# Wax Potting Pickups - A Primer With Photos!



## Lane Sparber

Hey there, folks!

As I've been asked a question or two about wax potting pickups since I've been on here, I wanted to go over the tips and tricks that I've learned over the years as to the most effective way to do this process. The perfect opportunity has recently presented itself because I just took in 3 vintage cream 1970s DiMarzio "Dual Sound" pickups in a trade for some guitar work. While these pickups DO sound amazing, they were never potted, so since I had to do this process three times in a row, I figured it would be fun to document my work and share it with the Forum.

First, a word on why this needs to be done. In the olden days, pickups were never potted (largely because amps had FAR less gain in the 50s and 60s then they do now), so almost all really old pickups are microphonic. Conversely, almost ALL mid to high priced modern pickups are potted at the factory. How can you tell if your pickup is microphonic? Have you ever had a guitar or pickup that had a high-pitched squeal or noise when you turn up the amp? I'm not talking of good, musical feedback that swells from your notes. I'm speaking of a shrill, ear-piercing noise like when a microphone is too close to the PA speakers/monitors. This is caused by sound waves from the amp/PA penetrating the pickup and vibrating the coil windings themselves causing this HIGHLY unpleasant noise. In the following process, we will immerse the pickup in melted wax (namely paraffin) to stabilize the coil as well as all other elements of the pickup. This should make it impervious to microphonic feedback, and you can then mute your strings at high volume without that annoying squeal. 

First, here are the tools I use:






This is my wax melter. I got it on eBay for around 50 bucks. It was designed for spas and salons, although I have no clue what THEY use it for. It keeps the wax melted at a nice and stable 150-160 degrees Farenheit, which is the ideal temperature for our needs. If you get the wax much hotter, you can melt the actual pickup bobbins, and if you have the wax too cold, it won't properly penetrate the coils and you won't solve the problem. If 50 bucks is too steep, you can also do what I did during my college days: use a Rival Hot Pot like you get at a drug store. Basically, you NEED a double boiler, because you don't want hot, molten wax anywhere NEAR an open flame for reasons that I hope are obvious. In those days, I filled an old, cleaned-out tuna fish can with wax and put it in the hot pot with boiling water around it. If you use this method, take care not to over-heat the water, as the turbulence caused by the boiling can shake your tuna can and water can splash into it, which would be unfortunate at best. As to the paraffin, you can get it cheaply at any online hobby store and a lot of drug stores. Get unscented PURE paraffin ONLY, or you will wind up with lavender or patchouli scented pickups, which might suck.  Also, some mix beeswax with the paraffin, but I have never done that and so can't speak for it's effectiveness or not. Straight paraffin has always done the trick for me. 






This is a look inside the pot of the wax melter. The wax is pre-melted here, and note the blue marbles at the bottom. These standard size flat style marbles (round ones would work just as well) keep the pickup from making any direct contact with the hot metal bottom of the pot and provide a bit of over-heating insurance.






This is my thermometer for measuring the temperature of the wax while I work. It's a standard meat thermometer that you can buy at any grocery store for a couple of dollars or so.






This picture shows the thermometer in action. It's just over 160 deg F here, which is a BIT hot, but the relatively cold room-temperature pickup going in will drag it down a bit, so we should be fine.






Here is our guest of honor - a 70s DiMarzio Dual Sound that squeals like a pig when the Marshall is turned up. Not for long...  We have all the tools we need now, so let's get to work!






Here the pickup has just been placed into the wax. Note the tiny air bubbles on the surface. That's what you want to see. The air in those bubbles coming from the pickup are being displaced by the hot wax, and they mean that the process is working and is under way. You want to let the pickup soak in the hot wax (while monitoring the temperature) for anywhere from 15-30 minutes. This is because the entire pickup needs to warm up to the temperature of the wax, thus allowing the wax to fully saturate the entirety of both coils. Some people like to put rubber bands around the pickup to keep the black cloth tape around the edges from unravelling, but I have never done this for two reasons. One, the tape has never unravelled on me, and two, the rubber bands leave unsightly "scars" in the wax when the pickup is dry, and I don't like to leave ANY kind of marks on anything I work on.

I occasionally tap the pickup with a chopstick or jiggle it by it's cable while in the wax to jar any trapped air loose. I usually do this every couple of minutes or so. When you can do this consistently and NO air bubbles come up to the surface from the pickup, you're done.






Here I am lifting the pickup out of the wax and letting the majority of the excess drip back into the pot to avoid a big mess at cleanup. When the drips stop, it's time for the next step:






Here I am tapping the pickup onto a paper towel to shake out additional excess wax.






Now, I take a piece of paper towel and wipe the outsides, top, and back of the pickup clean from excess wax WHILE THE PICKUP IS STILL HOT. That's important because once the paraffin dries and hardens, it's a PAIN to clean off.






All done and cooling on the towel. In about 45 minutes or so, this pickup will be ready to rock any high gain amp (or arena!) in a noise-free manner.

Some notes on other pickup types:

For standard single coils like Strat pickups, the process is much the same...just set the plastic covers aside - do NOT immerse them with the pickup!

For chrome/nickel covered pickups (like a lot of humbuckers and Tele neck pickups), LEAVE THE COVER ON. Any attempt to remove it may damage the coil windings if you're not careful or do not FULLY understand what you're doing. Plus, you want the wax to fill the cover and fully encase the coils. If not, the air between the coils and the cover can create a mini reverb chamber for the sound waves and the whole operation could prove futile. I actually tape over the pole piece holes in the covers to allow the maximum amount of wax to dry inside the pickups for just this reason.

Anyway, I hope this long winded thesis hasn't bored you and that you were able to glean a thing or two from it. Pickup potting is actually fun to do, and the results are undeniable. Enjoy yourselves and have fun with it. Feel free to respond with any questions or rants about this post and I (or any of the other techs around here) will, as always, do our best to answer them!

Cheers! 

-Lane


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## chuckharmonjr

Lane that was an absolute text book piece for the ages. This should definately be made a sticky. Thanks for sharing a wonderful how-to article.


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## Micky

I am sooo glad you didn't just provide a link to someone else doing this.
Nice job, and thanks.

(nice power strip BTW)


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## IbanezMark

Thanks for the tutorial Lane. A few of my customers keep asking me to do this - I suppose it's time to pick up a wax melter :cool2:


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## jcmjmp

I've done this with a simple double boiler on my 1974 Gibson T-Top pickups (and other pickups too). Made a huge difference in microphonics. I used a mix of 80% parrafin/20% Bees wax (edited for correctness).


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## Lane Sparber

jcmjmp said:


> I've done this with a simple double boiler on my 1974 Gibson T-Top pickups (and other pickups too). Made a huge difference in microphonics. I used a mix of 90% parrafin/10% Bees wax.



What does the beeswax do for you? As I state above, I've never used it, so I am curious.

@Mark - in YOUR case, DEFINITELY get the pro wax melter. It will pay for itself in no time! 

@Micky - I ALWAYS do my own work! 

-Lane


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## jcmjmp

Lane Sparber said:


> What does the beeswax do for you? As I state above, I've never used it, so I am curious.



I use it because its how Fralin does it. 
STEWMAC.COM : Wax potting pickups Free information

From the article:
_Paraffin expands and contracts with temperature changes, and the beeswax nullifies most of that_


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## Lane Sparber

Ahh...good to know. Like I said...in 20+ years of doing this I've never had a problem, but I'd like to believe that this old dog can be taught new tricks! 

-Lane


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## Adwex

Great tutorial, Lane. Thanks for taking the time to show us.


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## Lane Sparber

Adwex said:


> Great tutorial, Lane. Thanks for taking the time to show us.



Thank you, ADWEX! I believe in sharing what little wealth I may have. 

