'Lightly potted' seths

[TeaAt5]

Hi Gang.

I have my eye on a set of Seth Lovers from the custom shop that have been quote 'lightly potted.'

Apparently this was to reduce feedback or something... I am mainly interested in them because they are 4 conductor and cheap to ship to Aus!

Would being lightly potted impact the seth tone and feel much?

 

[Mincer]

Re: 'Lightly potted' seths

I think you will be fine. Most likely it was ordered to make it somewhat feedback resistant. I am sure they will sound/feel great.

 

[beaubrummels]

Re: 'Lightly potted' seths

4-con lightly potted Seth’s? If you don’t buy them I will. Link?

 

[Clint 55]

Re: 'Lightly potted' seths

$$

 

[Jeff_H]

Re: 'Lightly potted' seths

Not to be a buzzkill as I love the Seth's as much as anyone does and I recommend them highly, but if a pickup is "lightly potted" then it's potted, period. An unpotted pickup has that airy quality and overtones due to the coil wire being free to resonate. Once wax penetrates into the coils, even if it's "lightly", the coils are no longer able to resonate or vibrate sympathetically; whatever it is they actually do.

Now, do I think those Seth's will sound really good? I most certainly do, as I've owned a set of potted Seth's in the past. But they will be ever so slightly different from the non potted version.

 

[Mr. B]

Re: 'Lightly potted' seths

How do you "lightly pot" a pickup? Low-fat wax? Were these "lightly potted" from the factory, or has someone done it after purchase?

 

[Chistopher]

Re: 'Lightly potted' seths

Once wax penetrates into the coils, even if it's "lightly", the coils are no longer able to resonate or vibrate sympathetically; whatever it is they actually do.

That's referred to in certain circles as "feedback".

 

[Mincer]

Re: 'Lightly potted' seths

I would think you cut the time it is submerged in the wax, right?

 

[AlexR]

Re: 'Lightly potted' seths

That's referred to in certain circles as "feedback".

Not by any circles that actually know what feedback is though.
You can most assuredly get the effect of unpotted pickups without squeal

 

[beaubrummels]

Re: 'Lightly potted' seths

I would think you cut the time it is submerged in the wax, right?

Im not a winder or expert, but wouldnt that leave air bubbles in the wax, making light potting hit and miss as far as its effectiveness?

 

[LLL]

Re: 'Lightly potted' seths

Yeah, they used margarine instead of butter.

 

[jeremy]

Re: 'Lightly potted' seths

I would think you cut the time it is submerged in the wax, right?

pretty much yes, at least for me and other hobby/small winders. duncan vacuum pots their pups most of the time.

 

[Jeff_H]

Re: 'Lightly potted' seths

Not by any circles that actually know what feedback is though.
You can most assuredly get the effect of unpotted pickups without squeal

This. Thanks Alex, for jumping in to clarify.

There is a big difference between "feedback" and the tonal quality an unpotted pickup imparts. You can induce feedback from a potted pickup just like an unpotted one; just stand close enough to a loud amp.

And I believe I saw a video once from the SD factory where Seymour "lightly potted" a pickup. It was basically a quick dip and swirl in the wax as opposed to leaving it in there and agitating it until there are no more air bubbles. I'm not sure how any remaining air bubbles might effect the performance of the pickup however.

Cheers

 

[Discharged]

Re: 'Lightly potted' seths

My take to the meaning of "light potting" is, that only the coils were dipped in the wax bath, where normal potting dips the whole assembled HB p'up. And to my ears, the two processes sound and behave differently.

/Peter

 

[AlexR]

Re: 'Lightly potted' seths

^ Really.

I guess experiences must be quite varied - as James from ReWind has done a lot of experimental work with 'de-potting', and cutting the pickup in half to see just how much wax is removed (practically none from the coils in any test method).
Of course you only remove wax from the surrounding parts in that process. He has found that you can never gain back the liveliness lost in the coil wax potting process, and the other wax in around the magnet and baseplate etc had minute to zero tonal impact.
Of course there are wider microphonic based elements suppressed by the wax in the rest of the pickup.

 

[Discharged]

Re: 'Lightly potted' seths

^ Really.

I guess experiences must be quite varied - as James from ReWind has done a lot of experimental work with 'de-potting', and cutting the pickup in half to see just how much wax is removed (practically none from the coils in any test method).
Of course you only remove wax from the surrounding parts in that process. He has found that you can never gain back the liveliness lost in the coil wax potting process, and the other wax in around the magnet and baseplate etc had minute to zero tonal impact.
Of course there are wider microphonic based elements suppressed by the wax in the rest of the pickup.

The "liveliness" you referring to comes from the "microphonic factor" every p'up has, depending on several factors other than the quantity and composition of wax used on a particular p'up, like the bobbins' inherent rigidity of the material used to make it. Butyrate, polycarbonate, glass-filled nylon and ABS, all sound different from the other, even though the exact same wind from a CNC winder is applied. Some comes from the different core each bobbins has, some comes from the way the wire is laid due to the way the start lead is set inside or outside the bobbin.

My own personal experience is that I could get an A2-modded '59b into controlled feedback to one note, to two notes after getting rid of all visible wax, and to three notes when the same p'up was rewound and reassembled with no wax. To be noted that I don't play loud music in giant stadiums, but Smooth Jazz in 200 seats venues.

/Peter