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Post subject: old microphonic Strat pickups.
Posted: Tue Jul 22, 2014 6:48 am
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So I've got some old pickups that are microphonic if at high gain. I want to pot them, but I don't want to use hot wax. I'm concerned that the heat might ruin them.

My questions is, "Is there another method that will not harm the pickups?"

I've heard of using Lacquer, but I'm not use how to do that. Any advice about using lacquer would be very helpful.

Also, is there material a person could use to dip the pickups?


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Post subject: Re: old microphonic Strat pickups.
Posted: Tue Jul 22, 2014 7:47 am
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I just potted a pair of humbuckers. You just need to control the temp with a thermostat in the wax. I doubt that you will harm them.

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Post subject: Re: old microphonic Strat pickups.
Posted: Tue Jul 22, 2014 8:43 am
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Here's some reading: StewMac Wax Potting, with Lacquer Sidekick


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Post subject: Re: old microphonic Strat pickups.
Posted: Tue Jul 22, 2014 11:29 am
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I like wax better, because you can always go back a pot them again if need be.

Once you use lacquer, if the lacquer dries out and it becomes microphonic again, you really can fix it.

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Post subject: Re: old microphonic Strat pickups.
Posted: Tue Jul 22, 2014 12:12 pm
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Jeffytune wrote:
I like wax better, because you can always go back a pot them again if need be.


+1

The wax is more effective at damping unwanted coil resonance -- Leo discovered this early on which is why he chose this medium.

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Post subject: Re: old microphonic Strat pickups.
Posted: Wed Jul 23, 2014 7:41 am
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Easy to pot pickups with wax , just use cooking thermometer. I learn many years ago .


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Post subject: Re: old microphonic Strat pickups.
Posted: Wed Jul 23, 2014 9:18 am
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I was wondering, can the heat harm the pups?

I think I'm going to send them to Stu Mac and have them handle it.


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Post subject: Re: old microphonic Strat pickups.
Posted: Wed Jul 23, 2014 11:53 am
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paris wrote:
I was wondering, can the heat harm the pups?

I think I'm going to send them to Stu Mac and have them handle it.


If done properly, wax potting will not harm the pups.
I don't know how much Stu Mac charges, but considering all of the items you would need to put together and the mess I made doing mine, I'd say for one set of pups to send them out to be done.

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Post subject: Re: old microphonic Strat pickups.
Posted: Wed Jul 23, 2014 1:16 pm
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Drew365 wrote:
paris wrote:
I was wondering, can the heat harm the pups?

I think I'm going to send them to Stu Mac and have them handle it.


If done properly, wax potting will not harm the pups.
I don't know how much Stu Mac charges, but considering all of the items you would need to put together and the mess I made doing mine, I'd say for one set of pups to send them out to be done.


Stu Mac charges $10.


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Post subject: Re: old microphonic Strat pickups.
Posted: Wed Jul 23, 2014 1:17 pm
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The only pickup that is really giving me trouble is the neck pickup. It's a '74 and sounds really wonderful at normal clean volume. At high gain the pickup starts squeeling.

Something else I noticed about this pickup. When I first got the guitar, I noticed a wierd "worbbling" sound on the 12th fret <. After doing some investigation, I found lowering the pickup almost flushed to the pickguard ended the problem.

The reason I bought the guitar was that it looks, sounded and felt great to play. The neck is smaller (like the late '70s Strats) than my '76 Strat. The pickups are the closest to vintage sounding Strat pickups (to my idea of what vintage Strat pickups should sound like). The body is a really nice 3-color-sunburst with rosewood finger board. It's in the shop getting new frets and a bone nut. It's the best playing '70s era Strat I've ever played. This is my 5th one. I still have 3.

Here is a photo -
http://s1068.photobucket.com/user/paris ... 5109889932


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Post subject: Re: old microphonic Strat pickups.
Posted: Wed Jul 23, 2014 2:34 pm
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paris wrote:
Drew365 wrote:
paris wrote:
I was wondering, can the heat harm the pups?

I think I'm going to send them to Stu Mac and have them handle it.


If done properly, wax potting will not harm the pups.
I don't know how much Stu Mac charges, but considering all of the items you would need to put together and the mess I made doing mine, I'd say for one set of pups to send them out to be done.


Stu Mac charges $10.


Well, that's a no brainer. I paid more than that for the wax I bought. I probably spent that much in paper towels trying to clean the kitchen before the missus got home. :)

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Post subject: Re: old microphonic Strat pickups.
Posted: Wed Jul 23, 2014 3:14 pm
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Drew365 wrote:
I probably spent that much in paper towels trying to clean the kitchen before the missus got home. :)


:lol:

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Post subject: Re: old microphonic Strat pickups.
Posted: Thu Jul 24, 2014 2:12 am
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paris wrote:
I was wondering, can the heat harm the pups?

I think I'm going to send them to Stu Mac and have them handle it.



Yes , that why I talk about thermometer .

On long time ,cheaper and faster to learn how to and buy basic stuff. You will do potting for friend and make some $$.

A very easy job.


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Post subject: Re: old microphonic Strat pickups.
Posted: Thu Jul 24, 2014 3:39 am
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Oh, BTW: sometimes a certain amount of microphonicness (???) can be good. Re: SRV, Roy Buchanan etc.





(Totally offtopic here, but:) Browsing thru some web pages on this topic I found something that was new to me. According to some sources, the ashtray (bridge cover) on old Teles acts not only as protection to the hands but also as protection against electric disturbances. Hmm - add to that the known microphonicness problems of the Tele bridge pickups...


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Post subject: Re: old microphonic Strat pickups.
Posted: Thu Jul 24, 2014 8:07 am
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jmattis wrote:
Oh, BTW: sometimes a certain amount of microphonicness (???) can be good. Re: SRV, Roy Buchanan etc.





(Totally offtopic here, but:) Browsing thru some web pages on this topic I found something that was new to me. According to some sources, the ashtray (bridge cover) on old Teles acts not only as protection to the hands but also as protection against electric disturbances. Hmm - add to that the known microphonicness problems of the Tele bridge pickups...


I agree with you on that. The pickups on my '76 Strat are microphonic as well, but it doesn't seem to give me any trouble. I also shielded that guitar by making a Faraday Cage with copper. It worked really well. It changed the dinamics of the pickups slightly. They sound a little richer, almost compressed in a way.


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