-Lane


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## thrawn86

Very cool stuff Lane. Didn't know how to do this.


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## eljeffebrown

Lane, you are at the top of your game man I swear to god. This was VERY, VERY informative and fun to read. If I used passives I would be tearing them out of my guitar right now to re-pot them cause you made it look like fun to do! 

I wish someone would do this stuff for Re-Tubeing, Biasing, Re-Capping (cause I need to do my head  ), Tremolos, Nut repair, Re-Fretting, Scalloping, and so on. The new guys that come on here ask about this stuff all the time and we (in general as a forum) are constantly answering these questions (and answering these questions from each other all the time for that matter). It would be nice to have a Sticky thread just for tutorials on this kind of stuff.

*ADWEX*, guys, what do you think? is it too much work or is it something that could be done?


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## 00jett

Very cool! Great read


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## JCarno

Hello Lane, would I be able to do this with these pickups? If so, would I need to take any special precautions?


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## Lane Sparber

JCarno said:


> Hello Lane, would I be able to do this with these pickups? If so, would I need to take any special precautions?



ANY pickup can be potted (if it hasn't already been sealed or epoxy potted, which I doubt applies to your pickups). Just take great care removing them from the guitar and taking the pickups out of the bezels. If the white plastic is just a cover, take them out of that as well, but if you feel resistance there, don't use force to pull them off. Be VERY careful around the pickup windings. They are thinner than human hair and if the wire breaks, you might have to have the pickup re-wound. Once it's disassembled, however, if you follow the above procedure, you should have no problems.

As that looks to be a vintage Vox, you might consider taking it to a pro, in case there's any funny business with the pickups. Just a thought. Most shops charge about 10-20 bucks per pickup, I believe. 

PM me or post here if you have any additional concerns.

-Lane


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## JCarno

Thanks for the reply!!  I'm not sure if the plastic is just a cover or not. Would I be able to dip them plastic and all. I'd hate to try and take them apart and end up ruining something. 

I really would like to pot these as they do make that God awful squeal you describe. Thanks again for your time!


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## Lane Sparber

Yes, if you are careful, in this case you can pot with the covers on. Be extra vigilant with the wax temperature and go slowly!

Cheers!

-Lane


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## rjohns1

Great info Lane. I have a humbucker I frankensteined from two bad Dimarzio's. One coil is from a tonezone, the other is from an evolution. I'm going to try to do this soon. I've been gunshy about doing it, I was scared of ruining the pickup.
Jeff, I've thought about doing a bias tutorial, when I pulled apart my 6100, I documented it with pictures. The problem I see is that all of the Marshall amps are different, at least from looks from a beginner, and it will be hard for a newbie to follow, unless it was model specific. I'm just a little past getting my feet wet with tube circuits, I'm starting to get into the design stage. I'm not sure I could do it proper yet, best let Lane, Joey, Wilder, JCMJMP, Marty, or some of the pro's do one. I would feel really bad if someone took my info and screwed up their amp because I didn't explain things fully. I could do one on guitar setups, intonation. Maybe I will. Again Lane, thanks.


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## Adwex

eljeffebrown said:


> Lane, you are at the top of your game man I swear to god. This was VERY, VERY informative and fun to read. If I used passives I would be tearing them out of my guitar right now to re-pot them cause you made it look like fun to do!
> 
> I wish someone would do this stuff for Re-Tubeing, Biasing, Re-Capping (cause I need to do my head  ), Tremolos, Nut repair, Re-Fretting, Scalloping, and so on. The new guys that come on here ask about this stuff all the time and we (in general as a forum) are constantly answering these questions (and answering these questions from each other all the time for that matter). It would be nice to have a Sticky thread just for tutorials on this kind of stuff.
> 
> *ADWEX*, guys, what do you think? is it too much work or is it something that could be done?



I concur, Lane's potting lesson was an enjoyable read. I hope in the future he's kind enough to share more of his wisdom and experience. hint hint.

Jeffe, you bring up a good suggestion, and I'd love to take it even a step further by making an entire "tutorial" section, but I do not have the software access to restructuring the forum. A whole new section would be most appropriate, as opposed to making one sticky thread with multiple tutorials that would get lost as the thread grew. Having each tutorial as a separate sticky thread is the next best thing I suppose, so...sticky'd it is.


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## eljeffebrown

Adwex said:


> I concur, Lane's potting lesson was an enjoyable read. I hope in the future he's kind enough to share more of his wisdom and experience. hint hint.
> 
> Jeffe, you bring up a good suggestion, and I'd love to take it even a step further by making an entire "tutorial" section, but I do not have the software access to restructuring the forum. A whole new section would be most appropriate, as opposed to making one sticky thread with multiple tutorials that would get lost as the thread grew. Having each tutorial as a separate sticky thread is the next best thing I suppose, so...sticky'd it is.



AWESOME man. Who could we ask to make a new section on tutorials? that would be a killer idea, if we can't, oh well, Stickying them is still awesome!


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## MartyStrat54

I just wax potted a set of EL34's. Man did that sweeten them up. It lowered the microphonics and now the tubes just sing. Thanks Lane.


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## LesPaulopolis

Great tutorial, great writing. Thanks, Lane!


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## LesPaulopolis

MartyStrat54 said:


> I just wax potted a set of EL34's. Man did that sweeten them up. It lowered the microphonics and now the tubes just sing. Thanks Lane.



LoL!

I just wax potted my unibrow. Now I sound exactly like Slash.


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## Lane Sparber

I am humbled beyond humbled, guys. I can not believe I have a sticky thread. Thanks a million!  

-Lane


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## MartyStrat54

A cause for celebration and a round of cheer.


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## 00jett

Did someone say fixing a squeal.. Maybe Zakk Wylde should wax pot his guitar picks..


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## Marshall Mann

MartyStrat54 said:


> A cause for celebration and a round of cheer.



Wish I could make that a round of BEER! 

Cheers Lane! Nice work!


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## MM54

The pickups in my LP, when I tap on the cover, sends a definite pop through the speakers. On my Cort, there's hardly any noise when I tap on the pickups themselves. Think they ought to be potted some time, or is it something totally else?


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## Landshark

Will this process help to keep feedback down? I realized I removed the cover from my LP bridge pickup some time ago and removed some of the wax (Not knowing what I was doing of course).


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## Lane Sparber

@ Matt - it might help, but if it's not feeding back and squealing, it might be best not to mess with it.

@Landshark - it could help. Once again, if it's not feeding back, don't mess with it. If it is, pot it! 

-Lane


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## carnada

eljeffebrown said:


> Lane, you are at the top of your game man I swear to god. This was VERY, VERY informative and fun to read. If I used passives I would be tearing them out of my guitar right now to re-pot them cause you made it look like fun to do!
> 
> I wish someone would do this stuff for Re-Tubeing, Biasing, Re-Capping (cause I need to do my head  ), Tremolos, Nut repair, Re-Fretting, Scalloping, and so on. The new guys that come on here ask about this stuff all the time and we (in general as a forum) are constantly answering these questions (and answering these questions from each other all the time for that matter). It would be nice to have a Sticky thread just for tutorials on this kind of stuff.
> 
> *ADWEX*, guys, what do you think? is it too much work or is it something that could be done?



I know how to adjust tremolos, I can do nut repairs and a bit of scalloping xD.

But seruiously, I really need to know the biasing bs


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## TwinACStacks

Congrats on the sticky Lane. GREAT THREAD.

 TWIN


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## Lane Sparber

TwinACStacks said:


> Congrats on the sticky Lane. GREAT THREAD.
> 
> TWIN



Thanks, Twin! That means a lot! 

