Antiquity IIs insanely microphonic

[2ndhandband]

I bought a set of Antiquity II pickups for my Firebird maybe a year and a half ago. I had to send the neck pickup back because one of the solder joints on the cover was loose and the pickup not all the way seated. Duncan fixed the problem and it was fine... or so I thought.

Thing is, I was in the middle of a hiatus from gigging, so I was playing at living room levels this whole time. Last week I took the guitar to an actual rehearsal for the first time and these pickups are HORRIBLY microphonic at actual performance volume levels. Uselessly so. The neck pickup is worse than the bridge (a lot worse), but it's both of them. Unless I'm going to run completely clean all the time, this thing squeals like a pig at gigging levels.

Is there anything to be done about this, or do I have $300 worth of useless pickups?

 

[daenius]

Re: Antiquity IIs insanely microphonic

Are they wax potted?

 

[2ndhandband]

Re: Antiquity IIs insanely microphonic

Are they wax potted?

So far as I know they are not.

 

[daenius]

Re: Antiquity IIs insanely microphonic

Wax potting is supposed to address those feedback problems. For that reason, many people order their Seth Lover set with wax potting.

 

[2ndhandband]

Re: Antiquity IIs insanely microphonic

Wax potting is supposed to address those feedback problems. For that reason, many people order their Seth Lover set with wax potting.

So what you're saying is this very expensive pickup set is useless for actual performance purposes and I just have to buy new pickups?

 

[dotsdad]

Re: Antiquity IIs insanely microphonic

You can have the, potted for 20 bucks... http://customshop.seymourduncan.com/rewinds-repairs-1/

 

[beaubrummels]

Re: Antiquity IIs insanely microphonic

Firebird pickups are encased in wax. It's not that. Put some foam behind the pickups in the cavity so everything is tight, the pickup can't wobble or vibrate with the height screws or springs.

 

[kramersteen]

Re: Antiquity IIs insanely microphonic

Squeals like a pig? Gain set to 11! hehe

 

[Boogie Bill]

Re: Antiquity IIs insanely microphonic

I doubt that the Ants are potted, even on the Firebird models.

My PAF Ants and Seths will feedback, but it's always been controllable and musical...not the, "Oops...just stepped on the cat's tail!"

Beware though...the vintage style bobbin material used in the Antiquitys can melt if over-heated. Make sure that whoever pots them knows what they're doing.

Bill

 

[2ndhandband]

Re: Antiquity IIs insanely microphonic

I doubt that the Ants are potted, even on the Firebird models.

My PAF Ants and Seths will feedback, but it's always been controllable and musical...not the, "Oops...just stepped on the cat's tail!"

Beware though...the vintage style bobbin material used in the Antiquitys can melt if over-heated. Make sure that whoever pots them knows what they're doing.

Bill

These FB Ants are completely uncontrollable... I mean, if I crank it up to performance levels with enough gain to make the rock (I'm filling in with a Journey tribute for the next eight weeks), the neck pickup squeals period... you can't make it stop. And the bridge pickup is always hovering right on the edge. It's totally unusable.

 

[Mincer]

Re: Antiquity IIs insanely microphonic

My guess is that they weren't designed for those levels of gain, at that volume, that close to the amp. Get them potted, or use another type of pickup for this gig right now. I don't play with very loud stage volume at all, and any Antiquities I have used don't squeal, ever.

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Antiquity IIs insanely microphonic

When guys rehearse or play at home they usually stand facing their amp. I know I do.

Whereas, onstage I turn to face the audience and my amp is behind me and my body is between the amp and my guitar.

Turning to face your amp invites feedback.

Just something to think about.

Kind of like how playing at home in your stocking feet while shuffling on a carpet invites static.

Anyways, sounds like these Firebird pickups need to be potted. Putting some foam inside the pickup rout and under the pickups might help too.

 

[2ndhandband]

Re: Antiquity IIs insanely microphonic

I use a Fender Supersonic 22 head pushing four classic celestion G12-80s... this rig doesn't get it's tone till you hit about four on the volume knob. Which is right around the point at which this guitar starts howling. And I'm admittedly a bit of a weirdo; I'm a hard rock/metal guy who hates the sound of traditional humbuckers. I've mostly been a single coil player but I've really fallen in love with this FB sound... but no guitar is useful to me if I can't run it hot and loud.

 

[jeremy]

Re: Antiquity IIs insanely microphonic

i have a pair of antiquity II fb pups. the neck pup is in a tele i play a fair amount at gigs. i dont really use a ton of gain but it sure isnt clean (classic rock levels of gain) and im playing at gig volume levels from bars to festival stages and i dont have any issues with feedback. if i want the guitar to feedback i have to coax it to do so and its musical. sounds like yours are very microphonic and need to be repotted.

 

[2ndhandband]

Re: Antiquity IIs insanely microphonic

i have a pair of antiquity II fb pups. the neck pup is in a tele i play a fair amount at gigs. i dont really use a ton of gain but it sure isnt clean (classic rock levels of gain) and im playing at gig volume levels from bars to festival stages and i dont have any issues with feedback. if i want the guitar to feedback i have to coax it to do so and its musical. sounds like yours are very microphonic and need to be repotted.

Yeah I just put in an order with the custom shop to send them in for repotting. Given what these pickups cost I'm not thrilled about the situation but i need this guitar functional. I was planning for it to be my main guitar for this gig but I guess it's back the the strat for me...

 

[jeremy]

Re: Antiquity IIs insanely microphonic

its sure not the normal, i have a lot of antiquitys and havent had feedback issues with any of them. i have had issues with a few fender tele bridge pups where the baseplate needed to be re-waxed but that was simple enough. hope this takes care of your issue!

 

[Mincer]

Re: Antiquity IIs insanely microphonic

When guys rehearse or play at home they usually stand facing their amp. I know I do.

Whereas, onstage I turn to face the audience and my amp is behind me and my body is between the amp and my guitar.

Turning to face your amp invites feedback.

Just something to think about.

Kind of like how playing at home in your stocking feet while shuffling on a carpet invites static.

Anyways, sounds like these Firebird pickups need to be potted. Putting some foam inside the pickup rout and under the pickups might help too.

If I use an amp at a gig, I put it in front of me, like a stage monitor. It gets miked for the PA, but I actually play pretty quietly onstage.

 

[2ndhandband]

Re: Antiquity IIs insanely microphonic

If I use an amp at a gig, I put it in front of me, like a stage monitor. It gets miked for the PA, but I actually play pretty quietly onstage.

Interesting... in very small venues I have actually been known to turn my cabinet to face the back wall so I can turn it up! My rig just doesn't get it's tone till it's almost halfway up, and you'd have to hold me at gunpoint to get me to use anything else.

 

[chadd]

Re: Antiquity IIs insanely microphonic

If I use an amp at a gig, I put it in front of me, like a stage monitor. It gets miked for the PA, but I actually play pretty quietly onstage.

I've always preferred to set mine up as a side fill to keep the cabling away from people.

 

[2ndhandband]

Re: Antiquity IIs insanely microphonic

I've always preferred to set mine up as a side fill to keep the cabling away from people.

I've been known to do that, depending on the stage. Sometimes that can serve for stage sound as well if the monitors leave something to be desired. But I'm not sure what you mean about the cabling... are you not wireless?