Waxing pickups ? How ?
- Thread starter zonniewiw
- Start date
grams
New member
Re: Waxing pickups ? How ?
Hi,
> Does anyone have experience in waxing pickups ?
Yes, I did it for two pups last weekend. wasn'T too hard, but took its time (like half a day including shopping)
> Can I do it myself ?
Yeah, I think so. But you have to decide for yourself
But for me it all worked out fine...
> What do I need ?
parafin, bee wax, a doubleboiler ... and your pups
> Does it change my tone ?
yes a bit. If you also but covers on you definitely should hear a change.
> Is it really affectiv against feedback ?
yes. With covers and no wax the covers can oscillate and "generate" a feedback noise. The wax just gives the covers a hold so it can't oscillate.
I can really recommend the following document from GuitarNuts, which really helped me a lot:
http://www.guitarnuts.com/technical/electrical/index.php
All important questions are answered there plus a step-by-step guide how it's done...
have fun
grams
Hi,
> Does anyone have experience in waxing pickups ?
Yes, I did it for two pups last weekend. wasn'T too hard, but took its time (like half a day including shopping)
> Can I do it myself ?
Yeah, I think so. But you have to decide for yourself
But for me it all worked out fine...> What do I need ?
parafin, bee wax, a doubleboiler ... and your pups
> Does it change my tone ?
yes a bit. If you also but covers on you definitely should hear a change.
> Is it really affectiv against feedback ?
yes. With covers and no wax the covers can oscillate and "generate" a feedback noise. The wax just gives the covers a hold so it can't oscillate.
I can really recommend the following document from GuitarNuts, which really helped me a lot:
http://www.guitarnuts.com/technical/electrical/index.php
All important questions are answered there plus a step-by-step guide how it's done...
have fun
grams
D
DeadSkinSlayer3
Guest
Re: Waxing pickups ? How ?
Whenever I change magnets in pickups, I just blast the sucker with a hair dryer, and it melts the wax and resets it, gets rid of all feedback I've experienced, at least the super microphonic stuff. The normal amp feedback will still be there, however.
Whenever I change magnets in pickups, I just blast the sucker with a hair dryer, and it melts the wax and resets it, gets rid of all feedback I've experienced, at least the super microphonic stuff. The normal amp feedback will still be there, however.
Zerberus
Baron Von Shred
Re: Waxing pickups ? How ?
You´ll want to be careful, or maybe even change the pickups out instead of waxing them.
Many older pickups, especially ones like Hoyer, Eko, Hopf and other mainstream European manufacturers used a different plastic for the bobbins which starts to melt at a MUCH lower teperature...be VEEERY careful if you decide to pot these.
You´ll want to be careful, or maybe even change the pickups out instead of waxing them.
Many older pickups, especially ones like Hoyer, Eko, Hopf and other mainstream European manufacturers used a different plastic for the bobbins which starts to melt at a MUCH lower teperature...be VEEERY careful if you decide to pot these.
Gearjoneser
Gear Ho
Re: Waxing pickups ? How ?
Buy parafin cooking wax at the grocery store.
Heat it up in a pan, so it melts, but doesn't boil at all. I like to put cardboard on the bottom of the pan, so the pickup doesn't get direct heat.
Hold the lead, and submerge it in the wax till the tiny bubbles stop coming up.
Pull it out quickly and place it on a few paper plates and toss it in the fridge.
Wipe all the wax off the pickup with a towel till it's clean and install it.
It's not a bad idea to line your stove area with newspapers, just to avoid a wax mess.
Buy parafin cooking wax at the grocery store.
Heat it up in a pan, so it melts, but doesn't boil at all. I like to put cardboard on the bottom of the pan, so the pickup doesn't get direct heat.
Hold the lead, and submerge it in the wax till the tiny bubbles stop coming up.
Pull it out quickly and place it on a few paper plates and toss it in the fridge.
Wipe all the wax off the pickup with a towel till it's clean and install it.
It's not a bad idea to line your stove area with newspapers, just to avoid a wax mess.
rspst14
Tone Cat
Re: Waxing pickups ? How ?
I use one of those parrafin spa units, like they sell at Bed, Bath, and Beyond. They are designed for treating hands and feet with parrafin wax, but they work very well for potting pickups. It's temperature controlled, so you don't have to worry about overheating the pickup and melting it. I got mine on Ebay for $10.
Ryan
I use one of those parrafin spa units, like they sell at Bed, Bath, and Beyond. They are designed for treating hands and feet with parrafin wax, but they work very well for potting pickups. It's temperature controlled, so you don't have to worry about overheating the pickup and melting it. I got mine on Ebay for $10.
Ryan
Inge Malmstein
New member
Re: Waxing pickups ? How ?
I do wax especially single-coils which have no tape, like the ssl-1 and the fat 50's.
