Very disappointed with SD

[Deny]

I have always been a DiMarzio user, and I don't even necessarily like every pickup I've bought from them. So, picky? Maybe.

2 years ago I've got a Washburn Parallax which comes with SDs, Distortion in the bridge and Jazz in the neck (neither have metal covers). The bridge pickup squeals like a pig about to become bacon on moderate-high gain and stage volume (my drummer is REALLY loud). Exact same settings and my Ibanez Prestige equipped with a DiMarzio Fred on the bridge doesn't squeal. I also have a Chapman ML1 handy with a DiMarzio Super Distortion in the bridge, doesn't squeal either. In fact I have yet to find a setting that makes those pickups go microphonic.

I've repotted the SD Distortion bridge pickup to no avail, and was beginning to suspect the culprit was the tremolo springs.

Fast forward to this week when I've got a brand new custom made guitar from what's considered the Suhr custom shop in my country, and it came equipped with Duncans as well (no metal covers either), a JB on the bridge and a 59 on the neck. Guess what? The JB (which I've read somewhere is the exact same pickup as the Distortion with an alnico magnet) ALSO SQUEALS with the settings above!

So I'm not saying the SD JB and Distortion suck, but they probably are (much) more susceptible to microphonic squealing than the DiMarzios I own (Fred, PAF Pro, Blaze, Steve Special, The Breed, Super Distorition), and don't work for my application. Before anyone asks if I'm using a huge amount of gain, I'm not, it's an AX8 and the patch is a plexi with a mild boost in front for some tight hard rock sounds, I play in a Bon Jovi cover band.

Anyone with a similar experience?

 

[hamerfan]

Re: Very disappointed with SD

Squealing is a no-brainer to an experienced tech - its a mecanical or a electrical problem to stop. Look for a good tech. The real question is how does the JB and the Distortion sound?

 

[dystrust]

Re: Very disappointed with SD

I used JBs for a couple years before switching to Customs and I never had a problem with either squealing unless I was playing far too loud for the room, or standing right on top of my amp when playing really loud.

 

[DavidRavenMoon]

Re: Very disappointed with SD

Do the pickups have covers? If so, that’s where the squealing is originating.


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[Deny]

Re: Very disappointed with SD

I should probably add another bit of information, I have a technical background in electronics so I make my own adjustments, wirings and modifications in all my guitars, except on the new custom one which is brand new. The Washburn Parallax for instance, I've swapped the magnet orientation on the bridge SD Distortion and wired it RWRP for noise cancellation and now it quacks gloriously. For a while I even thought it was my fault it was squealing, maybe some of the potting got messed up when I dettached the baseplate for swapping the magnet orientation, so I re-tightened the screws and re-potted the pickup, but no luck.

As far as pickups, it's not like their design is rocket science, the number of variables isn't that big: magnet strength, construction geometry, wire gauge and isolation type, windings per coil and potting. To me what's important is what the pickup output is at a certain distance from the strings that gives me the kind of response I want, and that it doesn't squeal on stage because to me that's one of the most annoying and distracting things a pickup can do.

My experience could very well be an incredible coincidence, but frankly I don't think the pattern I'm seeing with these pickups can be ignored. "High gain" and "too loud" can be relative, but the comparison between pickup brands seem more measurable and logic, that's why I'm looking for similar experiences with both brands.

 

[Deny]

Re: Very disappointed with SD

Do the pickups have covers? If so, that’s where the squealing is originating.


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None of the pickups have covers.

 

[ItsaBass]

Re: Very disappointed with SD

I play in a Bon Jovi cover band.

I wanted to help you up till that point.

But being serious, this is odd. I've only experienced squealing with '60s pickups.

That said, the JB and the Distortion are both higher output pickups than a Fred or a Super Distortion, and they have a different e.q. so they are going to cause different "things" to happen. Higher output pickups are doing more of your gain knob's work for the amp, so the gain and bass often have to be notched down a bit compared to the lighter output pickups.

You say you are playing with a LOUD drummer, so you must be cranked up pretty high in volume. It would also be good to hear an example of your tone. One man's mildly boosted tone is another man's filthy tone.

 

[Aceman]

Re: Very disappointed with SD

I play in a band that covers Bon Jovi. I can play as loud or quiet as I want and nothing squeals. So do thousands of other guys. It’s something about you dude.

 

[DavidRavenMoon]

Re: Very disappointed with SD

I play in a band that covers Bon Jovi. I can play as loud or quiet as I want and nothing squeals. So do thousands of other guys. It’s something about you dude.

