Pot or Not?

[guitarmart]

I just put nickel covers on my SH-1 & SH-5 pickups on my Les Paul. I decided not to wax pot them yet because I wanted to make sure I like them covered. looks, ect... I thought, if I like the way they look I will take them off, wax pot them and then reinstall them.

Now I don't like the sound of my pups covered. They sound different and it may just be because they need wax. They are kinda ringing.

Should I wax them and hope that they will sound good or should I just uncover them and leave well enough alone?

Will some wax improve my pups sound?:15:

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Pot or Not?

I just put nickel covers on my SH-1 & SH-5 pickups on my Les Paul. I decided not to wax pot them yet because I wanted to make sure I like them covered. looks, ect... I thought, if I like the way they look I will take them off, wax pot them and then reinstall them.

Now I don't like the sound of my pups covered. They sound different and it may just be because they need wax. They are kinda ringing.

Should I wax them and hope that they will sound good or should I just uncover them and leave well enough alone?

Will some wax improve my pups sound?:15:

I'd just uncover them again. Wax potting won't improve the tone of the pickup unless it's squeeling...maybe that's what you're calling "ringing". If it's squeeling/ringing the wax will fill the air gaps inside the pickup and keep the nickel cover from resonating. I always install a piece of 1/2" masking tape inside the cover where the slug polepieces might touch against the inside of the cover and also to dampen the cover so it has less of a tendency to resonate and become microphonic. I also clamp the cover on very tight before soldering it. I have no problems with microphonics using this method. But I only do this for other guys when they want covers on thier pickups...I never install covers on my own humbuckers, tho I have two guitars with humbuckers that came covered and I left them that way. Like you, I think they sound better without the cover in the first place. Lew

 

[John Wymore]

If they are "ringing" I wonder if they are perhaps borderline microphonic????

Lew's point about getting the covers tight and using the masking tape is right on the money. Any air gap can lead to squealing.

If you decide to pot them and then remove the covers after the fact it's not that big a deal. Just re-dip them with the covers off and you will have very little wax to clean up.

 

[guitarmart]

Thanks! I did put masking tape on the poles before I covered them and I did solder them just like I saw on somebody's post. The ringing I mentioned is not a huge squealing it's more like a faint ring with high gain on. I just feel like the overall tone is not as good with them covered. It seemed like they were more full and even toned with the covers off.

Thanks Again! You guys are very helpful, great forum!

 

[Lewguitar]

Thanks! I did put masking tape on the poles before I covered them and I did solder them just like I saw on somebody's post. The ringing I mentioned is not a huge squealing it's more like a faint ring with high gain on. I just feel like the overall tone is not as good with them covered. It seemed like they were more full and even toned with the covers off.

Thanks Again! You guys are very helpful, great forum!

You're welcome...but next time put the tape inside the cover, not on the poles. The tape will help keep the cover from ringing. Lew