I don't know why they are "blank" under the single-Coil Cover???
I'm afraid that the winding can become broken, so i do it to protect them.
I do wax especially single-coils which have no tape, like the ssl-1 and the fat 50's.
I don't know why they are "blank" under the single-Coil Cover???
I'm afraid that the winding can become broken, so i do it to protect them.
S
Skarekrough
Guest
Re: Waxing pickups ? How ?
For something that's vintage and possibly irreplacable I would suggest replacing the pickups and keeping the old ones around.
Wax potting is a pretty easy project. When I did it the pickups got "darker" on me and it really altered the tone to a point where I didn't like it very much.
Had I the chance to do it over again I would have gone with replacement pickups rather than ruin the originals.
zonniewiw said:
For something that's vintage and possibly irreplacable I would suggest replacing the pickups and keeping the old ones around.
Wax potting is a pretty easy project. When I did it the pickups got "darker" on me and it really altered the tone to a point where I didn't like it very much.
Had I the chance to do it over again I would have gone with replacement pickups rather than ruin the originals.
twoheadedboy
New member
Re: Waxing pickups ? How ?
+1! Not only are those useful for potting pickups, but they are super fun to play with. You can keep dipping your hand in and make a big boxing glove of wax. They also do work well for soothing joint pain. Time to buy me one.
rspst14 said:
+1! Not only are those useful for potting pickups, but they are super fun to play with. You can keep dipping your hand in and make a big boxing glove of wax. They also do work well for soothing joint pain. Time to buy me one.
zonniewiw
New member
Re: Waxing pickups ? How ?
Thanx everybody ,
I think I am still going to wax those vintage pups because ;
1 It looks that the size of the 2 humbuckers isn´t the "normal" size of a modern pup , and I think it´s better to try waxing the pup than drilling a bigger hole in the guitar.
2. I think I am never gonna sell this , and I want to use it on stage . So if the vintage value of the guitar drops , it doesn´t matter to me
if I have to choose between playing it only at home or studio , or waxing it and taking it also out on stage , it´s gonna be the second
I am only afraid , the sound will change a lot , and I dislike it instead of loving it.
It looks exactly like this guitar
http://www.fetishguitars.com/html/welson/335/welson335pacific.html
Build between 1965 and 1970 production number 46
Greetz
Johnny
Thanx everybody ,
I think I am still going to wax those vintage pups because ;
1 It looks that the size of the 2 humbuckers isn´t the "normal" size of a modern pup , and I think it´s better to try waxing the pup than drilling a bigger hole in the guitar.
2. I think I am never gonna sell this , and I want to use it on stage . So if the vintage value of the guitar drops , it doesn´t matter to me
if I have to choose between playing it only at home or studio , or waxing it and taking it also out on stage , it´s gonna be the second
I am only afraid , the sound will change a lot , and I dislike it instead of loving it.
It looks exactly like this guitar
http://www.fetishguitars.com/html/welson/335/welson335pacific.html
Build between 1965 and 1970 production number 46
Greetz
Johnny
jimmyjames
New member
Re: Waxing pickups ? How ?
Have you tried Gibson mini-humbuckers?
Have you tried Gibson mini-humbuckers?
Gearjoneser
Gear Ho
Re: Waxing pickups ? How ?
When you do it, just make sure the wax isn't near boiling, make sure the pickup doesn't take direct heat on the bottom of a metal pan, and don't worry when wax drips out upon removal from the wax. A light potting should do the trick on those.
When you do it, just make sure the wax isn't near boiling, make sure the pickup doesn't take direct heat on the bottom of a metal pan, and don't worry when wax drips out upon removal from the wax. A light potting should do the trick on those.
BlueGuitar
New member
Re: Waxing pickups ? How ?
I bought two pans that work as a double boiler- the larger pan is filled maybe 1/3 with water and the wax goes in the smaller pan. Once the wax melts I will turn the burner way down so that the water is not boiling (or anywhere close to it). Paraffin can be very flammable (like a candle!) so it is important to be careful.
Unless I am doing just a "quick dip" to seal the outside of the windings, I will leave the pickup(s) suspended in the melted paraffin for up to an hour. But I'm making up a vaccuum rig with a crock pot to cut the time down to about 7 minutes.
--Thanks!
Gearjoneser said:
I bought two pans that work as a double boiler- the larger pan is filled maybe 1/3 with water and the wax goes in the smaller pan. Once the wax melts I will turn the burner way down so that the water is not boiling (or anywhere close to it). Paraffin can be very flammable (like a candle!) so it is important to be careful.
Unless I am doing just a "quick dip" to seal the outside of the windings, I will leave the pickup(s) suspended in the melted paraffin for up to an hour. But I'm making up a vaccuum rig with a crock pot to cut the time down to about 7 minutes.
--Thanks!
