GuitArtMan Posted December 2, 2008 Share Posted December 2, 2008 A few years back I had what I thought was a michrophonic neck pickup. Bridge pickup - fine; neck pickup - squeals like a stuck pig. I had the pickup potted. Didn't fix it. I swapped the pickup for a factory potted pickup. Still squealls. A call to the amp manufacurer (Mesa) and a new pre-amp tube later, problem solved. The fact that a distortion pedal fixed the problem leads me to believe you have a microphonic pre-amp tube. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brentrocks Posted December 2, 2008 Share Posted December 2, 2008 Alnico Pro IIs are nice pickups - BrentRocks Favorites If I remember correctly - and they are potted. This might be a way to get close to that Seth sound you like in a potted pickup. right you are....a perfect match for the Gary Moore Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
big bob Posted December 2, 2008 Share Posted December 2, 2008 you should put some BG pups smoke stacks in that bad boy http://www.bg-pups.com/hb.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thundersteel Posted December 2, 2008 Author Share Posted December 2, 2008 The fact that a distortion pedal fixed the problem leads me to believe you have a microphonic pre-amp tube. Since that is the only guitar that does it, I must respectfully disagree. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JeffB Posted December 2, 2008 Share Posted December 2, 2008 Maybe it was just a resonant frequency between that guitar and amp that the dist pedal removed. :laughing4: Ive been working in retail to long. I have begun to speak it fluently. Get me a real job quick :undecided: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pro-fusion Posted December 2, 2008 Share Posted December 2, 2008 I'm going to guess that the problem is 0the unpotted pickups. They probably sound better overall, but that's irrelevant if you're getting a bunch of squealing every time you stop playing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GuitArtMan Posted December 3, 2008 Share Posted December 3, 2008 Since that is the only guitar that does it, I must respectfully disagree. You mentioned that with the distortion pedal you can turn the gain down on your Marshall - hence your are not pushing the pre-amp tube(s) as hard. This is the same thing that happened with my Mesa. Low gain - no problem. High gain and neck pickup - squealls like a pig. Potting the neck pickup (stock unpotted Gword) did not fix the problem. Swapping the neck pickup ( various Duncans and Dimarzios all of which were potted) did not fix the problem. Swapping the pre-amp tube fixed the problem. You can call me crazy but you can't change the facts - it was my pre-amp tube that was microphonic and not my new pickup. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thundersteel Posted December 3, 2008 Author Share Posted December 3, 2008 Did you put in the same style pre-amp tubes, or did you use something different? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GuitArtMan Posted December 3, 2008 Share Posted December 3, 2008 Did you put in the same style pre-amp tubes, or did you use something different? Same style. Mesa just sent me a replacement. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dick Seacup Posted December 4, 2008 Share Posted December 4, 2008 ...You can call me crazy but you can't change the facts - it was my pre-amp tube that was microphonic and not my new pickup. Microphonic tubes are easy to test for...take a pencil with an eraser on the end, crank the amp up a ways and start tapping on the glass (with the eraser end of the pencil). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GuitArtMan Posted December 4, 2008 Share Posted December 4, 2008 Microphonic tubes are easy to test for...take a pencil with an eraser on the end, crank the amp up a ways and start tapping on the glass (with the eraser end of the pencil). I like chopsticks but they both work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dick Seacup Posted December 4, 2008 Share Posted December 4, 2008 I like chopsticks but they both work. Forgot about chopsticks...thems what I used when I built the amp and needed to poke wires around under power. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wingnut1 Posted December 4, 2008 Share Posted December 4, 2008 I just thwack them with my finger nail. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gitfiddler Posted December 4, 2008 Share Posted December 4, 2008 Mesa Engineering used to have a photo on their website of a female employee who regularly 'tapped' new tubes with a small hammer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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