ST59 in a standard Tele bridge

[conorsearl]

I put an ST59-1 in a shecter Telecaster. The Bridge is now super noisy. And produces a really annoying ring when the guitar is turned up. I tried changing bridges and the problem is the same. Does this sound like a pickup problem? I've notice that the square(ish) corners of the pickup coils make contact with the round opening in the bridge is it possible that the bridge just needs to be modified to accept the different shape?

 

[Mincer]

That pickup should be very quiet. The tape on the coil should prevent any interference from the bridge touching the coils, so I doubt that is an issue. Is that 'ring' there when you are plugged in, on, but not playing? Is it an overtone or harmonic that is ringing when you do play?

 

[conorsearl]

The ring is the result of playing the guitar. It's not an electrical sound, and it's not like feedback, or what I would think of as an overtone, or harmonic. If I flick the edge of the bridge with my finger it comes through the amp as a very shrill and bright metallic ring. It's almost unbearable when the amp is dimed. I don't usually flick the bridge of my guitar when I actually play, but any time I strike the bridge with a pick or the edge of my hand the result is the same. I tried changing bridges and had the same result.

 

[Mincer]

That's really strange! And it doesn't go away when you switch bridges, right? If you dampen the bridge, does it still ring? Maybe it is some weird resonant frequency thing...

 

[conorsearl]

Yeah it's really strange. Damping the bridge does nothing. I even had the bridge completely off of the guitar with the pickup still wired in. And the whole bridge acts like a microphone picking up whatever sounds the bridge is making. This was the same for both bridges. And the bridges were entirely different. The stock bridge is a vintage style 3 saddle bridge with the walls that go the length of the bridge, the other bridge I tried was a thicker flat modern style. So it seems like the pickup has to be the problem. Could the potting be faulty on the pickup?

 

[Mincer]

I've never heard unpotted pickups make any kind of ring. They can hum, and they will pick up stuff like finger noise better, but I'd want to try to figure out what is ringing. I don't suppose you have another guitar to try the pickup in.

 

[conorsearl]

I do actually have another guitar now that you mention it. I'll swap out that pickup and see what happens.

 

[conorsearl]

So, I tried swapping the pickup into another guitar. Turns out the ST59 won't fit through the bridge on that guitar. But I did discover something interesting. With the pickup outside of the bridge but wired in, if I gently rub a metal rod against the ribbon wrapping the pickup coils I can hear it through the amp. Doing the same experiment with the single coil pickup that came out of the other guitar its dead silent while I do the same thing.

 

[Mincer]

Did it sound like ringing? Maybe something was touching that on the original guitar...hmmm...

 

[conorsearl]

Yeah, after thinking about it a little differently, I plugged my personal Tele (with a traditional tele pickup) into my amp, dimed it, and started tapping the bridge with a screw driver. The tapping is loud, like one would expect, but it's not an annoying sound, and there is no ring, it's a solid sound. Then I plugged the problem guitar in, and did the same thing. It's equally loud, but there is a ring underneath every tap, I guess you would actually describe it as a harmonic or overtone.

So, paying closer attention to the bridge and this particular guitar. The corners of the ST59 are touching the bridge. The 4 anchor screws are on the verge of being stripped. The front edge of the bridge is slightly bent, and you can hear it click against the body of the guitar when you tap it.

So, I realize this all sounds opposite from my previous posted experience, but I think I was looking at everything trying to make the pickup the culprit. I couldn't actually mount the other bridge I tried as the screw pattern didn't match the guitar. And I heard the tapping and assumed it was the same, but I wasn't listening for that ringing sound specifically.

Perhaps this is a perfect storm, a slightly noisy pickup combined with an ill fitting bridge?

 

[Mincer]

Would any sort of dampening of the bridge help prevent this? Or wedging something like cloth tape where the pickup is touching the bridge help? It is starting to sound like a perfect storm. I can't say I've ever had this issue.