How does a pickup suddenly become microphonic?

[Dimebag11]

The bridge pup in my EBMM 25th just suddenly became squeally I liked that pickup too! 36th anniversary Dimarzio. Should I replace it w the same? Or go Aldrich or Black Dog?

 

[Code001]

Repot it

 

[Dimebag11]

Yea? That'll work?

 

[LP Freak]

You positive it's the pickup and not the amp?

 

[Dimebag11]

Positive. Doesn't squeal w my other axes.

 

[Code001]

Yea? That'll work?

I wouldn't have suggested it if it doesn't work. The tape will fall off, but you can replace it with black electrical tape if you don't have any pickup tape on hand.

 

[singtall]

leaving your guitar in a hot vehicle is a sure way to get microphonic pickups. you need to repot them. last time i repotted pickups i got some wax from Sally's beauty supply and melted it in a pot, after pulling off the black tape/material from the side of the pickup i then used a coat hanger to hang the pickup on so it didn't sink to the bottom of the pot and touch bottom where it's way too hot. after a few minutes, i pulled out the pickup and put the tape back on the sides, reinstalled it in my guitar and it worked fine.

 

[Ventura]

Some men have pickups that are not potted.

Just sayin'...

 

[primerib]

leaving your guitar in a hot vehicle is a sure way to get microphonic pickups. you need to repot them. last time i repotted pickups i got some wax from Sally's beauty supply and melted it in a pot, after pulling off the black tape/material from the side of the pickup i then used a coat hanger to hang the pickup on so it didn't sink to the bottom of the pot and touch bottom where it's way too hot. after a few minutes, i pulled out the pickup and put the tape back on the sides, reinstalled it in my guitar and it worked fine.

leaving your guitar in a hot vehicle is a sure way to f**k your guitar in more ways than one

 

[singtall]

unfortunately it happens. back in the touring days, my guitars ended up in a big travel case in the back of the PA truck...which meant 100 degree summer heat in the southern states. it was then that i learned to repot pickups and do neck adjustments. we never got the point of having air condition for the guitars....and of course we carried way too many guitars. ah, the 80's and early 90's were fun times.

 

[TeleBlaster]

leaving your guitar in a hot vehicle is a sure way to f**k your guitar in more ways than one

That's cuz we live in the desert, we've seen the devastation first hand from some idiot who didn't have common sense not to leave his bass in the trunk in July...

If you don't want to go through the trouble of repotting, you may want to try putting a piece of dense foam under the pickup first.
Sometimes things get loose and the vibrations cause the pickup to squeal. Compressing the pup into foam works many times and is fast and easy.
If it doesn't work, then repotting would be the next step.

 

[Lord Toneking]

Call EBMM and talk to AJ. You probably can take it out and send them the pickup and they will send you a new one

EBMM's customer service is great and they stand behind their products

 

[blackba]

I have had that happen with a 498T, just repotted and the squeeling was gone. Repotting was easy once I got the supplies.

 

[BeZo]

I would try the foam under the pickup trick. It stops the backplate from vibrating and causing a squeal when you are holding the strings muted.

 

[Anonymous]

Don't ya love seeing nice guitars hanging in "THE FRICKING SHOWROOM WINDOW!!" that around noon to sunset the sun is beaming/cooking on them

 

[Anonymous]

repotting is easy
many online tutorials explaining the how to and what nots to do.

get a cooking thermometer. i bought some paraffin wax at jo ann fabrics and a tin of saddle soap. mix 2/3 paraffin, 1/3 saddle soap.

heat to liquid in a double boiler.
keep it just around 160ºf and hang it with a coat hanger for about 20 mins, or until it quits bubbling. dont overdo it. even if you dont do it complete, it's still going to quiet the vibrations. i did mine for 30 mins and was still seeing bubbles, so i just kept it at 150º for another half hour and it finally didn't bubble. quiet now!