I'm having some issues with microphonic feedback, and it's driving me insane.
This seemed to start when I added the TC Electronic Eyemaster (HM-2 clone) to my board. I wasn't exactly surprised that such a high gain pedal resulted in uncontrollable feedback considering I basically only play with single coils in tiny rooms. It made the Eyemaster pretty unusable in a live setting, so I took it off my board, but now I've started having the same issue regardless of what distortion I use!?
Bedroom playing is fine, but even at relatively conservative practice room levels, if I push the gain any further than a light overdrive then I'm getting almost constant microphonic feedback every time a note cuts off. I can somewhat mitigate it with the EHX Silencer, but I can't eliminate it completely. At first I thought it might be an issue with my amp - a friend suggested it might need new valves - but I've borrowed a different amp at my last few practices and the feedback is still there.
It seems unlikely to be a problem with my guitar. This is happening with both of my Telecasters, although weirdly not with my Les Paul SL (I'd be tempted to just use the SL for everything until I figure this out, but it doesn't hold tune well and the pickups are a little honky for a lot of what I'm doing).
Any ideas? I'm scratching my head here. Again, to reiterate, I didn't seem to have this problem pre-Eyemaster, but now it's persisting even though I've taken the Eyemaster off my board.
Re: Advice re: microphonic feedback?
Posted: Thu Dec 02, 2021 5:37 pm
by Gavin
I was going to say maybe a pickup has gone microphonic, I've heard about that happening with old guitars that need the pickups repotted, but you said it happens with multiple guitars...
Re: Advice re: microphonic feedback?
Posted: Thu Dec 02, 2021 5:39 pm
by Freddy V-C
Yeah, at first I thought it was a problem with my black Tele specifically, because it's almost 20 years old and practically falling apart because I only really started taking care of it in 2018. But it's happening with my pink Tele too, which I only bought last year, and it's had a pickup upgrade since then. Could it be a case of bad wiring?
Re: Advice re: microphonic feedback?
Posted: Thu Dec 02, 2021 5:46 pm
by Bacchus
Weird. So it's not the amp, and it's not the guitar, and it's not the pedals.
Have you gone microphonic?
Re: Advice re: microphonic feedback?
Posted: Thu Dec 02, 2021 7:33 pm
by Doog
Cables?
Re: Advice re: microphonic feedback?
Posted: Thu Dec 02, 2021 7:51 pm
by NickS
If it's happening with both Telecasters but not with the Les Paul SL it could be to do with the Telecaster design. Try holding the pickup to determine whether it's acoustic feedback; if so you could try stuffing some foam scouring pad under the pickup as a damper.
Re: Advice re: microphonic feedback?
Posted: Thu Dec 02, 2021 9:38 pm
by dots
doog's and nick's ideas scan for me as possibilities. i had a strat that was terrible for going microphonic, and it did end up being the pickups. emg's took care of that, but they're not for everyone (even me anymore).
Re: Advice re: microphonic feedback?
Posted: Thu Dec 02, 2021 9:48 pm
by Thom
Sounds like you need to route your Teles for Hambackers
More seriously, are your pickups properly wax potted?
Re: Advice re: microphonic feedback?
Posted: Fri Dec 03, 2021 7:21 am
by sunshiner
Do they wax pot them for squiers? I remember seeing a guy talking into some cheap guitar at a concert, not sure whether it was a squier or not
Re: Advice re: microphonic feedback?
Posted: Fri Dec 03, 2021 11:03 am
by Freddy V-C
NickS wrote: ↑Thu Dec 02, 2021 7:51 pm
If it's happening with both Telecasters but not with the Les Paul SL it could be to do with the Telecaster design. Try holding the pickup to determine whether it's acoustic feedback; if so you could try stuffing some foam scouring pad under the pickup as a damper.
I'm pretty confident it isn't acoustic feedback. I like acoustic feedback! I can control acoustic feedback.
It makes sense that the stock pickups in my black Tele might not be wax potted, but the pink Tele has a Bareknuckle in the bridge (and currently no neck pickup) so it seems unlikely that it wouldn't be wax potted. I think?
Re: Advice re: microphonic feedback?
Posted: Fri Dec 03, 2021 11:10 am
by Bacchus
Could be worth reaching out to Bare Knuckle. I'm not certain they wax pot everything they make, I have a notion some aren't in order to get those lovely mojoey vintage microphonics.
Doog wrote: ↑Thu Dec 02, 2021 7:33 pmThe ol' electricitystrings?
Doog wrote: ↑Thu Dec 02, 2021 7:33 pmAudio liquorice?
Doog wrote: ↑Thu Dec 02, 2021 7:33 pmBlack soundrope?
Re: Advice re: microphonic feedback?
Posted: Fri Dec 03, 2021 12:11 pm
by Freddy V-C
Sorry Doog, haha. I have like 4 long jack cables in my backpack which I use interchangeably, so I hadn't really considered that it might be those. But they are about 4 years old and were relatively cheap/cheerful, so I suppose it's possible. It's a quick and easy first port of call, at least.
Bacchus wrote: ↑Fri Dec 03, 2021 11:10 am
Could be worth reaching out to Bare Knuckle. I'm not certain they wax pot everything they make, I have a notion some aren't in order to get those lovely mojoey vintage microphonics.
The bridge pickup is one of these, which is specifically geared towards high gain stuff. Admittedly it doesn't say anything about wax pots, but it seems like a given for high gain?
Re: Advice re: microphonic feedback?
Posted: Fri Dec 03, 2021 1:53 pm
by plopswagon
Doog wrote: ↑Thu Dec 02, 2021 7:33 pmBlack soundrope?
Band name?
Re: Advice re: microphonic feedback?
Posted: Fri Dec 03, 2021 2:55 pm
by Doog
Freddy V-C wrote: ↑Fri Dec 03, 2021 12:11 pm
Sorry Doog, haha. I have like 4 long jack cables in my backpack which I use interchangeably, so I hadn't really considered that it might be those. But they are about 4 years old and were relatively cheap/cheerful, so I suppose it's possible. It's a quick and easy first port of call, at least.
Freddy V-C wrote: ↑Fri Dec 03, 2021 12:11 pm
Sorry Doog, haha. I have like 4 long jack cables in my backpack which I use interchangeably, so I hadn't really considered that it might be those. But they are about 4 years old and were relatively cheap/cheerful, so I suppose it's possible. It's a quick and easy first port of call, at least.
