HOT!!! Major feedback.

[Craig Johnson]

I have a 3 position toggle switch (Humbucker in bridge single coil in neck) when in the "up" position (I'm assuming neck pickup) no feedback, middle position (I'm assuming both pickups) I get feedback when not playing, "down" position (I'm assuming humbucker) will shatter windows and atract dogs from 20 miles away when not playing. Any ideas :scratchhe and I may be wrong on which pickup is at which position it may be the opposite.

[bongano]

The neck humb pup could have become microphonic.
Try and rewax it.

[Craig Johnson]

The neck humb pup could have become microphonic.
Try and rewax it.

Explain????

[aceman_831]

its called potting the pickup. What you do is double boil parafin wax, then when its a certain temperature you dip the pickup into the wax and hold it there for a few seconds (very very precise or youll ruin the pickup) then pull the pickup out and the wax will harden.

the idea is to seal all components within the pickup which i guess the wax seals it from becoming microphonic.

Another method i do recommend for this type of problem which is most likely the best route yet expensive route, is to buy a unit such as the rocktron hush (i have one and its a dream come true for people who hate feedback)

You can find parafin wax about anywhere they sell candles, they typically are made of parafin wax. Once i find the how to, ill send it your way, i did this to my JB years ago...

I also know that people mix parafin wax and bees wax and get better results.

[bongano]

What Aceman said. :thumbsup

Anyways, any noise gate, like the Rocktron Hush, is good to stop feedbacks but it also cut a lot of good frequencies... also, I love feedback. :D

[aceman_831]

step 1: melt 20% bees wax and 80% parafin wax into a double boiler. You want to let the wax completely melt to liquid form.

Step 2: once it is completely liquid form (right after you see the last solid wax melt to liquid) turn the heat off and check the temperature of the wax with a thermometer. Once it hits 150 F it is now ready to have the pickup dipped in...

Step 3: Dip in the pickup by holding it from the wires. Make sure the whole pickup is submerged and twist the pickup and watch as the air bubbles that are rising from the pickup are gone. You want to typically put the pickup in the wax, twist it around fast and remove the air bubbles as fast as possible. If you leave your pickup in wax for too long, it may be totally ruined and unfixable...

Step 4: Once there are no more bubbles, lift it out of the wax and let the excess drip, the wax will harden onto the pickup... Make sure to let it cool down before you touch it, lay it on a flat surface (top of pickup facing up) and remove the excess wax.

http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c300/aceman_831/SNC11644.jpg
http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c300/aceman_831/SNC11641.jpg

If you got any more questions, feel free to ask =P

[_xxx_]

It shouldn't be that extreme because of wax potting, older vintage pickups weren't potted at all.
I think your squealing pup is wired wrong or has a short-circuit, probably one of the coils has been wired in reverse or something along these lines.

What axe is it, did you modify it recently? More info...

[Heinz]

I had a BC Rich that was like that with the stock pickups, it squealed like nobody's business. I was planning a pickup swap when I got it anyway, so that's how I dealt with that one. Otherwise I would have tried potting those.

Nowadays, I run a Boss NS-2. My problem now is not so much microphonics but rather a high gain tube amp being pushed by an OD pedal. You turn it up, it's gonna make noise!

What Sergej said is true too, but those old pickups will do things in today's higher gain rigs that they didn't through an old Marshall...

[Craig Johnson]

Japanese LK-1BF. Not much experience with these. I'm looking for info on the pickups that are in it. I have this same issue with my PC2.

[pel666]

Same issue with different guitar....might be your amp settings in combo with stompboxes at higher volume levels? Or does it do the same on low volume levels?

Also, is it the excessive squeling feedback...or is it the harmonic string feedback? I have a lot of feedback on gigs, but can pretty much control it by dampening or using the guitars volume knob. If you do play high gain squeling territory a noise gate might be of help...

[Craig Johnson]

Same issue with different guitar....might be your amp settings in combo with stompboxes at higher volume levels? Or does it do the same on low volume levels?

Also, is it the excessive squeling feedback...or is it the harmonic string feedback? I have a lot of feedback on gigs, but can pretty much control it by dampening or using the guitars volume knob. If you do play high gain squeling territory a noise gate might be of help...