I don’t use Duncan pickups, or play in a cover band, but I can stick my guitar right in front of my Marshall for feedback with no squealing. So yeah, something weird is going on.


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[ItsaBass]

Re: Very disappointed with SD

...something weird is going on.

...and it's Duncan's issue!

 

[Aceman]

Re: Very disappointed with SD

If dude is repotting and RWRP-ing them....Something is odd.....

But it isn't Seymour Duncan.

 

[DavidRavenMoon]

Re: Very disappointed with SD

Squealing is always caused by part of the pickup vibrating. It can even be wobbly mounting screws/springs.


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[Mincer]

Re: Very disappointed with SD

Well, I am sorry this is happening. But I can't rule out by the description that something else in the signal chain is causing the squealing. We have plenty of users on here with the same exact pickups, and this isn't an issue that ever comes up here. Certainly lots of preamp gain, in close proximity to the amp with a ton of stage volume can cause any pickup to squeal. The only way right now to put it down to the pickups is try them in another guitar. And try new pickups in the current guitar- a little scientific testing.

 

[Gtrjunior]

Re: Very disappointed with SD

I’ve never used a Distortion but I have 2 guitars with a JB. I haven’t experiences the squealing reported here. I use a good amount of gain and a boost in front of my amp and play in a cover band. I don’t typically play crazy loud but loud enough to get over a drum set.

 

[Deny]

Re: Very disappointed with SD

Well, I am sorry this is happening. But I can't rule out by the description that something else in the signal chain is causing the squealing. We have plenty of users on here with the same exact pickups, and this isn't an issue that ever comes up here. Certainly lots of preamp gain, in close proximity to the amp with a ton of stage volume can cause any pickup to squeal. The only way right now to put it down to the pickups is try them in another guitar. And try new pickups in the current guitar- a little scientific testing.

Well, if it is something else in my chain causing the squealing, the fact that none of my DiMarzio equipped guitars squeal (Jackson with PAF Pro, all-original Ibanez Universe, Chapman with Super Distortion, Ibanez Prestige with Fred) would probably speak volumes about DiMarzio pickups' ability to tame unwanted feedback. That's a different way of looking at the issue, but because I'm used to DiMarzios I would tend to put the SDs at fault.

Here's what my rig looks like: Guitar -> Fractal AX8 -> Yamaha DXR10
Like I've mentioned before, The patch I'm using in the AX8 is: FAS Boost (drive 1, volume 6) -> Plexi 100W (normal gain 5, bright gain 8.3, boost on, cut on, fat on)

And just to make it clear once again, only the Washburn Parallax in the bridge position (Duncan Distortion) and my new custom-made guitar, also in the bridge position (Duncan JB) squeal with this rig when playing at stage volumes.

 

[DavidRavenMoon]

Re: Very disappointed with SD

And just to make it clear once again, only the Washburn Parallax in the bridge position (Duncan Distortion) and my new custom-made guitar, also in the bridge position (Duncan JB) squeal with this rig when playing at stage volumes.

Hmmmmm. Do those bridge pickups wobble if you press on them? Like can you move them? They might have long legs on the baseplates. I’ve also heard of people saying the springs caused squealing.



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[Mincer]

Re: Very disappointed with SD

Oh cool, I use an AX8 live as well.

 

[Deny]

Re: Very disappointed with SD

Hmmmmm. Do those bridge pickups wobble if you press on them? Like can you move them? They might have long legs on the baseplates. I’ve also heard of people saying the springs caused squealing.

No, they don't wobble. I did consider the springs but all of these guitars have tremolos, most of them locking (Ibanez Edge, original Floyd Rose, Jackson licensed FR), with the exception of the new custom shop guitar which has a Gotoh 510 and the Chapman which has a Wilkinson WVPCR.

 

[DavidRavenMoon]

Re: Very disappointed with SD

No, they don't wobble. I did consider the springs but all of these guitars have tremolos, most of them locking (Ibanez Edge, original Floyd Rose, Jackson licensed FR), with the exception of the new custom shop guitar which has a Gotoh 510 and the Chapman which has a Wilkinson WVPCR.

Very odd. [emoji848]


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[Wattage]

Re: Very disappointed with SD

I wanted to help you up till that point.

Bass you owe me a monitor cleaning lolololol

Try using small rubber or nylon bushings between the pickup legs and the body. I would also try using some soft foam to fill the cavities under the pickups, use something like the type of foam that pickups come shipped in. I can't believe it isn't related to vibration so I would do everything I could to eliminate it, as long as you like the sound of the pickups otherwise.