Waxing Lyrical...

[Watersilk]

Dear forum members, please help me, I'm ordering a pair of Tom Holmes' PAF humbuckers, there is an option to have them wax potted or unpotted.

 

I believe that the original PAF humbuckers from the late fifties were 'not' wax potted, yet artists were able to use these guitars on stage in high volume situations, suddenly now, every pickup from the large manufacturers is wax potted to protect against unwanted squeal.

 

Perhaps I'm wrong, but doesn't wax potting reduce the harmonics and muffle the sound a little? Muffle is perhaps the wrong word, perhaps flatten the frequencies a bit?

 

I think these pickups may be a little more alive and dynamic without the potting process, but will squeal be an issue? Has anyone tried an unpotted humbucker set and even better, have a set of unpotted Tom Holmes pickups?

 

I'm so excited about these pickups and had quite a wait, I want to get the 'right' specification.

 

Please share your views on this :)

[Guest Farnsbarns]

The BBs on my R8 aren't potted and I have no issues at all.

[Watersilk]

The BBs on my R8 aren't potted and I have no issues at all.

 

Hello Farnsbarns,

 

I was hoping that you would reply. I ordered them unpotted, I have just heard that some unpotted pickups squeal because of lose winding, so I was hoping someone just might have tried the Holme's unpotted.... I was just thinking, the fifties Gibson's were unpotted, so why not!

 

BB's... Burstbuckers, are they the original pickups that Gibson's Custom shop fitted to your R8? If so, then the pickups in my R9 and R7 could also be unpotted?

 

Unfortunately I will have to wait until I'm in London in April to get them in my '57 Goldtop reissue. I will be changing the electrics to an RS Guitarworks pots, wiring and cap, plus I might even change the bridge to a steel one and the nut too. I bought the guitar for £2,000 which makes it a 'little' easier to swallow the cost of these new parts...after these mods it will be up to my fingers to get the best out of her....

 

I will also be making a couple of singlecut guitars beginning with T that a company with a name beginning with F make.... those will be my first non-Gibson type guitars.... Mmmm, I've gone for a '52 spec with low wind Fralin single coils on one, and Cavalier's on the other.

 

Do you have any experience with wood stain/dyes?

[Guest Farnsbarns]

Hello Farnsbarns,

 

I was hoping that you would reply. I ordered them unpotted, I have just heard that some unpotted pickups squeal because of lose winding, so I was hoping someone just might have tried the Holme's unpotted.... I was just thinking, the fifties Gibson's were unpotted, so why not!

 

BB's... Burstbuckers, are they the original pickups that Gibson's Custom shop fitted to your R8? If so, then the pickups in my R9 and R7 could also be unpotted?

 

Unfortunately I will have to wait until I'm in London in April to get them in my '57 Goldtop reissue. I will be changing the electrics to an RS Guitarworks pots, wiring and cap, plus I might even change the bridge to a steel one and the nut too. I bought the guitar for £2,000 which makes it a 'little' easier to swallow the cost of these new parts...after these mods it will be up to my fingers to get the best out of her....

 

I will also be making a couple of singlecut guitars beginning with T that a company with a name beginning with F make.... those will be my first non-Gibson type guitars.... Mmmm, I've gone for a '52 spec with low wind Fralin single coils on one, and Cavalier's on the other.

 

Do you have any experience with wood stain/dyes?

 

I know that around 2011/12 you could buy BBs from Gibson, aftermarket, but they were potted and those in RI's weren't. I don't know if that still stands.