Have I got a defective JD??

[Aaron Cheney]

The JD I have in my tele is hyper-microphonic...so much so that I could probably sing through it. If I have any gain going on, I can't get my amp past bedroom volumes without my guitar feeding back just like a microphone pointed straight at a PA speaker. Any finger noise anywhere on the guitar, even on the headstock, comes through the amp clearly.

For the record, I've tried using foam in the cavity, I've stabilized the bridge, and I've even re-potted the darn thing. Nothing has worked.

I know tele pickups can be slightly microphonic...but should a JD be this microphonic??? Correct me if I'm wrong, but shouldn't I at least be able to at least be able to play at a decent volume, with medium distortion, without complete microphonic screech?

Are there any other steps I can take to fix this?

And, most importantly, should I risk buying another JD (love the tone) and winding up with the same problem??

I'm getting a bit desperate here....

A

 

[jeremy]

Re: Have I got a defective JD??

no jd ive ever had has had those symptoms.

when you re-potted it, how long did you leave it in the wax? it might take 15 minutes to saturate the coil completly.

was it a good mix of paraffin (70-80%) and bees wax? was it hot enough but not too hot? 150 degrees F is what i typically use

i only ask because a properly dipped pup should squeal like that. it is possible that your bridge is contributing to the feedback. teles have alot of metal around that bridge pup between the bridge and the base plate. ive heard of guys dripping wax on the bottom of the bridge so when they screw it to the body it acts like a cushion. never tried or had to try that myself but its supposed to work.

 

[Dirt123]

Re: Have I got a defective JD??

I've done 2 different things to Tele pickups to reduce squeal:
1. Remove the baseplate & re-attach it with silicon sealer (might damage the pickup in the long run).

2. Remove the baseplate & stick a rubber spacer made out of bicycle inner tube between the baseplate & the pickup.

Both worked for me.

Edit: I did it to my JD.

 

[jeremy]

Re: Have I got a defective JD??

there should be a piece of tape or something between the magnets and the plate so they are not actually touching and a good dip in the wax bath should accomplish the same things as the silicon or rubber. but if its really stubborn then its worth a try.

ive used silicon before with no ill effects

 

[Zhangliqun]

Re: Have I got a defective JD??

Sometimes the bridge itself can be very microphonic on Tele's, especially if there are no screws on the neck side of the bridge. Make sure you have it screwed down tight. Also, is there any wax or silicone between the baseplate and pu?

 

[Aaron Cheney]

Re: Have I got a defective JD??

Thanks for the suggestions guys!

My wife owns a salon and has a parafin heater specially made to melt parafin in. That's what I used to dip it in. I used a candy thermometer to check the temp, and it was just about 150 F. I left it in for almost 15 minutes...until there were no more bubbles coming out of it.

The only X factor could be the parafin itself. It was what she uses in the salon...it's a mix of mostly parafin and some oils...I don't know that exact mix.

I don't think the problem is the bridge or pickup being loose and vibrating. I've tried touching both the bridge and the pickup itself to stop the screeching, and neither works. I've also filled the pickup cavity with foam to stop any vibrating inside.

Honestly...I'm at a point now where I'm tired of trying to fix this. I love the JD tone, but before I purchase another I want to be sure I'm not just buying another problem. Know what I mean?

A

 

[Dirt123]

Re: Have I got a defective JD??

It's probably the baseplate - given everything else you've tried, that's the only thing left that I can think of. Rubber or silicone should dampen it.

Have fun.
D

 

[Aaron Cheney]

Re: Have I got a defective JD??

so...I'm no expert at modding pickups. How do I go about removing the baseplate? Just pull it right off?

Is it as simple and pulling the baseplate off, covering the bottom with silicon, and sticking it back on?

A

 

[Dirt123]

Re: Have I got a defective JD??

so...I'm no expert at modding pickups. How do I go about removing the baseplate? Just pull it right off?

Is it as simple and pulling the baseplate off, covering the bottom with silicon, and sticking it back on?

A

That's it exactly. Make sure the screw holes line up.

I almost forgot, be careful not to break off the grounding wire connection; but if you do, just re-solder it.

 

[Rich_S]

Re: Have I got a defective JD??

Am I the only one who thinks this is worth an e-mail to Duncan tech support, and perhaps a round-trip ticket for the pickup to go visit Santa Barbara?

 

[Aaron Cheney]

Re: Have I got a defective JD??

Am I the only one who thinks this is worth an e-mail to Duncan tech support, and perhaps a round-trip ticket for the pickup to go visit Santa Barbara?

I'd love to email them, but try as I might I can find no contact info on the site. Maybe I'm missing something obvious. If anybody can hook a brother up...

A

 

[Bludave]

Re: Have I got a defective JD??

Send it back to SD and see if they can find a problem with it. I have a JD in one of my Teles and I dipped it along with the neck pup and I have not had any major problem with microphonics, but Tele bridge pickups can be prone to squealing a bit.

 

[Artie]

Re: Have I got a defective JD??

I'd love to email them, but try as I might I can find no contact info on the site. Maybe I'm missing something obvious. If anybody can hook a brother up...

A

Click on the SD logo at the top of this page. SCroll to the bottom of the page that opens. Click on the small words "Contact" at the bottom.