Microphonic pickup help

[Steve Benford]

I have 2 new Dimarzio pickups that are wildly microphonic. A Transition and a Breed. With my volume full up on the guitar it just squeals and howls. I can talk into them. Every knock or bump is LOUD. Loud or quiet amp volume, it doesnt matter.

I called up Dimarzio and they had me return them. I got them back about a week later with a repair notice saying the re-potted them. Hooked them back up and same thing. They just squeal. Its most obvious on a gain channel. I have another guitar I just finished with the same pickups and they dont do that at all.

So, im wondering, is there something else that could be causing my issue? Im wired up with a standard volume and tone. Both CTS 500ks. Orange Drop cap, standard tele style 3-way and thats it. Nothing fancy. Any ideas would be great.

Thanks!
STEVE

[Mark Swanson]

Where did you get them? I bet that the company didn't do anything to them. If they are that bad you should be able to connect them directly to an amp without even installing them in a guitar and they should show the same results. I'd take them back again. You have a bad product and there is no reason you should have to settle for that.

[Steve Benford]

Where did you get them? I bet that the company didn't do anything to them. If they are that bad you should be able to connect them directly to an amp without even installing them in a guitar and they should show the same results. I'd take them back again. You have a bad product and there is no reason you should have to settle for that.

Mark, they were returned to and repotted by Dimarzio. I did connect them direct to the 1/4 cable and they squealed as well. This was before I sent them back to Dimarzio. I was hoping to find a flaw in my wiring by connecting the pickup direct but got the same results.

I guess I need to send them back again. Nothing like wiring and rewiring a guitar 3 times!

STEVE

[Mark Swanson]

Yes I realize that you sent them back once, but I would complain again. I bet they didn't even mess with them, at least it sounds like they didn't. They must be able to check a pickup before they send it away!
It isn't your wiring. The wiring will either work or it won't, but it doesn't cause that squealing.

[David King]

Most squealing is supposedly caused by the front cover vibrating. Do they ring when you tap on the covers? The covers are supposed to be filled with wax which locks them against the bobbins. Sometimes you can just reheat the covers while holding the pickups inverted so that the wax melts but doesn't dump out. Let them cool slowly and that should reestablish the bond between the covers and the bobbins (if there's enough wax in here to begin with). That might be what DiMarzio tried already but they really needed to pop the covers off and add a little wax.

[Steve Benford]

Yes I realize that you sent them back once, but I would complain again. I bet they didn't even mess with them, at least it sounds like they didn't. They must be able to check a pickup before they send it away!
It isn't your wiring. The wiring will either work or it won't, but it doesn't cause that squealing.

Mark, you would think they would check them! I didnt think it was my wiring, but you never know! They'll get a phone call first thing. The part that sucks is I cancelled a photo shoot for the guitar last week. I'll have to cancel it this week and withdraw it from a auction benefiting Make A Wish. Not only do the kids get the shaft (for now) but I look like a ass for not coming through. Not my fault, but still. Thanks for your help!

Most squealing is supposedly caused by the front cover vibrating. Do they ring when you tap on the covers? The covers are supposed to be filled with wax which locks them against the bobbins. Sometimes you can just reheat the covers while holding the pickups inverted so that the wax melts but doesn't dump out. Let them cool slowly and that should reestablish the bond between the covers and the bobbins (if there's enough wax in here to begin with). That might be what DiMarzio tried already but they really needed to pop the covers off and add a little wax.

David, These pickups dont have metal covers. Just the standard open coil. They squeal and ring when you touch anything on the guitar. My stomach growled and THAT came through the amp.

STEVE

[David King]

I'd start sourcing my pickups from someone else. It's not DiMarzio and Seymour's game alone anymore. You have about 1000 competent pickup makers to choose from now. That said you should be able to get another set off the shelf from a DiMarzio dealer in a day or two no?

You could also try repotting them yourself if it's that desperate a situation. Not having covers to unsolder makes it very easy to do.

[Steve Benford]

Just wanted to follow up with everyone and let you know how things turned out. After some back and forth with Dimarzio, we figured out the metal rings I was using were amplifying the magnetic field and making the guitar microphonic. I switched over to plastic and solved the issue straight away.

Thanks for everyones help and suggestions.

Heres the axe!

STEVE

[Chuck Tweedy]

I think it was just the snake hissing - that's what you heard!

Awesome axe

[David King]

Noted.
Thanks for the update Steve.

[Mark Swanson]

I am one of those who believes that mounting the pickups directly to the body brings in a tone improvement. It seems to bring in a better tone with more woodiness, and sustain and just more "tone" somehow. If these pickups are that sensitive to the way they are mounted, I'd consider giving it a try. Sure, there's no longer anything "wrong" with it, but if the pickups are that sensitive I would expect hard-mounting them to the body would do something dramatic.
If you did want to try that, measure now the optimum settings of the pickups under the strings, then make shims that you can place under the pickups to keep them at that height. Then go ahead and use wood screws to screw the pickups down to the body. You can put the rings back on if you'd like to, but I leave mine right off for a clean look.

[David King]

I wonder if there was an audible difference between the plastic and the metal mounting rings besides the ringing. I've heard some folks say they can hear a difference between the plastic and wood rings and that might be the case given what Marks is telling us.

[Steve Benford]

I am one of those who believes that mounting the pickups directly to the body brings in a tone improvement. It seems to bring in a better tone with more woodiness, and sustain and just more "tone" somehow. If these pickups are that sensitive to the way they are mounted, I'd consider giving it a try. Sure, there's no longer anything "wrong" with it, but if the pickups are that sensitive I would expect hard-mounting them to the body would do something dramatic.
If you did want to try that, measure now the optimum settings of the pickups under the strings, then make shims that you can place under the pickups to keep them at that height. Then go ahead and use wood screws to screw the pickups down to the body. You can put the rings back on if you'd like to, but I leave mine right off for a clean look.

Thats something to think about. Ive hard mounted pickups in the past. With this one it would still need the rings. 1) Its routed with a larger HB route. I normally do a tighter route when hard mounting. The oversized route would look like junk IMO. 2) Ive got 4 screw holes that need covering. 3) This one is done! im 3 weeks behind already! FYI, Other than the screaming feedback, I didnt notice any difference between the metal and the plastic.

Ive got a carved top double cut coming up that will have direct mounts. It will have pickups ive used alot with rings, so we'll see what the difference is! Other than the screaming feedback, I didnt notice any difference between the metal and the plastic.

STEVE

[Andrew Armstrong]

Hey Steve,

I'm chiming in a bit late to this story but I'm wondering why the pups squealed when you wired direct to the amp? I presumed you had removed from the guitar when you did this which would (again presumably) mean the rings were removed. Or were they still in the guitar and you just by-passed the on-board electronics straight to the output?

AA

[Steve Benford]

Hey Steve,

I'm chiming in a bit late to this story but I'm wondering why the pups squealed when you wired direct to the amp? I presumed you had removed from the guitar when you did this which would (again presumably) mean the rings were removed. Or were they still in the guitar and you just by-passed the on-board electronics straight to the output?

AA

Andrew. I did bypass all the controls to see if that was the issue. I never did remove them. I probably would have gotten a similar result had I removed them. Knowing me I would have tested them with the rings still on.

STEVE