Gibson SG Standard Sensitive Pickups and Loud Squeal?

[Jared Maurtua]

Hi, this is my first post in the SG forums. I bought an Epiphone SG but the pickups squealed very badly. So I sold it and picked up a Gibson SG Standard, but the seller wax dipped the pickups. I don't know it that's the problem but they squeal very loudly and they're very sensitive. When my guitar rubs my stomach, you can hear it. Can someone please help me? When I play a chord, and stop it with my palm (very common in All Time Low music, the music I play) it squeals so loud it hurts. I am worried because I just got it and it was $750.

[rct]

They are microphonic. You don't exactly just dip them in wax, but that's how it starts. Lots of people dip 'em in wax and can't figure out why they are still microphonic. And then they sell them. I'm sorry about that. They need to either be potted correctly or more likely, replaced with some decent pickups. All is not lost, just kinda annoying. Good luck with it.

 

rct

[Jared Maurtua]

They are microphonic. You don't exactly just dip them in wax, but that's how it starts. Lots of people dip 'em in wax and can't figure out why they are still microphonic. And then they sell them. I'm sorry about that. They need to either be potted correctly or more likely, replaced with some decent pickups. All is not lost, just kinda annoying. Good luck with it.

 

rct

 

Thank you. How exactly do I pot them correctly?

[rct]

Thank you. How exactly do I pot them correctly?

 

k, so, pickups uncontrollably squeal because the winding, that is, that very thin wire wrapped around the magnet, is wobbly. When it vibrates it creates feedback that is not the good kind. You know what that sounds like already, and you can probably talk into them and hear yerself at the amp.

 

When you pot pickups you get the wax, I'm not sure which kind, to the right temperature, I'm not sure what that is. You put the pickups in it and you have to sorta jiggle them around in there, make sure wax flows all through the windings, not just the outside.

 

There's a pickup maker hangs around here, I hope he'll show up soon to maybe be a bit more professional about it. I'm pretty sure you can do it yourself. I have not ever potted my own pickups.

 

rct

[charlie brown]

This might help:

 

http://www.premierguitar.com/Magazine/Issue/2009/Apr/How_To_Pot_Your_Own_Pickups.aspx

 

CB

[capmaster]

To my experiences, it could be useful to check out if the squeal is caused by the pickups itself, their mounting springs, or the palm-muted strings. You may explore it for sure without strings on your guitar. Then set up as if you want to play. If there is no squealing, the pups and the springs are free of adversive microphonics. In case of squealing, put your hands on the pups, and if the sqealing disappears, the mounting springs might be the cause. In these cases potting of the pups won't help. If the squeal is due to the mounting springs, you might experiment with some stronger replacements. If it is not, you perhaps consider to change to a guitar with a body less prone to resonance caused by sound pressure.

 

I experienced that among solidbodies my 1978 SG Standard with the entirely potted, absolutely non-microphonic Super Humbucking pickups and strong mounting springs of that time and my Fender Telecaster guitars do resonate much stronger when excited by air sound than my Fender Stratocasters, Gibson and Epiphone Les Pauls although the latters are weight relieved ones with inner cavities.

 

At least, performing the above desribed analysis you might avoid a wax potting procedure that finally won't fix the problem. Good luck, and I hope it helps.

[marvar]

before you go trying to fix the pickups, and, as you said, it's done it with 2 guitars, I think I'd look at the amp and the gain stucture- do you use a high gain amp, or have the gain turned up very high? that could be the problem.

[Big Bill]

before you go trying to fix the pickups, and, as you said, it's done it with 2 guitars, I think I'd look at the amp and the gain stucture- do you use a high gain amp, or have the gain turned up very high? that could be the problem.

 

Good point.

 

I would play that SG through a different amp and cord to eliminate that possibility.

 

My first guitar back in the 70s had this same problem. It was a Cortez Les Paul copy and it squealed because in was very cheap piece of crap. In your case, you have a much higher quality guitar.

[capmaster]

Good point.

 

I would play that SG through a different amp and cord to eliminate that possibility.

 

My first guitar back in the 70s had this same problem. It was a Cortez Les Paul copy and it squealed because in was very cheap piece of crap. In your case, you have a much higher quality guitar.

+1

[Greg Jacob]

Good point.

 

I would play that SG through a different amp and cord to eliminate that possibility.

 

My first guitar back in the 70s had this same problem. It was a Cortez Les Paul copy and it squealed because in was very cheap piece of crap. In your case, you have a much higher quality guitar.

 

Also, just like a microphone, make sure your amp isn't blaring right into the guitar. Try turning it or adjusting the height.

[surfpup]

A rectangle of foam padding placed directly behind the pickup in the pickup cavity of the guitar can do wonders for this. Turns out the foam Duncan and others place in the plastic box they sell their pickups in is just the right size, btw.

[Big Bill]

When you use the foam from the Seymour Duncan packaging, make sure you do not discard the pup itself.

[capmaster]

When you use the foam from the Seymour Duncan packaging, make sure you do not discard the pup itself.

[vexorgtr]

The foam is a novel idea! Stock, one of my Bass's pickups has foam beneath it, and it's standard fare on a Ric guitar. Although Gibson would be pleased to know their guitars outnumber the others in my collection.