tips for Unpotted pickups?!?!?!?!?

[danglybanger]

Just wondering how people here deal with them...

I love the distorted tone on my Jag, but it takes skill to figure out the threshhold to where you can turn the volume without squealing...

Is it just me, or is overdrive with unpotted pickups best on a high wattage amp with alot of headroom? It seems that way you can turn it up so you're loud enough, and just distorted, but not be into the threshold of squealing...

at the moment I only have a Vox modelling amp... (30 watts) and I get the distortion best by using the fender blackface model, with a pedal set to barely overdrive things... nice crunch

If I use the JCM2000 model or something, I usually have to use the built in attenuator and put it down a few watts... at the lower wattage settings it won't squeal. Also, the built in noise reducer helps :smack:

(as you can see I'm not yet into fancy amps or pedals... But I'm trying to figure out what I should be in the market for)

Any other tips? Is there a certain sort of pedal that can give distortion without feedback?

(TBH I still want to be able to turn the gain up on a JCM2000 and just unleash :laugh2: I might pot the pickups

 

[larry_emder]

Re: tips for Unpotted pickups?!?!?!?!?

Why not pot 'em? aint rocket science

Yeah the less distortion the louder you can play without squealing. Also try facing away from amp.

Dont think i can add any more to this topic!

 

[danglybanger]

Re: tips for Unpotted pickups?!?!?!?!?

Yeah the less distortion the louder you can play without squealing. Also try facing away from amp.

If I could I'd have my amp in California, and a cord to Florida (But for reasons stated in the off topic room this is physically impossible)

yeah... my room isn't the most acoustically sound place either :eek13:

I'm superstitious about my axes and hate taking them apart for any reason.

 

[Gr8Scott]

Re: tips for Unpotted pickups?!?!?!?!?

I think unpotted pups can sound better too, so I'd leave them unpotted and experiment like you already are. Some bro's will be along shortly who have plenty of seth etc experience. I have nothing to offer you other than encourgement. Please post your findings on what works for you.

 

[Johnny Q]

Re: tips for Unpotted pickups?!?!?!?!?

Get them potted, swap them for potted pickups or play at lower volumes w/ less gain.

I have had multiple sets of unpotted pickups and I could never play them through a cranked amp at rehearsal volume without hideous whistling and squealing. I know that others claim they have had success, but that hasnt been the case for me.

JQ

 

[theodie]

Re: tips for Unpotted pickups?!?!?!?!?

My only tip for unpotted pickups,

Pot them ASAP!

 

[TheArchitect]

Re: tips for Unpotted pickups?!?!?!?!?

I have never had a seth or other unpotted pick up squeal at such moderate volume/low gain as you have described. My LP has seths and I blast a 100w plexi feed with a Marshall Guv'nor with out issue. If working the volume knob when you are not playing can't control it then pattingmay be your only alternative

 

[jeremy]

Re: tips for Unpotted pickups?!?!?!?!?

your position relative to the amp will make a big difference, try turning your body as you play. my guess is youll find an angle to the amp that you wont squeal as much

 

[joelap]

Re: tips for Unpotted pickups?!?!?!?!?

Slade, get some friggin Duncans for that guitar!

 

[Gearjoneser]

Re: tips for Unpotted pickups?!?!?!?!?

Potting them is best, but another easy remedy that MIGHT work is to pull the pickguard off and put some electrical or duct tape over the bottoms of the pickups. It might dampen their vibrations in relationship to the guard. If the microphonics is coming from the coils themselves, it won't help that.

 

[danglybanger]

Re: tips for Unpotted pickups?!?!?!?!?

I have never had a seth or other unpotted pick up squeal at such moderate volume/low gain as you have described.

I never gave any actual numbers in my original post... not that this really matters to anyone, but I can crank it on the fender amp models without any problems... but there isn't enough distortion typically and I wind up using a pedal, but only after I've backed the gain down to 5 or so. (this is how I can get the loudest with the best dist. on my amp).

On the JCM800 model I can have the gain at 5 with the master and volume controls cranked... on the JCM2000 I can have it at about 3 before it starts misbehaving.

If I crank the JCM2000 all the way up, I get the most GODLY tone ever, til I stop playing, then WHEEE!!!

I actually really like the tone of the Japanese pickups, which is why I'm leary about messing with them. Jonesy, I've tried stuffing tissue paper behind pickups on other axes to stabilize them... (actually, last one I did that on was my schecter, which had crazy high output pickups) maybe I'll try that here, but probably they need to be potted.

Or actually hey Joelap

As it is I can deal with it. it's just annoying on the otherwise perfect Jag

 

[Bludave]

Re: tips for Unpotted pickups?!?!?!?!?

The guitars that typically have problems with this are Teles and Semi hollows. I have a Tele that has a vintage 54N and JDB. When I first put them in the guitar it was fine. About 3 or 4 months later I started having a problem with the bridge pickup squealing, so I potted them. I have not noticed any difference in the tone of the guitar other than the fact that I can play with all the gain/volume I want and don't have to worry about squealing. I have a second Tele that is a custom Thinline. This has a JazzN and a 59B. These are coil tapped and whrn I run it in full HB mode thru a high gain setting in my amps it has a tendency to squeal. I potted these also and even though it is better it can still be an issue if I stand to close to the amp. My advice would be to pot the pickups. Whats the point in having a guitar that you can't play it the way you want to?

 

[danglybanger]

Re: tips for Unpotted pickups?!?!?!?!?

I think the Jag's 1 meg pots might be a big part of it...

switching to the rhythm section (50k pots) there's not as much squeal

thinking about all this... hmm