-Lane


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## Spirit

Very nice posting mate- by the way the wax melt machine is used for hair removel, and is applied with a wood stick and peeled off to remove hair growth, short and long, curly or straight! How do i know- I went out with a girl who worked in a beauty shop, man she was smooth! (as a person I mean...........Cough !!!!


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## Lane Sparber

Spirit said:


> Very nice posting mate- by the way the wax melt machine is used for hair removel, and is applied with a wood stick and peeled off to remove hair growth, short and long, curly or straight! How do i know- I went out with a girl who worked in a beauty shop, man she was smooth! (as a person I mean...........Cough !!!!



I think I was better off not knowing!


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## Kunnz

A+ Lane. I soaked that up with no pot.


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## cagamp1

*Lane* great piece. That's wonderful info, especially for those with vintage pickups.

Another great one would be guitar cavity shielding to reduce noise.

*Adwex*, what constitutes sticky stature?


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## Lane Sparber

Thanks, Cagamp1!

I have some shielding info in my Facebook "Workbench Photos" section. Maybe for the next guitar I have to shied, I'll make another one of these...unless someone else beats me to it! 

-Lane


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## MM54

Lane Sparber said:


> Thanks, Cagamp1!
> 
> I have some shielding info in my Facebook "Workbench Photos" section. Maybe for the next guitar I have to shied, I'll make another one of these...unless someone else beats me to it!
> 
> -Lane



Please do! I'd like to shield my LP but I'm not really sure what/how to go about it... it almost seems like aluminum tape to cover the inside of the chamber with a wire going to ground would be all it takes. Alas, it's probably not that simple


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## diesect20022000

Spirit said:


> Very nice posting mate- by the way the wax melt machine is used for hair removel, and is applied with a wood stick and peeled off to remove hair growth, short and long, curly or straight! How do i know- I went out with a girl who worked in a beauty shop, man she was smooth! (as a person I mean...........Cough !!!!



man i don't remember how i knew that....i'm not gay nor have i ever worked in a solon....anyway back to Lane. I just had to say man, GREAT job with this. to the point and actualy FUN to watch....and if you can make wax potting a pickup entertaining i would LOVE to see your band perform!


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## MonstersOfTheMidway

Thank you, Lane, for taking the time.


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## BluesRocker

Great lesson there Lane. Much appreciated! Glad I didnt take my lighter and some old candle wax to pot my pickups..:Ohno:


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## IbanezMark

Gotta go pick up some more parafin wax. I have a sweet 'bucker sitting on the shelf that squeals like a pig but sounds great!


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## MajorNut1967

Hello Lane,

A question: “Do you pot strat pickups with the covers on or off?”

On a side note I just bought my wife a new stove, anyway it’s got one of those warm and serve elements on it. so I potted some Wilkinson Strat pickups this morning. Low and behold on the High setting it maintains a temperature of 160 degrees F consistently for the wax pot. So Salutee to you guys that have a warm and serve element on your better half’s stove, it will make life easy for your potting needs.


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## Lane Sparber

MajorNut1967 said:


> Hello Lane,
> 
> A question: “Do you pot strat pickups with the covers on or off?”



I usually do remove the covers on strat pickups, but if they're old and sticky and don't want to come off, then I leave the covers on so as not to damage the coils by forcing the covers off. Safety first! 

-Lane


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## MajorNut1967

Lane Sparber said:


> I usually do remove the covers on strat pickups, but if they're old and sticky and don't want to come off, then I leave the covers on so as not to damage the coils by forcing the covers off. Safety first!
> 
> -Lane




no I meant to fill the voids in the covers to help with feedback?


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## Lane Sparber

MajorNut1967 said:


> no I meant to fill the voids in the covers to help with feedback?



Oh, I see. Well, it's never been an issue with me on single coils. For example, I potted the pickups in my 1979 strat without the covers on, and even cranked in smaller rehearsal rooms they've been dead silent. That being said, I usually DO pot humbuckers in the metal covers.

-Lane


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## Lucifuge

Thanks for the great tutorial. Funny, I have the same DiMarzios in my 79 Kramer Artist. Took 'em out years ago because they squealed like a pig (replaced them with EMGs). I'm tired of the EMGs now and want my original sound back. Going to do this today. Really looking forward to it!!


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## MajorNut1967

Lucifuge said:


> Thanks for the great tutorial. Funny, I have the same DiMarzios in my 79 Kramer Artist. Took 'em out years ago because they squealed like a pig (replaced them with EMGs). I'm tired of the EMGs now and want my original sound back. Going to do this today. Really looking forward to it!!



Lets us know how it goes?


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## Lucifuge

Everything worked fine. I think I didn't do it long enough though. Tried it out yesterday and it still squealed. Granted, it was less than before, but still there.
I'm gonna do it again this weekend and let em soak longer (did it for 15 min last time), plus I'll take the cloth tape off as well. It was starting to let go anyway.
I'll report back later.


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## Lane Sparber

Keep tapping the pickup until no more bubbles are released. That's key!

-Lane


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## Lucifuge

Thanks Lane! I'll let you know how it turns out...


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## MajorNut1967

Lane Sparber said:


> Keep tapping the pickup until no more bubbles are released. That's key!
> 
> -Lane



Or do the potting in vacuum, only takes about 2 mins.


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## Lucifuge

MajorNut1967 said:


> Or do the potting in vacuum, only takes about 2 mins.



You've got my attention... Please explain...


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## Strateuphoria

TwinACStacks said:


> Congrats on the sticky Lane. GREAT THREAD.
> 
> TWIN



+1!


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## paul-e-mann

I pulled the pickups from my cheap but cool looking and sounding Eastwood Hi-Flyer guitar and shipped them to Lindy Fralin in Richmond VA and he wax potted them for $20. Now I can pile on the overdrive with no squeal what so ever.


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## Lane Sparber

pedecamp said:


> I pulled the pickups from my cheap but cool looking and sounding Eastwood Hi-Flyer guitar and shipped them to Lindy Fralin in Richmond VA and he wax potted them for $20. Now I can pile on the overdrive with no squeal what so ever.



Lindy is AMAZING. I have used his pickups in my own as well as several client's guitars and never had a complaint yet. Glad it worked out for you!

-Lane


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## captcoolaid

While this is my first post. There some things everyone should know about the temp for wax potting. Anything over 150 degrees can change the coil by expanding it. I have found that 128-140 works very well as it saturate the coil while not changing its structure. Lots of people claim that potting a pup changes its tone and it can if you pot it for to long. I live bye on simple rule when the bubbles stop then you should to. A trick I like to do is once the bubbles slow down kind of jiggle the pup then pull it from the pot, this will saturate the coils without messing with the tone of a pup. 3-5 minutes is all you need even less if you are potting with the covers on.

I hope this helps. And to the OP great info man.


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## thrawn86

captcoolaid said:


> While this is my first post. There some things everyone should know about the temp for wax potting. Anything over 150 degrees can change the coil by expanding it. I have found that 128-140 works very well as it saturate the coil while not changing its structure. Lots of people claim that potting a pup changes its tone and it can if you pot it for to long. I live bye on simple rule when the bubbles stop then you should to. A trick I like to do is once the bubbles slow down kind of jiggle the pup then pull it from the pot, this will saturate the coils without messing with the tone of a pup. 3-5 minutes is all you need even less if you are potting with the covers on.
> 
> I hope this helps. And to the OP great info man.



Welcome aboard, Capt. Captcoolaid certainly knows his stuff.


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## captcoolaid

Thanks. I would like to reiterate the the OP has is valid in what he is doing with older pups as the coils are already set due to age. I personally would not pot them higher then say 135 but that is just me. I have when I fist started done them in the 150-160 range and literally cooked the coil to the point of it expanding under the tape and over the bobbin. This was a lesson well learned.


