SQEEEEEAL! Re: Microphonic content

[nemo]

I just had a Warmoth Tele put together (Thinline no f-hole, Wagner PU's, funky wiring [http://www.guitarnuts.com/wiring/triffic/index.php]).


Occasionally I get some microphonic feedback. With a boost or a wah it gets crippling. My bandmates haven't taken kindly to the new "sound".

I've got a Wilkenson trem on the guitar and someone suggested that putting a cover on the back of the guitar where the strings run through might help with the SQUEEEEAL.

Any advice would be very appreciated. My ears can't take much more...

[Kap'n]

Which pickup is it? My Duncan '54 is neck pickup is microphonic. I think it's the cover. Doesn't bother me too much.

[nemo]

The neck squeals more than the bridge but they can both be pretty sharp, mostly when boosted. My experience with single coils is very limited. I'm not sure if this may be commonplace for thinline teles. Does the covering the rear cavity make any sense?

FWIW, the Wagners sound vey nice. More complex than a friends Tele Custom pickups.

[Kap'n]

It's really pretty hard to say without checking it out firsthand. Is it only with lots of gain, or just loudness? Is it altered by changing your angle towards the amp, or tone control settings?

[LightninBoy]

You might try rolling off some of the treble and mids on your amp and boost pedal when you pick up this particular guitar...

[nemo]

It's loudness issue.

I can position myself away from the amp with some success and a little roll off on my tone and/or volume clears it up. When it comes it comes FAST. Par for the course with loud single coils I guess.

[Tonefreak]

Hi Nemo!

The thinline design facilitates a hollowed body cavity. This will usually be the primary cause for microphonics. That why acoustic players in loud situations use sound hole covers. I've seen and remedied this problem in telecasters ( single coil PU's) two ways:

1) Have the PU's "dipped". Talk to a good guitar tech, and he'll get a decent grade shellack, and dip the PU's. The problem with single coils is that they will be very microphonic in a hollow cavity environment. The dipping process does NOT affect tone or output of the PU, but coats it...creating shielding, and this works out some of the problem.

2) Pack the PU. Use light foam or anything that will surround the PU inside the routed PU cavity. I've heard of guys even using that expanding foam that you squirt around windows and into cracks for insulation. Anything that is tight. This will isolate your PU, as well as insulate it.

I'm a retired guitar tech. If these things sound a little crazy, don't worry. They are tricks of the trade. The younger guys get lost on these issues, and most of them are far too eager to change PU's all the time. I swear they change PU's more often than their underwear, and it's not always the answer!

Good Luck!

[fezz parka]

I'm with the Kap'n. Sounds to me like the neck pup cover. Stock Tele neck pups usually have a ton of wax under the cover to prevent vibration. If these are Wagner rewinds, I'd send 'em back to have 'em potted.

I have a couple of teles (and a '71 LP Custom) that can get squirrely when used in high gain situations (mostly when I used boost pedals), but I've learned to work around it (Stopped using boost pedals!). The guitars just sound so damn good!

[nemo]

Thanks guys.

I'm going to try packing it and isolating it before sending it back. If that doesn't work, well, we'll see.

It's to knew a guitar to start dismantling already.

Dunno, how many Tele players here began on LP's.
I seem to think differently when playing a Tele over an LP.
Another step in guitar education.

[dafack01]

I started out on pauls, but currently only have 2 Teles (the pauls will come when I graduate and have enough money to build an 18W Marshall clone to plug 'er into. I want an R7 and some sorta reissue or vintage LP Special). I didn't really know too much about playing when I had my Pauls. Now I have one Muddy Waters Tele and one 50's Classic with Brass saddles and Voodoo Broadcaster pickups. I do approach them differently. The 50's classic I treat more like a P90 guitar. More overdriven and agressive. I use it when I wanna screw up some Roy Buchannan stuff too. My Muddy Waters Tele I play more countryish. I also use it when I want to "funkify" what I'm playing. I approach them differently.

[Bob Craver]

Another trick along with dipping the pickups and foaming the pickup cavity is to switch to surgical tubing instead of springs. Figure out how high you like yer pickups and make the tube just a bit longer.

[Tonefreak]

Can someone explain to me how a cover has the scientific ability to create microphonics? 60 cycle hum if the covers aren't grounded properly can happen...but microophonics?

[Bob Craver]

Not much science involved. They vibrate.

[fezz parka]

Originally posted by Tonefreak
Can someone explain to me how a cover has the scientific ability to create microphonics? 60 cycle hum if the covers aren't grounded properly can happen...but microophonics?

Strings vibrate, right ? Through induction, the vibrations are turned into a signal which is then amplified. If the pickup cover vibrates, it's "picked up" (usually sounding very unsympathetic) and is amplified along with the strings. The cover isn't necessarily "microphonic" but vibrating, creating another signal that is being amplified.

But you knew this.

[Tonefreak]

Ahhhh... vibration! Yes, of course! All Tele's have covers...yet only some of them vibrate? And Tele's always had a predispostion for microphonics, right back to the 50's. Is it possible that microphonics could have other origins as well?

[nemo]

Other origins eh?

Now the hunt got more confusing.

We'll see how the suggestions go. More on this later.

[bonefish]

it's a really easy little project. i believe there are instructions on guitarnuts.com

[Lemniscate]

mIcrophonics; the polls (very ocassionally),coil wire and bassplate,if any may vibrate ~blam..microphone.

Adding wax by potting can kill the original tone,so if you're very lucky you can carefully melt the original wax by using a handheld hairdryer..takes a little practice..although even that may damage the pickup.

[nemo]

I'm reluctant to wax the pickup as i'm really digging the tone.

I've got to send the guitar back to the sho that assembled it. There are some extreme problems. No trees and low nut have strings popping out...

I'll have them insulate the PU's from the rear while they're at it.