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OK,
One of the joys of old(ish) guitars is the good ole squealing pickups when you step on the gain pedal...
I can dial out the squeal somewhat by turning down either the gain or volume/tone, however, in the heat of the moment gigs, this isn't ideal so I'm considering potting my pickups...the guitar in question is an early 70's deluxe with mini-hums..
A quick browse of t'internet tells me that potting will introduce a different tone to these pickups and the guitar will lose some of its jangleness - is this true?
Also, I have been told that these mini-hums are delicate little beasts and sometimes get wrecked through potting..again is this true?
What would you guys do, and who would you recommend if wax potting is the way forward?
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I've found that every single time I've tried to use a Seymour Duncan JB pickup in a live and loud environment, it squeals like fuck and sounds 'orrible. For that reason I went back to my BKP's, which I believe are potted.
"Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski
"Only two things are infinite - the universe, and human stupidity. And I'm not sure about the universe." - Albert Einstein
Personally I also use different blends of wax for different purposes. Beeswax is softer and restricts the movement of the pickup's component parts less. Paraffin wax is harder and more brittle, and holds the windings more rigidly. My PAF style pickups get a higher beeswax content bath.
Formerly TheGuitarWeasel ... Oil City Pickups ... Oil City Blog 7 String.org profile and message
thanks guys.
@theguitarweasel, do you offer a potting service for pickups? can I send these to you? and how much!!!
pm me if its easier
Formerly TheGuitarWeasel ... Oil City Pickups ... Oil City Blog 7 String.org profile and message
just because you do, doesn't mean you should.
I've done a whole pile of testing, and found this:
about 75% of cases of squealing pickups can be put down to covers. Either having a void over the bobbin tops that allows the top surface to 'drum' or ones not properly soldered on.
A smaller percentage of squealing comes from other loose major components, keeper bars, magnets, slugs etc. The smallest percentage comes from loose windings ... the bit that will influence the sound of the pickup most. My own approach is based on my observation that many mass manufacturers over pot to hell ... probably not wanting returns. They use such techniques as vacuum potting that takes out every minute air space.
Personally I try to reduce tolerances inside the pickup to a minimum so there is less physical room for components to move about that shouldn't. I use a tape material to soak up and hold the wax to the top of the bobbin on all new covered pickups ... thus reducing the amount of wax I need ... then with PAF style pickups I pot for the minimum amount of time for all the major components to be 'fixed' and the outermost layers of the winding wire to be soaked.
I don't offer unpotted as standard ... because I believe that if you do it right you can minimise any 'tone loss' and have a pickup that works well for openness and 'breath'. Of course people can have unpotted if they want ...
Formerly TheGuitarWeasel ... Oil City Pickups ... Oil City Blog 7 String.org profile and message