Tele bridge pickup microphonic..

photek · September 2021

Just got and fitted a new (to me but actually about 14 years old) bridge pickup for my Tele and I think it is microphonic, when I tap or even rub the body of the guitar I can hear it through my amp and if it tap on the pickup it sounds like tapping a microphone. It doesn’t do it with just the neck pickup selected.

My question is, is there a way to stop this, the pickup itself sounds great… if I stay completely still and don’t touch anything

Edit: done some more research and it sounds like the base plate is loose, any suggestions on how to affix it properly, for full disclose I had a Monty pup in there before and all was fine.

CasperCaster · September 2021

I once had a problem with the thin stamped vintage style bridge plate rather than a pickup, though that was at volume rather than bedroom levels. If the pickup itself is genuinely microphonic then it should be demonstrable when it's outside the guitar i.e. with the pickup removed from the bridge plate and touched/tapped with a pencil or similar. Look closely at the top piece of flatwork and see if its warped or lifting from moisture (can lead to loose windings). Assuming the top flatwork is secure then carecully hold top flatwork, don't damp the metal shielding plate on the bottom of the pickup, and test again (loose shielding plate can cause microphony). Also just hold the pickup or put it on a flat surface and tap test it. This might help you determine the cause of microphony within the pickup.

If it turns out the pickup isn't actually microphonic, or not particularly so, and if you've used springs for the height adjustment swap them for soft rubber tubing. Also, before fitting the pickup, check the bridge plate itself is flat on the underside by trying to rock it on a flat surface or rocking a straight edge against the base of the bridge plate - some of the vintage style plates are poorly formed/become slightly warped, including genuine Fender ones. If it's excessively wonky even relatively soft timber and lacquer won't offer enough compliance, and it may lift, particulary on the front edge furthest from the mounting screws. So, when installing the bridge tighten the 4x bridge mount screws enough, but don't over tighten them/distort the bridge plate. If the string earth is trapped beneath the bridge plate then sometimes just moving it a bit/ to a different position/ flattening it a bit can help. It also might be worth damping the pickup (foam underneath) or bridge plate.

impmann · September 2021

If the baseplate is loose, it could be that the wax potting has gone hard/brittle.
You could try warming it gently to soften the wax *a tiny bit*.

What I did in a similar situation was put the bridge assembly (pickup screwed to bridge) on top of the cooker for about 20mins whilst my beloved was cooking a Sunday roast. I kept checking that it wasn’t getting too hot.
I then let it cool slowly (we ate dinner!!!) and stuck it back in the guitar. Hey presto!
Obviously this won’t work if the pickup isn’t potted but it may be worth a go…

bbill335 · September 2021

3m heavy duty carpet tape fixed a microphonic base plate for me.

WezV · September 2021

if it is bridge rather than pickup, you can put a drop or two of wax under the bridge when screwing it down.

photek · September 2021

Excellent info, thank you all. I will take the pup out of the bridge tonight to check it is the baseplate casing the issue. I will be really pleased if it is fixable, sounds great.

I will report back

Funkfingers · September 2021

Classic causes include:
Air gap between guitar bridge and guitar top.
Air gap between pickup bobbin and metal baseplate.
Sloppy height adjustment screw tension springs.
Poor/non-existent coil wax potting.
Shallow pickup cavity.
Coil so bulgy around its middle that the waxed string protecting it touches the edges of the pickup cut-out in the bridge, sending all vibrations directly into the coil.

photek · October 2021

So, I removed the pickup and it is definitely a loose baseplate, with clamps holding down each end the microphony stops completely. Unfortunately the base plate wouldn’t come off so I think it has been glued before.

I have used a feeler gauge to pack superglue in the gaps and left it clamped up. Fingers crossed. Thanks for the tips, I will check it tomorrow and report back!

ICBM · October 2021

Put a piece of soft foam rubber in the cavity under the pickup.

photek · October 2021

ICBM said:

Put a piece of soft foam rubber in the cavity under the pickup.

Good shout, thank you.

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Tele bridge pickup microphonic..

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