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## Lane Sparber

captcoolaid said:


> While this is my first post. There some things everyone should know about the temp for wax potting. Anything over 150 degrees can change the coil by expanding it. I have found that 128-140 works very well as it saturate the coil while not changing its structure. Lots of people claim that potting a pup changes its tone and it can if you pot it for to long. I live bye on simple rule when the bubbles stop then you should to. A trick I like to do is once the bubbles slow down kind of jiggle the pup then pull it from the pot, this will saturate the coils without messing with the tone of a pup. 3-5 minutes is all you need even less if you are potting with the covers on.
> 
> I hope this helps. And to the OP great info man.



Nice info. When I first started doing this, I went crazy with it and did _all_ of my pickups new AND old...whether they needed it or not (ahh, the old College days of wild abandon and...oh wait...what were we talking about? ). I never had a coil expand or anything ruined...but my colleague down the hall who decided to use CANDLE wax did! 

Anyway, again that's great info, and it's always nice to have new things to look out for/be aware of. Welcome aboard!

-Lane


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## captcoolaid

Thanks Lane I hope I did not come of as the know all end all here. Just was stating what has happened to me. Great post by the way.


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## Lane Sparber

captcoolaid said:


> Thanks Lane I hope I did not come of as the know all end all here. Just was stating what has happened to me. Great post by the way.



No worries, my friend!

-Lane


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## dread1

Very cool!


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## Lucifuge

Finally got around to potting my DualSounds (for the second time) last weekend. Had the chance to crank everything up last night... WOW! Huge difference. Glad I did it. Finally have the trusted Artist sound again.

Thanks Lane!


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## Purgasound

carnada said:


> But seruiously, I really need to know the biasing bs



You don't own an amp that has an adjustable bias, though...


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## Purgasound

Nice thread BTW


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## captcoolaid

Beeswax helps satuirate the coil. It essentially thins out the Paraffin wax. The best place I have found Paraffin wax is at of all places Walmart. Be ware of cooking the bobbin I have been doing it for years and this just happened with a power surge








My pot went from 135 to 200 degrees real fast so watch the pot if it bubbles small bubbles it is to hot and will expand the coil.


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## Lane Sparber

captcoolaid said:


> Beeswax helps satuirate the coil. It essentially thins out the Paraffin wax. The best place I have found Paraffin wax is at of all places Walmart. Be ware of cooking the bobbin I have been doing it for years and this just happened with a power surge
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> My pot went from 135 to 200 degrees real fast so watch the pot if it bubbles small bubbles it is to hot and will expand the coil.



OUCH! You need a voltage regulator for your hot pot! 

Sorry that happened, man.

-Lane


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## jcmjmp

captcoolaid said:


> I live bye on simple rule when the bubbles stop then you should to. A trick I like to do is once the bubbles slow down kind of jiggle the pup then pull it from the pot, this will saturate the coils without messing with the tone of a pup. 3-5 minutes is all you need even less if you are potting with the covers on.



That's what I do.


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## captcoolaid

Yeah they were a customers pups. I called when it happened and explained it to him He laughed.


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## captcoolaid

Another thing we all need to take into consideration is the bobbin material. Butyrate and abs have different melting points. Just a thought.


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## impetus maximus

nice post Lane Sparber! cost me $5 and now i can play cranked without the squealing 
thank you!


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## jcmjmp

impetus maximus said:


> nice post Lane Sparber! cost me $5 and now i can play cranked without the squealing
> thank you!



That's awesome! Glad to hear you're rocking out those pickups. 
I potted my T-Tops and it made a huge difference when playing semi-loud.


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## Lane Sparber

I just had a new pickup builder ask me about the relative merits of lacquer or shellac potting versus wax. I thought it was an extremely good question, so purely for the purposes of debate, I post my answer to his question here.

"I dislike (and avoid) laquer and shellac for two main reasons:

1. They are much thicker than the wax when melted and tend not to penetrate the coils as well. It's not as fool-proof as the wax.

2. Laquer and shellac are permanent - there's no re-melting and removal. Think of it this way: You've shellac'd a pickup. Your customer then proceeds to play every dirty, sweaty, damp dive bar in the country with it. All that humidity and moisture then works it's way into the coils over time and rusts a section of said coil, rendering the pickup dead. In order to troubleshoot this coil, with a wax potting job often you can unwind the pickup until you find the problem. With shellac, that is impossible. Not to mention that if the pickup needs to be re-wound, which would you rather deal with - cutting through a coil bound with pliable wax or hardened shellac - you tell me! "

Any thoughts? 

-Lane


----------



## jcmjmp

Lane Sparber said:


> I just had a new pickup builder ask me about the relative merits of lacquer or shellac potting versus wax. I thought it was an extremely good question, so purely for the purposes of debate, I post my answer to his question here.
> 
> -Lane




Makes sense, and I like the blue color.


----------



## Lane Sparber

jcmjmp said:


> Makes sense, and I like the blue color.



Well, both shades of green were already taken. 

-Lane


----------



## captcoolaid

Lane Sparber said:


> I just had a new pickup builder ask me about the relative merits of lacquer or shellac potting versus wax. I thought it was an extremely good question, so purely for the purposes of debate, I post my answer to his question here.
> 
> "I dislike (and avoid) laquer and shellac for two main reasons:
> 
> 1. They are much thicker than the wax when melted and tend not to penetrate the coils as well. It's not as fool-proof as the wax.
> 
> 2. Laquer and shellac are permanent - there's no re-melting and removal. Think of it this way: You've shellac'd a pickup. Your customer then proceeds to play every dirty, sweaty, damp dive bar in the country with it. All that humidity and moisture then works it's way into the coils over time and rusts a section of said coil, rendering the pickup dead. In order to troubleshoot this coil, with a wax potting job often you can unwind the pickup until you find the problem. With shellac, that is impossible. Not to mention that if the pickup needs to be re-wound, which would you rather deal with - cutting through a coil bound with pliable wax or hardened shellac - you tell me! "
> 
> Any thoughts?
> 
> -Lane



Agreed. With one exception. I know a guy who does neck and middle with the shellac and it works well for those 2 single coils. But not so much on the bridge.


----------



## Georgiatec

Hey Lane...can you use surfboard wax for this job?. I have a big chunk of the stuff from when I used to surf.


----------



## impetus maximus

Georgiatec said:


> Hey Lane...can you use surfboard wax for this job?. I have a big chunk of the stuff from when I used to surf.



i heard of a guy using sex-wax and he seemed to like it.


----------



## Georgiatec

impetus maximus said:


> i heard of a guy using sex-wax and he seemed to like it.



Yeah...same stuff....Thanks for the input I. Max.


----------



## Lane Sparber

I couldn't speak for the surf/sex wax myself...never used it. 

-Lane


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## captcoolaid

It is parrifin wax and does work to an extent. You need to mix it with a 15% bees wax to get it to run through the coils.


----------



## impetus maximus

the store i bought my wax at only sold 5 lb blocks of bee's wax.
i bought 100% paraffin and it worked on my pickups.


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## Georgiatec

Thanks for the info guys...I've bought a heater and temp gauge so I'll give it a go on some old 'buckers from an old LP copy that I know are microphonic and see what happens.


----------



## Gtrman58

Lane, thanks a ton. I played with a guy years ago that used to pot pickups for a lot of players in the area. He did a couple of my guitars. He used a old coffee can. I like your wax tank much better. Great article. It should be permanently listed somewhere on this site.

B


----------



## Georgiatec

I've done a couple of test jobs before doing the burstbuckers out of my LP. today. Managed to get a chunk of beeswax from the old dear next door. 10-15% mixed with the sex wax & vaseline....just kidding on the vaseline Lane  makes it lovely and runny.


----------



## captcoolaid

impetus maximus said:


> the store i bought my wax at only sold 5 lb blocks of bee's wax.
> i bought 100% paraffin and it worked on my pickups.



