few other things that can cause your guitar to buzz, such as:
- Grounding issues: If your guitar is not properly grounded, it can pick up electrical interference from the environment. This can cause a buzzing sound, especially when you touch the strings or other metal parts of the guitar.
- Shielding problems: If the inside of your guitar is not properly shielded, it can pick up electromagnetic interference from other electronic devices. This can also cause a buzzing sound.
- Pickup problems: If your guitar’s pickups are not properly adjusted, they can cause a buzzing sound. This is especially true if the pickups are too high or too close to the strings.
- Fret problems: If the frets on your guitar are not properly leveled, they can cause a buzzing sound when you play certain notes.
- Bridge problems: If the bridge on your guitar is not properly adjusted, it can cause a buzzing sound. This is especially true if the bridge is too high or too low.
If you are experiencing a buzzing sound from your guitar, there are a few things you can do to try to fix it:
- Check the grounding: Make sure that your guitar is properly grounded. You can do this by plugging your guitar into a grounded outlet.
- Check the shielding: If you have the tools and skills necessary, you can check the shielding inside your guitar to make sure that it is properly installed. If the shielding is not properly installed, you can install it yourself or take your guitar to a qualified technician to have it done.
- Adjust the pickups: If you have the tools and skills necessary, you can adjust the pickups on your guitar to try to reduce the buzzing sound. If you are not comfortable adjusting the pickups yourself, you can take your guitar to a qualified technician to have it done.
- Level the frets: If the frets on your guitar are not properly leveled, you can take your guitar to a qualified technician to have them leveled.
- Adjust the bridge: If the bridge on your guitar is not properly adjusted, you can adjust it yourself or take your guitar to a qualified technician to have it done.
If you have tried all of the above and you are still experiencing a buzzing sound from your guitar, it is possible that there is a problem with the electronics in your guitar. If this is the case, you should take your guitar to a qualified technician to have it diagnosed and repaired.