Members sologrrl Posted August 20, 2012 Members Share Posted August 20, 2012 So I recently decided to make the transition from strictly acoustic to electric playing and I bought myself a 200$ Squier Affinity Tele. Yes. It's a Squier. Yes. I know the pickups are single wound. Yes. I am aware that single wind pickups (and Squire's in general) have a tendency to be a least a little microphonic. ANYWAYS, here's my question. I bought this guitar, and a small (used) Peavey 158 RAGE Transtube practice amp so I could get the feel for playing with a solid body guitar, and get a handle on how heavy/light I needed to play and it was GREAT. 4 days later I plug it into a Marshall JCM 900 stack at a rehearsal space with a band I was entertaining the idea of being a part of and I discovered the microphonic issues. Myself and the bass player pondered the possibility of it being the resistor plates in the amp/head but regardless I took it into the store I bought it from and found out it was indeed the pickups in the Tele itself. The store offered to swap out the pickups from the same model that had body damage from a sidewalk sale injury and said I'd have it back in the week. That was 4 weeks ago. When I spoke to them on the phone 2 weeks ago they said that when they changed the pickups out of my guitar and put in the new pickups from the other damaged model it was still microphonic so they were going to order me new pickups. Mind you, the batch numbers on the two Tele's (mine, and the one with body damage) were very close so it IS possible that someone at Fender make a boo boo with the pickups in that batch but will changing the pickups a THIRD time with the same STOCK pickups fix this problem? My whole plan is to change out the pickups anyway if I feel like I can make the transition. I really want to invest in some nice Seymour Duncans but I'm no where near ready to A) Spend that kind of money and B) I have no idea if I'm going to be able to hack it as an electric player so, I kinda want to find out beforehand, but not having any luck. Anyone have any issues with the Affinity series Tele's? Microphonic's or else? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members PrawnHeed Posted August 20, 2012 Members Share Posted August 20, 2012 Squier Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members sologrrl Posted August 21, 2012 Author Members Share Posted August 21, 2012 Autocorrect. My bad. Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members warriorpoet Posted August 21, 2012 Members Share Posted August 21, 2012 How much gain are you playing with? My first guess is you need to turn the gain WAY down. Other than that, you can always order up some less expensive pickups. Sounds like you're after humbuckers, and if so, you can do a lot worse than this for cheap-ish: http://www.guitarfetish.com/Calibrated-Pickup-Set-Modern-Vintage-Lil-Puncher-Import-Telecaster_p_150.html When you say microphonic, what do you mean? Can you hear yourself through the amp if you speak into them? Are you picking up radio stations? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members sologrrl Posted August 21, 2012 Author Members Share Posted August 21, 2012 @ Warrior When I was plugged into the Marshall stack, I had both the tone and the gain knobs turned all the way down and the pickup switch set to the middle (both pickups) to create as little natural feedback as possible, and the volume/gain/overdrive on the amp head was turned to almost zero and there was horrific squealing noise, even with my guitar turned away from the amp. This happened with several amps in the store as well, a Paul Reed Smith, a couple of the fender tube series and a Peavey. I didn't try talking through the pickups, though that is actually pretty cool when done and nope, no radio. Just ear splitting, eyeball bursting squealing. I actually prefer the Seymour Duncan P 90 sound (blues rock lover here) and a knew a few fellow musicians who use them and they all sound bad ass. But changing out the pickup to a SD P90 is the plan in a few months, once I'm used to playing an electric. What's the point of doing any guitar mod's if I don't enjoy/can't adjust to the feel of an electric guitar? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members LesPaulFetish Posted August 21, 2012 Members Share Posted August 21, 2012 Get something potted. Get something noiseless (and potted). Use a noise gate. Pretty much your only options. I'd try new pickups if you have the cash, but make they're not microphonic before you take it home; my friend had his pickups potted and changed yet it still didn't solve the problem but a noise gate did. That'd be a last resort for me, though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members JimiPage Posted August 21, 2012 Members Share Posted August 21, 2012 The squier standard series has much better pickups and hardware - I have several and recommend them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members onelife Posted August 21, 2012 Members Share Posted August 21, 2012 When I was plugged into the Marshall stack, I had both the tone and the gain knobs turned all the way down and the pickup switch set to the middle (both pickups) to create as little natural feedback as possible, and the volume/gain/overdrive on the amp head was turned to almost zero and there was horrific squealing noise, even with my guitar turned away from the amp. This happened with several amps in the store as well, a Paul Reed Smith, a couple of the fender tube series and a Peavey. I didn't try talking through the pickups, though that is actually pretty cool when done and nope, no radio. Just ear splitting, eyeball bursting squealing. Are you saying you were getting the squeal even with the guitar's volume and tone controls turned all the way down? Do you get the feedback with the amp tuned down to bedroom volume? Has it ever happened with the Peavey 158 RAGE Transtube practice amp? Have you tried using a different cable to connect your guitar to the amp? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members sologrrl Posted August 21, 2012 Author Members Share Posted August 21, 2012 @onelife Yeah, the guitar was causing feedback even with thevolume and tone turned off as far as I could switch them. It did this at the store when I took it in to be looked at as well with several of the larger amps. We turned the amp down to almost zero and still got the squeal, it was less earshattering but still evident. I never had a problem with the practice amp, but it's much smaller in comparison in power/wattage/size. I used my own cables at home AND at the rehearsal space where I was plugged into the Marshall stack. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members sologrrl Posted August 21, 2012 Author Members Share Posted August 21, 2012 Get something potted.Get something noiseless (and potted).Use a noise gate.Pretty much your only options. I'd try new pickups if you have the cash, but make they're not microphonic before you take it home; my friend had his pickups potted and changed yet it still didn't solve the problem but a noise gate did. That'd be a last resort for me, though. Aren't most Fender products semi potted (or mildly coated with an epoxy of sorts) anyways? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members onelife Posted August 21, 2012 Members Share Posted August 21, 2012 this problem does not sound like it is exclusively microphonic pickups if the guitar is properly wired, even if it is not shielded, there should be no output at all from the pickups with the volume control(s) turned all the way down if the wires connecting the output jack are reversed, then the guitar will not be properly grounded and will lead to problems of excessive noise especially at higher volumes is the practice amp capable of running on batteries? does it have an external power supply (AC adaptor)? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members WRGKMC Posted August 21, 2012 Members Share Posted August 21, 2012 I have the same guitar with stock pickups and never had an issue with microphonics. In fact I've left the stock pups in it because they actually sound quite fine.The only way I'd get squeel is if I crank my gains way up and turned the guitar face into the speakers. that would cause microphonic with even potted pups. If the volumes turned off and you're getting squeel, its definately not the pickups. It may be a defective cord or something else, but the volume pot grounds the signal from the pickup so it cant possibly be the cause of the squeel if the pots working right. The squeel would also be directional if it was the pickups. You turn the guitar and point the guitar at the amp and turn it away, and you'd hear the squeel come and go like an actual microphone does when you point it at a speaker. The body would be tap sensitive too. I say swap your cords, check any boxes you're using. Its unlikely the guitar. I've had cords go microphonic on me before. One of the causes is it could have been cooked if it was ever used as a speaker cable. The insulations only designed for super low voltage of less than a volt. As a speaker cable you can melt the insulation inside and cause all kinds of nasty noisesfrom crackle to completely microphonic. Plug the cable in, turn the volume down and bounce the cable off the floor. It should be dead silent. If you hear any kind of thumping in the speaker, its a {censored} cable. Get a new one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Angry Tele Posted August 21, 2012 Members Share Posted August 21, 2012 its not the pickups and the store should have known that. sounds like they are trying to screw you out of money. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Rand-O-Monium Posted August 21, 2012 Members Share Posted August 21, 2012 Yup,sounds like just bad wiring,but Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members sologrrl Posted August 21, 2012 Author Members Share Posted August 21, 2012 @ Angry Tele Normally I'd have agreed with you but I haven't put out a cent. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Angry Tele Posted August 21, 2012 Members Share Posted August 21, 2012 it could be the bridge. Sometimes if the bridge plate isnt flat (which is common even with the Pat. pend bridges found on AVRis and Custom Shop models) it could vibrate and cause feedback. ,But not with the volume turned off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members sologrrl Posted August 22, 2012 Author Members Share Posted August 22, 2012 See thats why this is so strange. I'm waiting to find out if the pickup change out fixes the problem but I think I'm going to ask them about the bridge plate. Is there any way I can check that on my own once I have it back? I am new to all things electric in the mechanical sense. I understand the basics of tones, knobs, pickups and such but this stuff is over my head. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members sologrrl Posted August 22, 2012 Author Members Share Posted August 22, 2012 II say swap your cords, check any boxes you're using. Its unlikely the guitar. I've had cords go microphonic on me before. One of the causes is it could have been cooked if it was ever used as a speaker cable. The insulations only designed for super low voltage of less than a volt. As a speaker cable you can melt the insulation inside and cause all kinds of nasty noisesfrom crackle to completely microphonic. Plug the cable in, turn the volume down and bounce the cable off the floor. It should be dead silent. If you hear any kind of thumping in the speaker, its a {censored} cable. Get a new one. I use the same cable at the moment for my acoustic and up until recent, my electric. I am still using that cable, and gigging with 3 nights a week and not having any issues with it. No crackling, no feedback, no vibrations. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members onelife Posted August 22, 2012 Members Share Posted August 22, 2012 It is sounding to me like a ground problem with the wiring of your guitar - it could be something as simple as the two wires on the output jack being reversed - it also sounds like you may have a faulty volume control I would suggest trying a different cable between your guitar and amp even though you have good reason to believe the one you are currently using is okay - the more things you try the better your chances of finding the problem Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members sologrrl Posted August 23, 2012 Author Members Share Posted August 23, 2012 Ok I think I'm just going to get my fack'n money back. I dropped in today to check on the status of the pickups 'cause I was in that end of town and it was apparently ready to go home. So, plugged it in, ran it out the best I could in store and it sounded fine. I get home, plug it into my {censored}ty peavey amp and the body pickup doesn't work. I have to toggle the switch to get it to engage. Microphonic issue is over. No more squealing, but I'm stuck with what appears to be an effed up switch now. Awesome. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members onelife Posted August 23, 2012 Members Share Posted August 23, 2012 Ok I think I'm just going to get my fack'n money back. I dropped in today to check on the status of the pickups 'cause I was in that end of town and it was apparently ready to go home. So, plugged it in, ran it out the best I could in store and it sounded fine. I get home, plug it into my {censored}ty peavey amp and the body pickup doesn't work. I have to toggle the switch to get it to engage. Microphonic issue is over. No more squealing, but I'm stuck with what appears to be an effed up switch now. Awesome. ultimately, what was the reason for the problem? did simply replacing the pickups solve the microphonics? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members sologrrl Posted August 23, 2012 Author Members Share Posted August 23, 2012 Replacing them did fix the microphonic issue. Now the switch for the body pickup isn't engaging when I switch to the body pickup. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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