The reason for the bees wax is it helps to penetrate the coil quiker so there is less wax time. Just the way i do it.


----------



## jcmjmp

captcoolaid said:


> The reason for the bees wax is it helps to penetrate the coil quiker so there is less wax time. Just the way i do it.



If you're into Flower Power type music from the late '60's, the beeswax is essential to good tone.

Just listen to Glimour... a Big Muff is only part of the equation... Or hendrix's fuzz face? Yeah, think again - the tone is in the bees.


----------



## captcoolaid

Lol


----------



## Georgiatec

Big thank you to Lane for this thread. I have a Strat with a Dean Shredhead H/B at the bridge, a reg. US Fender single in the middle and a SD hotrails neck pup. The Dean was virtually unusable due to squealing. Now as quiet as an angel's fart thanks to this thread.
If you're ever in the UK Lane, PM me...I owe you a drink.


----------



## Reckless_Life

Great writing Lane 
I don't need any pickups wax potted, but I read it anyway and I liked it a lot, very informative 

Is this a process that needs to be repeated every X time or so?
What happens in the summer time? Doesn't the parafin tend to shift or drop out of the pickup?


----------



## Lane Sparber

Reckless_Life said:


> Great writing Lane
> I don't need any pickups wax potted, but I read it anyway and I liked it a lot, very informative
> 
> Is this a process that needs to be repeated every X time or so?
> What happens in the summer time? Doesn't the parafin tend to shift or drop out of the pickup?



Not usually. Once and done is the norm. 

-Lane


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## Sabbadius USA

Good info here! My BB 1 & 2 squeal something fierce!


----------



## bennieusmaximus

Hey Lane I have a 78 les paul.the bridge pick up is killin'me from the squeel.I am going to pot it,but it has a black wax on it already.Should I do it anyway.BTW all 3 pickups are like this and they are original.Thanks for the helpfull thred.


----------



## Lane Sparber

You should be fine. Try it and see. Do all three. 

-Lane


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## bennieusmaximus

Thanks Lane.I think this is acually epoxy of some kind.They really came like that.It looks like the epoxy is keeping the brackets on as well.I doubt the epoxy will melt at 150 deg so I am gonna try it out....Picked up the wax and melting pot last week.


----------



## Lane Sparber

Yeah...I figured it might be.

With epoxy potted pickups, wax potting on top of the epoxy MAY help, but most likely not. If there are age cracks in the epoxy, then the wax MAY be able to seep into the coils a bit and possibly ameliorate the problem, however there's no guarantee that this will happen. That being said, there's certainly no harm in trying...just don't get your hopes up.

I am completely against epoxy potting for two primary reasons: Number one, it's completely irreversible - you can't get to the coils or do ANYTHING to the pickup without cutting through the old coils and completely re-winding the pickup. Secondly, most (if not all) of the epoxies used are too thick to penetrate the pickups' coils completely, and you wind up with pickups that are microphonic anyway despite the "potting" - just like yours are. 

If the wax potting doesn't help and you can't live with the squealing, then your only options as I see them are to re-wind or replace your current pickups. Neither option is ideal, I know, but that's what we have to work with here.

-Lane


----------



## captcoolaid

Hey Ben is this the Tar back. If so just take 3 screws out and the wax will wick itself in. I take the 2 end ones off and 1 by the middle.


----------



## bennieusmaximus

Thanks for the responses.Im gonna try the wax and remove some screws.ive been swaping pickups in and out to mabey try to get the sound I was hearing from the originals,but nothing comes close.The replacement pickups are also not gold covered.


----------



## patrikberg

Hey Lane, 
thanks for your great tutorial, I have an old Yamaha SA-50B with microphonic pickups, they're unusual in design. Could you have a look at the photos and tell me if I should immerse them with or without the plastic piece on the bottom. There are 2 small wires that would need to be unsoldered to remove it.
Thanks in advance
Pat


----------



## Lane Sparber

Hi, Pat!

Potting those pickups with the plastic pieces on them should work out just fine. Fasten a couple of rubber bands LIGHTLY around the whole assembly to stabilize it while in the wax. You can then remove the rubber bands (or just cut them off) after the pickups have dried. 

Cheers!

-Lane


----------



## patrikberg

Thank you Lane, I might make a before and after video, I have another vintage Japanese guitar that needs doing as well. Thank you again


----------



## patrikberg

well I did the humbuckers in my old Gonzales les paul copy today with outstanding success, so tomorrow I will do the Yamaha, before and after video will be made and posted. Thanks again Lane


----------



## Copperheadroads

Lindy Fralin ditched the Bees wax ,Dulls the tone!!! he says 
STEWMAC.COM : Issue 168, None of your beeswax? Potting pickups with paraffin.


----------



## Lane Sparber

Cool! I've never used beeswax, as I said above.

Thanks for the link! 

-Lane


----------



## captcoolaid

Copperheadroads said:


> Lindy Fralin ditched the Bees wax ,Dulls the tone!!! he says
> STEWMAC.COM : Issue 168, None of your beeswax? Potting pickups with paraffin.



Yep because of the way it wicks all the way in to the coil. A properly waxed pup should not be saturated rather just coated.


----------



## Lane Sparber

captcoolaid said:


> Yep because of the way it wicks all the way in to the coil. A properly waxed pup should not be saturated rather just coated.



Hey, Rayne!

With all due respect, I humbly disagree with this statement. 

One of the main reasons, for example, that epoxy is such a _poor_ potting medium is that it does NOT saturate the coil and just lightly coats it (another is that it's irreversible and the coil has to be cut through completely and subsequently re-wound to do ANY work on said coils). If the coil is not saturated, then the sound waves will still penetrate to the core and they can still vibrate any loose, unpotted coils there. A FULLY potted pickup has ALL of the coils fixed with wax and is impervious to vibrations through and through. Heck, even the Stew-Mac article that is linked to above refers the coils as having to be "saturated." This theory has been bourne out both in pickups I've potted myself, and in pickups I've unwound from major manufacturers. The wax in all instances had saturated the whole coil. 

-Lane


----------



## captcoolaid

Maybe I mistyped Lane. Yes you are correct that some wicking is good throughout the coil but when they become like a Epi pup not so much. Unfortunately with Bees wax generally about 20% will or rather can produce a dampening of the inner coil. I prefer strait parrafin these days as while it still wick in a good coil it is not as "watery" so it does not make like a cake batter in the inner portion of the coil. I guess it all depends on the wind or the style in which it is wound. I do not use Epoxy save for 1 set as I have not found an alternative. But even it is waxed prior to epoxy. I agree epoxy is not a great "repairable" method to seal a pup but rather a nifty way to stop R&D on said pup.


As far as HAVING to Saturate the coils, I believe that pups from many manufactures as far back as 1956/57 era have proven that not all need this. I have been doing it this way every day for years even with my monster winds at 21k and get very little squeel, and that is only if I am at 6 or 7 in front of mt 100 watter. 

I think this is a great debate and no one is right or wrong here. It is just a matter of what certain winders do and do not do. Also another major reason for a lot of the saturation is to tame certain wires used in major brand pups. I do not do major brand style pups so I can spend a bit more time on individual coils just like many of my cohorts.

I would not put all my faith in Stew Mac articles as a lot of them regarding covers and wax potting are from the school if you wind it it will squeel. I have been fortunate enough to talk with and share info with some of the best "boutiquers" in the business today and the notions of the days of the this has to be done this way or it will sound like crap are coming to an end. 

Example it was thought that mixing wire was no no and you could not get a viable tone. BS Kevin over at Fuelie is doing some really cool stuff mixing wire and gauge.

