Slightly Sequealing Tele Lead: What should I do?

[dr.barlo]

Hey Gang,

I recently have installed a Lindy Fralin Blues special tele lead (that I've got from Lew) into the bridge of my 01 mary kay white ash/rosewood american series strat.

The pickup has lotsa dynamics, harmonics to it, and I get to love it pretty much. But it sequeals. On my blues jr. that I am using for my gigs, I generally keep the master around 11. Then when the tone on the guitar is at 10, it starts to sequeal when the vol is more than 8-9. Then I can control some of that by adjusting the angle the guitar has to the amp, or by walking further away from the amp. when I decrease the tone control on the guitar to 6-7, I can reach vol levels of 10-11 without problems.

So the question is: What do I do? Do the wax potting (I am somewhat experienced with that on HB's and I assume it is not that different. Double boiler in a pot with wax, wait till no more bubbles come out, no?)? Or live with it? After all I think it is a fact that wax potting decreases the 3d harmonics content of the tone, no?

Your inputs are appreciated. Thanks in advance.

the SD JD in my tele has 0, absolutely 0, sequealing. And I love its tone. Maybe I need to get another one for this guitar as well. What do you say?

B

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Slightly Sequealing Tele Lead: What should I do?

Hi Doc! Check to see if the bassplate is loose...that's usually the problem with squeeling Tele bridge pickups. Sometimes they get loose when the screws are installed...sometime they're just loose. I just remove the bassplate and drip a few drops of wax from a candle on it, press it back onto the bottem of the pickup and apply heat from a soldering tool to remelt and distribute the wax evenly and then press it on tight until the wax cools again. That has always done the trick for me. Good luck! Lew

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Slightly Sequealing Tele Lead: What should I do?

As for whether to get another JD for that Tele, I think variety is nice! I love the JD, the Tele Antiquity, the Fralin Blues Special and also the Fender Nocaster...but I only have three Teles. (sold four of my other guitars to get that third Custom Shop Tele)

It's the NoCaster that's going to go to make room for a JD...not the Blues Special.

Lew

 

[dr.barlo]

Re: Slightly Sequealing Tele Lead: What should I do?

Thanks Lew,

The base plate seemed to be firmly attached to the bottom of the pickup. but you definitely have a point when you point out that during the installation of the screws, it might have been a little off. It is a strat, and I have to lift the pickguard up.

Anyway, the sequealing issues is not very dramatic, still can use it very well. On the telecaster forum, the general consensus is not to touch slightly sq'ling tele leads. I don't favor the idea of wax potting the whole pickup, it has a very 3d tone, don't wanna mess with it. but the baseplate idea is appreciated, am gonna check it asap. Will let you guys know.

B

 

[dr.barlo]

Re: Slightly Sequealing Tele Lead: What should I do?

BTW I am with you on the issue of diversity. Love both of those tele leads, the JD and the Blues sp. They are different tho, as you've pointed out in the "ultimate tele tone" thread.

B

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Slightly Sequealing Tele Lead: What should I do?

Say Doc, what are you using for a neck pickup with your Jerry Donahue? I've tried the Antiquity and also the Alnico II pro but both sounded a little to warm and low in output for me. I'm really looking for a Strat neck pickup tone in a Tele neck pickup size. So far, the two I like best are the Fender NoCaster neck for a covered pickup and the Fralin Blues Special for an uncovered neck pickup...but I'm still looking. Any Duncan's you'd recommend trying? Thanks, Lew

 

[dr.barlo]

Re: Slightly Sequealing Tele Lead: What should I do?

Sorry Lew, I am not very experienced when it comes to single coil SD's.

I am using that SD JD on my fat tele, with ant hb in the neck, 7.55K still with the aged magnet and cover. It works great with it but that's not what you want is it?

The only strat single coil I would know works miracles with the JD is Van Zandt's vintage +. It is thick, still chimey (less than Fralin's vintage hots), but has a nasal (but with more uppermids) scream that really comes quite close to SRV stuff with 0.11-.52 strings. Maybe with 0.13 it would not do that, but still...

Why not use a texas hot antiquity s/c? Warmoth does strat single coil pickguards, and the cavity on your tele should be big enough.

B

 

[dr.barlo]

Re: Slightly Sequealing Tele Lead: What should I do?

Update:

Thanks LEW problem solved. I was sort of not sure about the candle wax, but a friend of mine from another forum helped me quite a bit, and basically, I have done what Lew has suggested.

0 sequealing even at insanely high levels of Mesa overdrive! The problem was the baseplate, and did not do any potting on the pickup. Result is ideal, no tone change, all them sq'ling gone.

B

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Slightly Sequealing Tele Lead: What should I do?

Excellant! That's a relief... LOL!

Lew