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I just had two Customs and one 59n all go microphonic on me over a three-week period. I have tested my signal chain extensively and the howling feedback I’m getting is definitely from the pick-ups. How common is it for Duncans to go microphonic like this? These pick ups are only three years old, seems like they should last longer. I am going to have them wax potted and hopefully that will solve the problem. Anyone else ever run into more than one microphonic Duncan or am I just “lucky”?

Cheers,

CJ

All Duncan humbuckers (except the Antquity and the Seth Lover) are wax potted to the best of my knowledge and so I don't think it's very commen for them to become microphonic. I've never had one go microphonic and for you to have THREE do that within the same three week period of time seems unusual. But maybe...

Wax potting them again should fix the problem if that really is the problem. I'd be suspicious of some other cause of the howling though.

Lew

could be the covers.. if ya got em?

Did the guitar/guitars get hot? Maybe the wax melted amp; leaked out.

Try this. Eliminate everything in your signal/effects chain. Plug the guitar straight in to the amp and with the amp's gain at the same setting your normally use, see if they're still microphonic. My guess is they won't be. I've never had one Duncan go microphonic.

Try a different amp too. From your sig, I see you use Marhalls. When was the last time your pre-amp tubes were changed? They go microphonic too.


Originally Posted by ErikHTry this. Eliminate everything in your signal/effects chain. Plug the guitar straight in to the amp and with the amp's gain at the same setting your normally use, see if they're still microphonic. My guess is they won't be. I've never had one Duncan go microphonic.

Try a different amp too. From your sig, I see you use Marhalls. When was the last time your pre-amp tubes were changed? They go microphonic too.

I have tried going straight into the amp and it was still howling. We also changed out both the pre-amp and power tubes with new ones and the problem was still there. The current pre-amp tubes are the GT Mullard 12ax7s, and they tested fine. When we plugged in two other guitars with the same pick-ups there was no feedback at all. I even replaced the mounting springs with surgical tubing and placed some dense foam under both pick-ups, no luck. So, I have eliminated everything in my signal chain that I can think of, the only thing it could be are the pick-ups at this point.

Cheers,

CJ

Ok, well, you definitely narrowed it down. Before repotting it, something that may work before dipping it in wax is putting a hot hairdryer to it. Some of the wax around the outside of the coils may just have gotten loose. Kinda like a cold solder joint in a way.


Originally Posted by ErikHOk, well, you definitely narrowed it down. Before repotting it, something that may work before dipping it in wax is putting a hot hairdryer to it. Some of the wax around the outside of the coils may just have gotten loose. Kinda like a cold solder joint in a way.

Thanks for the tip; I’ll give it a try!

Cheers,

CJ