People thought Cahrli Christian was nuts for putting out stuff that was done with 38 awg instead of 42 or 43, 4k for bridge pup never. But as of late they are becoming a hot commodity. Wh7y because the norms of yesteryear are quickly becoming myth.

I have the utmost respect for you and this is a great thread, I hope it continues so we can both educate people on this.

And by the way I almost re tubed my amp myself but after reading you sig it is now at a techs. Thanks.


----------



## captcoolaid

As far as vibrations through a coil, well the most coveted pickups in the world bar none are not wax potted at all. In fact they did not start wax potting Gibby pups until the 90s.

Early Strat Single coils neck and middle are not wax potted either rather they are shellacked. The reason for potting pups is not for a stable coil for the most part but rather to tame squealing and noise. A properly designed wind will do this without tons of potting time. Another reason for the beeswax in major manufacturing id=s because when they pot they either use a vacuum method and or the pot for very little time as the number of pups they put out prevents time for just paraffin. There is a Duncan video out there that shows how they do it at the plant in Santa Barbara. They literally are in and out of the wax. 

I am not arguing the fact that of the saturation from big box companies, I have seen it many times as well from repairs, dead coils etc..... But I do subscribe to you have to do it this way or that way. I firmly believe it works for you then do it that way.

Side note I finally have a clean bench. Still not as pretty as yours but working on it.

Peace and Tone 
Rayne.


----------



## Lane Sparber

Excellent posts, Rayne and I do agree, with the one exception that I still believe that the entire coil should be saturated in order to completely tame ALL squeals. While it's true that you most often won't notice a problem until 8 or so on the dial, most of my clients (ESPECIALLY the metal guys) demand a silent pickup at ALL volumes, so I've got to cover my bases in that respect when I pot a pickup. 

Down the road I'm thinking I could use some new pups in a guitar or two of mine. I might be hitting you up should I decide to go that route. Heard great things about your work!

You said it best: if it works for you, run with it! 

My bench is kinda a wreck right now. 



-Lane.


----------



## captcoolaid

No worries Lane let me know. You get Bro pricing so when ever. I do have a wait right now so. Let me know what you are thinking of and i will put it in the que.


----------



## AlvisX

Great thread ,great potting rigs!
I just use the scented candles from the dollar store...particularly cheap at this time o' year.

I still have some of my 1st potting experiments from '78 or so....wish I had a pic so you guys could have a good laugh
Have used a couple kitchen gadgets for potting ...cheese warmers ,fry daddies . Best to have one with a variable temp control...dont wanna get that stuff too hot ,just melted 

The "rig" the last 15 years .........


----------



## captcoolaid

Hahahahaha that is funny Alvis i use a modern day version of that now. i love it.


----------



## Billyblades

So Rayne.. i guess what youre saying us too much saturation will actually "dull" the tone.

So i guess just doing a dip method will block the soundwaves by like the candy coating of an mnm? Very intersting and its something i never tried but sounds like good logic which putting a wax "shell" around the pickup would be a balance between the vintage open tone and a modern squeal free pickup!

Awesome... i was wondering there for a minute because i come from the VH "just let it soak it up " school of thought.

Im never to cool for school


----------



## psychodave

I can add one more step that ensures complete was penetration. 

Get a piece of steel pipe threaded at either end. The pipe needs to be big enough for a pickup to fit in. Screw on one bell end using Teflon tape to make it sealed tight. Next tap a hole for an air chuck. Warm up the pipe (so its not cold)Ready the other bell end with Teflon tape, etc. take the freshly potted, still hot pickup and put it inside the pipe and screw on the bell end (pickup will be inside the pipe. Now take an air compressor, which has the pressure gauge set to 50-100 psi, and hook the air up to the chuck already installed and VOOM, the pipe is pressurized, thus pushing the hot wax into all of the nooks and cranies that regular potting can't get to. After a few minutes, release the pressure and take the potted pickup out. It should be perfect. 

Please note that i like to use a 60-40 carnuba/bees wax mix so the carnuba doesn't get brittle over time.


----------



## Billyblades

Wazzup P D 

So it seems thes two schools of thought here. One to totally "saturate " the pickup and the other is like putting a wax "shell " around the pickup leaving the air in between. I know sound pressure in a tube amp is powerful so i would think the total saturation would be better.

Im thinking even with just a wax coating wouldnt be sufficient to stop feedback.... especially playing at high gain levels.

I dont see how much tone can be "robbed by totally saturating the pu?

I mean.. everything is still in tact... and the wax just replaces the "air " in the gaps but has no effect on magnetism..

I dont have any unpotted or lightly potted pickups to guage a real test on my own so im asking you guys.

DAVE.. you always had great tone.. ... have you heard any sonic differences?


----------



## psychodave

Hey Billy. I'm usually re-potting pickups after magnet changes or coil changes, etc. so there really isn't a difference. I have heard a difference potting a PAF clone that was never potted and it made it slightly darker...meaning it got rid of some of the depth on the high end....but it also got rid of any squealing so the benefit outweighed the sonic change.


----------



## jack daniels

This subject really brings up a good point which is those pup winders that really know what they're doing manage to wind the coils whether single coil or humbucker such that squeel and feedback are minimalized. There may still be a little squeel however, lightly dipping versus complete immersion will still allow the pup to breath just as if it had never been potted at all. For a long time I thought that complete immersion in wax was the only way to cut the squeel and feedback but not so. Peter Leonard of 'The Pickup Wizard' taught me this much.


----------



## captcoolaid

A lot has to do with coil design. I strive for just the outer 20 percent of the coil to be waxed


----------



## ColorfulMusic

To the thread starter...I read much of this thread but not every response. Parafin wax is used in Physical Therapy. You melt the Parafin than dip a limb in it... ie. hand, foot...than put limb in a plastic type bag and keep on for 10minutes. It helps holds warmth and moisture to ease pain. Good for arthritis too.
My wife, who is a therapist bought me one couple years ago because I have had many injuries to joints from racing.
If I ever need to dip pickups, I guess I have just the tool!


----------



## jensvonbustenskjol

Lane, 
You are brilliant, and kind to everyone who asks. Thank you 

How is waxing affecting the sound of a pickup? The impedance has to be changed when this is moved from air insulated to wax. 

I would like to do this, but I'm afraid it will affect the sound too much.


----------



## Lane Sparber

jensvonbustenskjol said:


> Lane,
> You are brilliant, and kind to everyone who asks. Thank you
> 
> How is waxing affecting the sound of a pickup? The impedance has to be changed when this is moved from air insulated to wax.
> 
> I would like to do this, but I'm afraid it will affect the sound too much.




There's still air around the coil and magnets after potting; all the wax does is "fix" the coil so the wires cannot vibrate. 

The sound may change SLIGHTLY, but I've never noticed a difference, and, for the record, neither have any of my clients! 

If you're worried, try it on a spare pickup and see if you can spot the difference. At the very least, I'd wager that the lack of high-pitched squealing whenever you turn up is MORE than worth any slight tonal variations that potting might cause. After all, there's a reason that almost every major pickup manufacturer pots almost all of their pickups (some exceptions being certain Gibson reissue models that are left unpotted to be "just like the originals").

-Lane


----------



## jensvonbustenskjol

Lane Sparber said:


> After all, there's a reason that almost every major pickup manufacturer pots almost all of their pickups (some exceptions being certain Gibson reissue models that are left unpotted to be "just like the originals").
> 
> -Lane



Touchè!
Thank you for a good answer. 
Best of all


----------



## dreyn77

Please DON'T do this to pickups!
This is like still telling people how to install a formula1 race car engine onto a bicycle.
There was only a problem with squealing pickups cause the pickup user was pushing the pickup into zones it was not made for.
Today, the wise guitarist would just buy the new pickups and forget the techniques of the people of the 1980s cause they were fully gear uneducated and were therefore, essentially mad!
You're actually trying to cover up the big elephant in the room. The sales staff sold you the item you don't need or want. (The great trick of the 1980s!)
Don't turn a hammer into a screw driver with your forge! Just research on the forum before you buy!


