humbucker minimal potting suggestions

T

Tonehound54

New member
Hello guys,

Local jamm spot we frequent playing classic rock and blues sadly it's tight and setup fairly tight to our amps. the one setup I enjoy is my Mesa Mark V-35 head and single 12 cab/s, Epi Elitist Les Paul with buckers but man alive the feedback I'm getting is to the point I need to do something. No issues with HSS Strat or 52' RI tele just this one LP.

I've read someplace that someone just potted the magnet and their comment was it was suffice, but for the amount of work to tear everything apart and try this I thought I'd reach out to you guys to ask for input. I love my tone from unpotted pups and hope I can find out what minimum I can do to eliminate this God awful squeezing feedback without losing their characteristics.

Thanks all in advance
 
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Re: humbucker minimal potting suggestions

welcome to the forum!

its usually the coil that needs to be potted, the magnet should be held tightly by the baseplate and bobbins unless the baseplate screws are loose. you can lightly pot the pups rather than fully potting them.
 
Re: humbucker minimal potting suggestions

Thanks Jeremy, I kinda wondered if potting the magnet would possibly isolate partial conductivity but maybe that's not how this all works.

Didn't know a pup could be Lightly potted opposed to fully. Ive been under the impression once they were submerged in melted paraffin and air bubbles stop rising to top, that was it. No way to control how much wax got into components, but yes I'd appreciate knowing how to go about just getting enough on them to eliminate feedback. Tnx again.
 
Re: humbucker minimal potting suggestions

I'm with Jeremy, potting the magnet will likely have little to know effect.

As for lightly vs heavy or normal or whatever potting once there is wax in the pickup there is wax in the pickup...

Before you go that far try tightening down the base plate and if the pickup has covers doing the old tape trick or something like it between the tops of the bobbins and inside of the cover...
 
Re: humbucker minimal potting suggestions

If you prefer not to pot your pickups (which is no big deal), try putting blocks of foam underneath your pickups.
 
Re: humbucker minimal potting suggestions

Lightly potted pickups can still squeal, but likely the culprit is volume that is too loud, or standing right in front of your amp. Potting unpotted pickups does change the sound a bit, so you might be better off keeping the LP as is (if you love the sound) and using another guitar at the jam.
 
Re: humbucker minimal potting suggestions

ya tnx guys. Kinda wondered how to "lightly" pot as wax is wax. Once it's dipped it's completely covered although it left long enough for all components to reach same temp as wax there might better coverage throughout.

I'm running full length springs and read I think it was on J Lollars site thats suppose to help some but I have some foam I'll try in underneath and see if that does anything. I have an order with Philadelphia Luthiers and some of their I think it's cloth tape. So just wrap around the Outside of both coils or try and get in between each one ?? Wrap each one individually??
 
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