Squealing Little 59 Tele pickup

[Johnnytone]

It's starting to get annoying.

I put a SD little 59 in the bridge of a classic 50s tele and it squeals as soon as I kick on an OD unit unless I roll the tone off about 25%. This doesn't happen at bedroom playing levels, but when I turn up, its there. I've tried adjusting the polepieces and pickup height, but it just can't handle my OD (Mos, Analogman TS9)

any suggestions?

TIA

 

[althrax]

I have the same pickup in my tele bridge, and I never had a problem with squealing when using a OD unit. Sounds like you might have a bad pickup. Did you buy the pickup new or used?

 

[angelo]

I experienced the same thing with an entirely different pickup.

I received potting instructions on the PRS board from Jim Collins.

That was probably 5 years ago and it hasn't squealed since.

I would say that is your answer. If it is new, return. If used pot it.

 

[Grap]

I think you have a microphonic pickup, but be aware that even with the best wax-potted non-microphonic pickup high-output pickup, mount it in a Tele bridge and you may have similar problems.

The SD Tele Hot Rails in the bridge of my Yamaha Mike Stern Sig. squeals with higher gain levels such as those of my Mesa V-Twin's lead channel. I think that the Telecaster's bridge plate pickup mount is inherently microphonic in nature, and it can give you something you can just about sing through with any high output pickup. However, your problem is pretty extreme, which is why your pickup may have become un-potted or otherwise had the coils work loose.

There are tricks you can try with a Tele's bridge to reduce the microphony, such as using double sided tape to stick the front edge of the bridge plate to the body, or even drill the bridge plate/body in front of the pickup and screw the thing down.

One of these years I'll remmember to use the double-sided tape trick on the Yammy Mike Stern...

Cheers - Steve

 

[shallbe]

Originally posted by Johnnytone
It's starting to get annoying.

I put a SD little 59 in the bridge of a classic 50s tele and it squeals as soon as I kick on an OD unit unless I roll the tone off about 25%. This doesn't happen at bedroom playing levels, but when I turn up, its there. I've tried adjusting the polepieces and pickup height, but it just can't handle my OD (Mos, Analogman TS9)

any suggestions?

TIA

That pickup is squealing because it wants you to kill it and put yourself out of your misery.

I put one of those in the bridge of my Tele and it was the single worst pickup I've ever heard. Useless and toneless at gig volumes, no sensitivity and uneven response across the strings. I put a Harmonic Design Super 90 in there and the guitar sounded great--like it should.

I also recommend putting a little foam (like what comes around the pickup in it's package) under the pickup to limit some of the bridgeplate sensitivity that seems to get some pickups squealing.

 

[Johnnytone]

Hey, thanks guys

shallbe: The more time I spend with this pickup, the less I'm liking it.

I cranked it again today and I found that if I press the pickup down hard with my finger, it doesn't squeal.

 

[angelo]

well, at first I was trying to help you with the microphonic problem. Again, wax potting will cure that.



Now that the tone issue has come up, I feel that the Li'l 59 (my only experince is in a strat) is pretty poor and flat sounding. And as mentioned above, the Super 90 I dropped in my Ash Melancon Tele is the best replacement pickup I have ever played.

 

[Grap]

Originally posted by Johnnytone
Hey, thanks guys

shallbe: The more time I spend with this pickup, the less I'm liking it.

I cranked it again today and I found that if I press the pickup down hard with my finger, it doesn't squeal.

Sounds like you need to jam some foam rubber underneath it then!

Or swap it out for something else...

 

[Johnnytone]

I'll try the foam while I look for another pickup

 

[WrapAround]

Originally posted by Johnnytone
Hey, thanks guys

shallbe: The more time I spend with this pickup, the less I'm liking it.

I cranked it again today and I found that if I press the pickup down hard with my finger, it doesn't squeal.

Tele bridges are prone to lift just a little bit at the front (towards the headstock) and that's what makes your guitar squeal/howl/feedback. Turn it up until its squealing pretty well and hold the front of the bridge down to see if it stops it. Because of this people like Callaham Guitars have 2 extra holes in their bridges.

If it is the pickup, you can try putting some foam in the pickup cavity and see if it stops the feedback.