----------



## Lane Sparber

Wow. Just...wow.


----------



## FinVintage

I potted my bursbucker 2 my way and it worked very well! No i can play gainstuf without any noise.



Great thread !


----------



## dreyn77

Just put surfboard wax on the pole piece threads, cause it always stays soft. My les Paul pickups had come loose from the base, and somebody had wax potted the things without tightening the base plate screws. 
So there's no need to re-dip these things if you takeout the screws, just use the surfboard wax to prevent any movement in the threads. The wax never falls off or goes hard. Jobs done, no more worry about it. No heat applied either. So, there's no chance of cooking the things.


----------



## Lane Sparber

^^^yeah that won't work either. The wax needs to penetrate the coils. What you had going on seems to have been some sort of mechanical issue. 

-Lane


----------



## mickeydg5

Lane, I hope the moderators see this for what it is.

Some may actually need excommunication.

I would rather see Lane post here more often.





I want to say I knew you were watching and would comment. Glad you did.
Arch angle watching (with bat wings, ha ha).


----------



## JCarno

Ok, just re-read this entire thread.
No mention of p90s. I googled it and it's pretty much split 50/50 do, don't.
Anyone with experience doing p90s? Covers on/off?
Results?
Thanks!!


----------



## ricksconnected

.


----------



## paul-e-mann

JCarno said:


> Ok, just re-read this entire thread.
> No mention of p90s. I googled it and it's pretty much split 50/50 do, don't.
> Anyone with experience doing p90s? Covers on/off?
> Results?
> Thanks!!


I have a P90 guitar that squealed like a mofo, wax potting it fixed that. You gotta wax pot with the covers on otherwise you don't get all the air out.


----------



## ricksconnected

you used the same method as above pedecamp?


----------



## paul-e-mann

ricksconnected said:


> you used the same method as above pedecamp?


I've never read this thread its too long, I just read what JCarno was asking. What I did was read a couple articles online and watch a couple youtube videos on how to do it and just did it, it was so easy. Basically did a mix of bees and paraffin wax (maybe 2/3 paraffin) in a glass jar in a pot of water on the stove at 150 degrees. When the wax is fluid put the pickups in for 20 minutes and keep an eye on the thermometer to keep the temp at 150. Sat them on a paper towel til they were cool enough to handle and wiped them down to get any excess wax off, and wipe off the meat thermometer LOL.


----------



## ricksconnected

I might try it on mine. thing is, that P-90 squeal can often bring a smile lol.


----------



## paul-e-mann

ricksconnected said:


> I might try it on mine. thing is, that P-90 squeal can often bring a smile lol.


Squeal yuk! and all the cycle hum! I'd actually like to get rid of my P90 guitar, it actually has a nice thick humbucker tone to it as long as I don't go too high on the gain then all hell breaks loose with the cycle hum. In the end I think I'd rather just own humbucker guitars.


----------



## ricksconnected

you ever notice when joan jett stops playing to sing, she flips a switch on her guitar?
that's a kill switch for that squealing to stop. lol then she flips it again to start playing again.


----------



## charveldan

I had a double boiler full of parifin for potting and when my GF and i got a house and moved in she threw it away cause she didn't know what it was ...


----------



## El Gringo

I just got a digital multi meter and wanted to measure the output of some old Gibson Patent # T-Tops pickups and I could not get a reading on the meter and I am the first to admit that I am not a tech/repair person .Please help me and tell me what to do .There is a black wire with a probe and their is a red one .I plugged everything in correctly ,I just could not get a reading .Also I hope to get Gold covers and then have these T-Tops wax potted eventually and if I get a good reading I will put them back into my Gibson Les Paul Custom which they came out of for it's current pickups which have been in there since 1996 which are Gibson 57 Classic in the neck and the Gibson 57 Classic + in the bridge which are nice but I have always been curious about the guitars original pickups (in between I had Duncan's in there 59 PAF and the Duncan Distortion ) Seems the Patent # T-Tops have a lot of fans .


----------



## El Gringo

Problem solved, I sent the Gibson Patent # T-Tops to ThroBak and got some nice shiny new gold covers for them .They did not wax pot them as that was not the way Gibson did them in the first place and ditto for my Custombuckers in my 2014 R9 .What they did was use a piece of tape on the slug side of the coil and 3 drops of silicon to adhere the inside of the cover to the coil and then solder the cover in 2 places to the baseplate of the pickup .I had the output measured on both of the pickups and both pickups read at 7.7k,to which I was very pleasantly surprised at ,because I have seen a lot of readings on these pickups in the 7.3-7.5k range .So I am very happy about that and maybe later on I will have these restored into my beloved first guitar my early 70's Gibson Les Paul Custom .I can not say enough wonderful things about ThroBak and specifically John Gundry ,my sincere compliments to ThroBak and I am looking at the ThroBak SLE- 101 Plus pickups for a couple of my other Gibson Les Paul's .


----------



## GIBSON67

^^^El Gringo, did they say why they would not wax pot them besides that it is not the way it was done in the 60's? 
I have a T-Top set and the wax so I have been thinking about it. But the tape and glue worked just as well?


----------



## El Gringo

GIBSON67 said:


> ^^^El Gringo, did they say why they would not wax pot them besides that it is not the way it was done in the 60's?
> I have a T-Top set and the wax so I have been thinking about it. But the tape and glue worked just as well?[/QUOTE  That's all I was told .


----------



## El Gringo

I just recently ordered a set of ThroBak SLE-101 Plus pickups and requested to have them wax potted and I was told that I might lose some highs from the wax potting , well let me tell you I had plenty of highs to spare and then some .I love these pickups in the R8 Les Paul and the junk squealing Burstbucker 1&3 that I replaced because they squealed a ton , which absolutely drove me mad playing thru my Marshall 2555X.


----------



## paul-e-mann

El Gringo said:


> I just recently ordered a set of ThroBak SLE-101 Plus pickups and requested to have them wax potted and I was told that I might lose some highs from the wax potting , well let me tell you I had plenty of highs to spare and then some .I love these pickups in the R8 Les Paul and the junk squealing Burstbucker 1&3 that I replaced because they squealed a ton , which absolutely drove me mad playing thru my Marshall 2555X.



My LP has BB 1 and 2, no squeal what so ever, they are my favorite sounding humbucker, vintage tone and open airy sound.


----------



## El Gringo

pedecamp said:


> My LP has BB 1 and 2, no squeal what so ever, they are my favorite sounding humbucker, vintage tone and open airy sound.


I am glad that yours did not squeal because mine did and the best thing I did was remove them from my R8 and problem solved as the ThroBak pickups rock and now are my favorite pickups . Someone else told me that they had Burstbucker pickups and also had no squeal problems .


----------



## paul-e-mann

El Gringo said:


> I am glad that yours did not squeal because mine did and the best thing I did was remove them from my R8 and problem solved as the ThroBak pickups rock and now are my favorite pickups . Someone else told me that they had Burstbucker pickups and also had no squeal problems .



Did you get them new in a guitar or used? Are they covered or uncovered? Do they have a label on the under side saying what they are?


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## El Gringo

pedecamp said:


> Did you get them new in a guitar or used? Are they covered or uncovered? Do they have a label on the under side saying what they are?


new in my R8 , with covers from Gibson Custom


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## El Gringo

pedecamp said:


> Did you get them new in a guitar or used? Are they covered or uncovered? Do they have a label on the under side saying what they are?


