Potting unpotted humbuckers

[kingsxman]

I have a set of Sheptone PAF's that sound great...but I'm having issues with them squealing from my guitar coming back at me in the monitor. I know its becuase thier unpotted. Shep said that it shouldnt change the tone "much" to pot them. Has anyone else had any luck?

Also, any tips on the process? I actually did this a few years ago and it worked well...but I cant find any notes on how I did it.

[Jim Collins]

Unless you have the equipment to suck the liquid wax into the covered pickup, it is not much more complicated that melting wax, and submerging the pickup in it, for a while. You may hear some people cautioning that the liquid wax can damage the pickup if it is too hot, but it has to be extremely hot for that to happen. Once the wax is liquid, you can dunk the pickup. Leave it in for a few minutes.

One word of caution, though. Paraffin wax is extremely flammable. It is better to do this in some type of heated pot, rather than on the stove. If you spill any wax on the stove, you'd better be prepared to put out the fire.

If these pickups are covered, the chances are pretty good that you can eliminate the offending microphonics by removing the covers.

[kingsxman]

Originally Posted by Jim Collins

Unless you have the equipment to suck the liquid wax into the covered pickup, it is not much more complicated that melting wax, and submerging the pickup in it, for a while. You may hear some people cautioning that the liquid wax can damage the pickup if it is too hot, but it has to be extremely hot for that to happen. Once the wax is liquid, you can dunk the pickup. Leave it in for a few minutes.

One word of caution, though. Paraffin wax is extremely flammable. It is better to do this in some type of heated pot, rather than on the stove. If you spill any wax on the stove, you'd better be prepared to put out the fire.

If these pickups are covered, the chances are pretty good that you can eliminate the offending microphonics by removing the covers.

Thanks. I seem to remember when I did this a few years ago that I used a double boilder (2 pots) to melt the wax so it wouldnt burn. I wish I would have written down the instructions. I'd take the covers off if I remember and then just dip the pickup in the wax. I dont recall how long to leave it in the wax though before pulling it out. I think I then just let it cool...scaped the wax off the back and put the cover back on.

[FlyingVBlues]

The Stewart-MacDonald website has a good article on wax potting pickups written by Linday Fralin.

http://www.stewmac.com/freeinfo/a-lindyfralin.html

Make sure that you monitor the temperature of the wax, especially if you are potting humbuckers. If the wax gets too hot you can damage the plastic bobbins.

FVB

[sgt.minor]

I did this a few times. It's really quite easy:
I used parafin from IKEA candles and about 5% beeswax.
Heated in a water-bath (?) at about 65-70°C.
Immersion time ca. 20 min.
Oh, keep the lead-end wax-free, they will solder easier!
E.

[grungebob]

Do as others have suggested. I had good results removing the pole screws then refitting after the wax had set.

[jonesky]

It'll change the tone & liveliness if you pot them. I didn't think this was true until I heard from my KY Headhunter buddy, Greg Martin. 'Hank' is an incredibly dynamic LP Burst, unpotted & volitile into a Marshall. Oh... but the tone...