It is the same on lower volumes. It is worse when I hit the solo channel though. It's not string feedback, I do naturally have some of that but muting the strings solves that problem. My ME-25 does have a noise gate if I could remember how to turn it on. I'll try that as well.

[_xxx_]

well that kinda eliminates the guitar as a source.

Do you have any ground loops, maybe using wall sockets from two separate lines or such?

Old tubes are often also the problem, in case you have an older tube amp.

There are just gazillion possibilities, hard to tell without checking the gear piece by piece...

[Craig Johnson]

Here is my setup. Marshall Solid State half stack, Boss Me-25, straight to guitar. Amp and pedal board are on 2 different circuits (wall sockets). I will get out the multimeter when I get home and check for anything out of the ordinary. I have a feeling it's in the pickups or wiring. The guitar thrashes while playing but makes your ears bleed when you're not.

[pel666]

Try different wall sockets...might indeed be an earth issue, could possibly well be a cable issue...but like Sergej said, could be a lot of different things as well. Did it work before? Tubes can do this to ya, but you say it's solid state...have you tried a different amp?

[Craig Johnson]

Try different wall sockets...might indeed be an earth issue, could possibly well be a cable issue...but like Sergej said, could be a lot of different things as well. Did it work before? Tubes can do this to ya, but you say it's solid state...have you tried a different amp?

Not yet on the different amp. Just put it together yesterday afternoon. Have'nt even taken any pics of it yet. But I will play it through another amp.

[_xxx_]

Try some other setting on your ME25 and go into the 100% clean amp, might as well be too much compression or volume or such things. Does it work fine when you go straight into the amp and turn up the volume?

[kramernoob]

is the electronics cavity shielded?

[aceman_831]

just pot the darn pickup haha

[errbt]

Try some other setting on your ME25 and go into the 100% clean amp, might as well be too much compression or volume or such things. Does it work fine when you go straight into the amp and turn up the volume?

Definitely could be certain settings on the ME25. I've got an old Digitech RP-21D sitting around, and some of the settings are so over the top that it just squeals all over the place. If it does turn out to be a compression or gain issue, you can try taking the patches that are giving trouble and tweak them back a bit just to the point before it gets out of control. I'm sure you don't want to lose that heavy sound you love while playing, so just take it to the edge of the cliff but not over. :band:thumbsup

Or, just pot the darn pickup! :D

[Craig Johnson]

So I should just pot the pickup !!!1:poke:happy1

[bongano]

So I should just pot the pickup !!!1:poke:happy1

:thumbsup

[errbt]

So I should just pot the pickup !!!1:poke:happy1

Yeah! Just pot the darn pick up! That's what I said...it was my idea, yeah, that's the ticket! In fact, I invented pickups in the first place! :toilet:D

Or if potting the pickup doesn't work, just pick up the pot! :bong :lol

Anyway, good luck and let us know when your long national feedback nightmare is over! :toast

[Craig Johnson]

Yu guys are freakin' hilarious. So I shall "Pot my pickup". I'll let ya'll know how it turns out you know with the pickup potting.:D

[kb7010]

You are not using the wrong type chord are ya..????

ie: a speaker chord instead of a guitar chord..
I did that ONCE at a gig.. and had your same problem..!!!! ( at least for the 1rst set I did :-x )
live and learn though... ;)

[Craig Johnson]

No it's a Monster instrument cable.

[Full Crib]

...the only time I have had dogs show up from the next town without any explanation is when I was playin through a Crate GC20 ministack...using my F1K with stock pup. I could plug it into a different setup and the dogs would return to rummaging through the garbage cans in their hometown;)

I would say your amp is the biggest contributor...:scratchhe

[errbt]

I would say your amp is the biggest contributor...:scratchhe

Maybe he should pot the amp? :lol

It could be tested by it by taking the guitar in question to a music store and trying it with different combinations of amps and OD/distortion pedals.

[kb7010]

No it's a Monster instrument cable.

how about the OTHER chords.. you have more than one right..????? how about chord from head into speaker cabinet..???? how about chord from boss unit into head..???? etc.. etc..

I would start getting rid of things in the loop ( so to speak ) ie: have you tried just guitar into head..????

I would also try different chords .. can't hurt eh..???

start from scratch and I bet you will find what is making the noise as it can't be the guitar if two guitar's are doing the same thing..??? :scratchhe

just some thoughts for ya..!!! ;)