Can I ask what amp were you using when you played yours? Because I was using my 2555X with the gain up and like I said before the squeal was unbearable . I talked to someone else that also said he had them in a Les Paul and they worked fine for him with his Marshall ,so maybe I just got a bad pair .I have to count my blessings because I discovered ThroBak earlier this spring when I found my original Gibson Patent# sticker T-Tops from my 71 Gibson Les Paul Custom that did not have covers and I sent them to ThroBak for shiny new gold covers which I wanted to have them wax potted but instead ThroBak used a piece of two sided tape on the slug coil with 3 drops of silicone to adhere the cover to the tape on top of the slug coil .Which my Les Paul Custom has the Gibson 57 classic in the neck and the Gibson 57 Classic + in the bridge and they are nice(someday I will restore the originals back into my Custom, the reason why I did not wax pott them was because ThroBak told me that I would de value them by altering them and then not being original as the way they came from Gibson ) and my R9 has Gibson Custombuckers (lightly wax potted) which used to be my favorite pickups .The ThroBak SLE-101 Plus just take it to the next level -holy grail of tone to my ears ,because I don't have 10 grand laying around for a vintage set of Gibson PAF 's and I kick my self because in the early 90's I could have had vintage PAF's for 500 a pop and I was like no way am I paying that much and now looking back I was a little to tight back then and I didn't have the funds .To describe the ThroBak's to my ears the neck pickup is so clean and none of that bottom end mushiness and bassy sounds a lot of neck humbuckers are known for and the bridge pickup where my bread and butter is just pure sonic heaven because I like to crank the volume and the gain and this bridge pickup has so much sustain and tone and it is perfect with my 2555X .Just like the way a good PAF in a Les Paul is supposed to sound and I did have them wax potted and ThroBak warned me that I might lose some high tones but let me tell you I have highs to spare ,and the pickups are just perfect and the sustain is endless and I know I am repeating myself but I have to. I thought that I might have had a tone turd piece of wood with the R8 but with the ThroBak pickups this R8 just sings and to my ears the ThroBak are best pickups next to Vintage PAF's and they are wound on the same machines that Gibson used in the old KZOO factory and made the same way with the same materials and they are very period correct and source the same materials that Gibson used in the Golden era and the same machines and it is like they are making them in a time machine and really knocking it out with the details and materials . They have me sold on them which you can probably tell . To answer your original question the Burstbuckers have the Patent Applied For sticker on the underside and a 1 & 3 and I can't remember if there is something else written on them because I only seen the underside for a second when I got them back from the tech .


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## paul-e-mann

El Gringo said:


> Can I ask what amp were you using when you played yours? Because I was using my 2555X with the gain up and like I said before the squeal was unbearable . I talked to someone else that also said he had them in a Les Paul and they worked fine for him with his Marshall ,so maybe I just got a bad pair .I have to count my blessings because I discovered ThroBak earlier this spring when I found my original Gibson Patent# sticker T-Tops from my 71 Gibson Les Paul Custom that did not have covers and I sent them to ThroBak for shiny new gold covers which I wanted to have them wax potted but instead ThroBak used a piece of two sided tape on the slug coil with 3 drops of silicone to adhere the cover to the tape on top of the slug coil .Which my Les Paul Custom has the Gibson 57 classic in the neck and the Gibson 57 Classic + in the bridge and they are nice(someday I will restore the originals back into my Custom, the reason why I did not wax pott them was because ThroBak told me that I would de value them by altering them and then not being original as the way they came from Gibson ) and my R9 has Gibson Custombuckers (lightly wax potted) which used to be my favorite pickups .The ThroBak SLE-101 Plus just take it to the next level -holy grail of tone to my ears ,because I don't have 10 grand laying around for a vintage set of Gibson PAF 's and I kick my self because in the early 90's I could have had vintage PAF's for 500 a pop and I was like no way am I paying that much and now looking back I was a little to tight back then and I didn't have the funds .To describe the ThroBak's to my ears the neck pickup is so clean and none of that bottom end mushiness and bassy sounds a lot of neck humbuckers are known for and the bridge pickup where my bread and butter is just pure sonic heaven because I like to crank the volume and the gain and this bridge pickup has so much sustain and tone and it is perfect with my 2555X .Just like the way a good PAF in a Les Paul is supposed to sound and I did have them wax potted and ThroBak warned me that I might lose some high tones but let me tell you I have highs to spare ,and the pickups are just perfect and the sustain is endless and I know I am repeating myself but I have to. I thought that I might have had a tone turd piece of wood with the R8 but with the ThroBak pickups this R8 just sings and to my ears the ThroBak are best pickups next to Vintage PAF's and they are wound on the same machines that Gibson used in the old KZOO factory and made the same way with the same materials and they are very period correct and source the same materials that Gibson used in the Golden era and the same machines and it is like they are making them in a time machine and really knocking it out with the details and materials . They have me sold on them which you can probably tell . To answer your original question the Burstbuckers have the Patent Applied For sticker on the underside and a 1 & 3 and I can't remember if there is something else written on them because I only seen the underside for a second when I got them back from the tech .



My goldtop is a custom shop 57 reissue, came stock with Burstbucker 1 and 2, the most glorious pickups I ever heard. Any amp I ever played it through no squeals. I will give you an instant where I did get squeal with Gibson humbuckers but not these, I put a 57 Classic Plus and 57 Classic in my SG and love them, they were uncovered pickups and my high E string frequently caught the edge of the pickups and got stuck (I'm an aggressive player). So I put covers on them to fix that problem but then the pickups squealed like a pig with any gain on them, so I fired up my wax pot on the stove and wax potted them and no more squeal. Its an easy fix and I suggest you wax pot your squealing pickups, it did not affect their tone at all to my ears. Another story, I bought a pair of Burstbucker 1 and 2 to put in another guitar, I wanted the pickups to be uncovered so I unsoldered the covers and to my surprise there was plenty of wax in it, I thought these pickups were supposed to be unwaxed, I guess not.


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## El Gringo

pedecamp said:


> Thanks for they're no good to you how much do you want for them
> 
> 
> My goldtop is a custom shop 57 reissue, came stock with Burstbucker 1 and 2, the most glorious pickups I ever heard. Any amp I ever played it through no squeals. I will give you an instant where I did get squeal with Gibson humbuckers but not these, I put a 57 Classic Plus and 57 Classic in my SG and love them, they were uncovered pickups and my high E string frequently caught the edge of the pickups and got stuck (I'm an aggressive player). So I put covers on them to fix that problem but then the pickups squealed like a pig with any gain on them, so I fired up my wax pot on the stove and wax potted them and no more squeal. Its an easy fix and I suggest you wax pot your squealing pickups, it did not affect their tone at all to my ears. Another story, I bought a pair of Burstbucker 1 and 2 to put in another guitar, I wanted the pickups to be uncovered so I unsoldered the covers and to my surprise there was plenty of wax in it, I thought these pickups were supposed to be unwaxed, I guess not.


 The Burstbucker pickups are in the box and I will not be using them as I have the ThroBak's . From things I have heard from others I was the only one with the bum pair and that's enough for me because it was a pain in the neck .


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## freefrog

GIBSON67 said:


> ^^^El Gringo, did they say why they would not wax pot them besides that it is not the way it was done in the 60's?
> I have a T-Top set and the wax so I have been thinking about it. But the tape and glue worked just as well?



I'm not El Gringo but Pat. Number's were wound on butyrate bobbins: this material would _melt _in boiling wax - and it smells like vomit when touched with a hot soldering iron, for those who'd want to check which kind of plastic their bobbins are made of...

And yes, tape + silicon work fine most of the time (although there's other tricks to kill squealing feedback).

FWIW. 

EDIT - Oups, I've replied to a post wrote 2 years ago, sorry. Maybe at least my answer will be useful for other readers...


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