Split humbucker is feeding back

[sylvanshine]

At the last two rehearsals and at last night's gig, whenever I split my HN3 I get uncontrollable feedback. It's not the good kind, it's microphonic...very high squeal. Happens only at high gain when the volume is up and I'm not playing. In other words, even with my hand on the strings it gets crazy.

Thoughts?

[tom]

but the full humbucking isn't? this is a new one. is this a new instalation or has it worked fine before? if it's new, since the hn3 is a short pickup, it would need less rubber on the screws in the ring.

[sylvanshine]

Nope, it only squeals on the split. Not a new install. The problem started in the last 2 weeks. When I'm playing it's fine, it's the pauses in between notes where I get it. It sounds exactly like when you stick a hot mic in front of a speaker.

[tom]

still strange. the only way a pickup get microphonic is for the wax to leak out, like being left in a super hot place like a car in the sun, or a change in the way it is mounted. is this one mounted to the wood or in a ring? still weird that it doesn't do it as a humbucker.

[bruce]

did you change amp or pedal settings? Is there more gain now compared to 2 weeks ago? If so, that could expalin it.

[sylvanshine]

Tom, mounted to the the wood.

Bruce, I've increased the presence and bumped the mids in an effort to sonically stay out of the way of the bass, so you may be on to something there. The Ecstasy Classic is not a bright amp by any means though. Presence moved from 3:00 to 6:00 and mids from 12:00 to 2:00. I'll play with the settings next time it happens.

It's unlike any feedback you would expect from a guitar and an amp. And unlike the more musical variety of feedback, this one occurs no matter where in relation to the amp you are.

All fingers are pointing to the amp now, thanks.

[tom]

that is the kind of feedback that accompanies mounting pickups directly to wood, but since that hasn't changed, i'd look eleswhere too.

[sylvanshine]

I just remembered something...I lowered the pickup a couple of weeks ago in an effort to reduce some of the midrange honk on the HN3. Would you expect that to contribute to this new feedback?

[tom]

lowering it would tighten up the suspension, and you may have even bottomed it on the wires making a more rigid connection with the body, which can lead to microphonics.

[bruce]

Lowering a pickup can also contribute to a signal to noise ratio changing, (notes can sound thinner too), and if you added more gain and/or tweaked the eq on top of that.... all of this points toward your feedback problem.

If your pickup is too far away from the strings, it will start to hear less of the string and more of whatever is being thrown at it.... like high gain from an amp.

Also, pickups that are mounted directly to the wood are not suspended as much as pickup mounted to a p/u ring... the tone can be different, which is cool, but, when the guitar is vibrating, so is the pickup mounted to it, and so are the chances of it feeding back more than a suspended pickup... same concept as suspending a microphone in a studio/recording situation.

[sylvanshine]

I've raised it to it's original position and will report back after rehearsal tonight. Think we may be on the right track here. Thanks fellas.

[sylvanshine]

B-i-n-g-o!