Wax pot my HB-1 pickups on my 74 S100?

[F44:876]

Hey all! I did a quick search but couldn’t find anything specific to my problem.

My 74 S100 is my favorite guitar, but due to the extremely high gain nature of the bands I play in, I NEVER get to use it live because of uncontrollable feedback at volume. Squealing right right over top of my playing!

Is there anything I should consider before having my HB-1s professionally wax potted?

My S100 is all original (save for being refinished in another color by a previous owner) and I am not interested in swapping pickups. I also am not concerned about resale value. Only playability and whether anyone has experience with how waxing original HB-1s affects their sound.

I am fine with some slight tonal changes if it means being able to use the guitar live.

Please chime in! All thoughts welcome and appreciated. Pic for attention.

 

[GAD]

I wouldn’t worry about it. I could argue that it might lower pure collectable value but having a guitar that’s actually usable is pretty important, too.

 

[AcornHouse]

 

[F44:876]

I wouldn’t worry about it. I could argue that it might lower pure collectable value but having a guitar that’s actually usable is pretty important, too.

thanks GAD! that’s what I was hoping to hear. so it kill the HB-1 “magic”?

 

[Rocky]

Don't know enough about the construction of antihum pickups, but I've quieted microphonic Gibson style pickups with a piece of servo tape between the slug coil and cover. Do the microphonic go away if you dampen the cover with a finger?

 

[Guildedagain]

so it kill the HB-1 “magic”?

You can definitely kill your pickups dead doing things to them, like immersion in near boiling wax and or mishandling.

For every guitar repair, there's 5 ways to do damage.

I still have my bowl of 50% beeswax/50% paraffin, potted a few pickups as needed over the years.

Follow the instructions and you'll be ok.

Invert the cover and tap the air bubbles out with a wooden stick.

Worrying about changing the tone is silly, it sounds like it desperately needs it.

 

[F44:876]

Don't know enough about the construction of antihum pickups, but I've quieted microphonic Gibson style pickups with a piece of servo tape between the slug coil and cover. Do the microphonic go away if you dampen the cover with a finger?

I’ll have to check on that! I don’t believe so, but it’s been a while since I used the guitar at band volume.

 

[F44:876]

You can definitely kill your pickups dead doing things to them, like immersion in near boiling wax and or mishandling.

For every guitar repair, there's 5 ways to do damage.

I still have my bowl of 50% beeswax/50% paraffin, potted a few pickups as needed over the years.

Follow the instructions and you'll be ok.

Invert the cover and tap the air bubbles out with a wooden stick.

Worrying about changing the tone is silly, it sounds like it desperately needs it.

I’m definitely having it done by a pro. If it was any of my other guitars I’d be DIY all day.

I really appreciate the response! Just wanted to hear it from some Guild aficionados before I did something that’s not easy to reverse.

 

[Guildedagain]

I'd never have it done by a pro, goes against my grain 100%.

I'd carefully unsolder, remove, pot, reinstall and solder well enough that it looks original. I potted a vintage Tele neck pickup and you could never tell by looking at the solder joints.

But keep in mind that heated wax is highly flammable, the risk of burning your house down is there, stay away from substances.

Easy peasy in a double boiler, it's over in 5 minutes and you get to save the wax for later.

A no brainer there, and I wouldn't be able to turn a vintage S100 loose on any luthier I've met here and walk out the door, not even close.

Necessity is a mother.

 

[Rocky]

I’ll have to check on that! I don’t believe so, but it’s been a while since I used the guitar at band volume.

It's worth checking on. Wax potting is necessary if the windings or magnetic structures are loose, but if it's simply the cover that's vibrating, servo tape won't remove any of the 'unpotted pickup' mojo that may or may not exist, depending on who you talk to. It made all the difference on one of my pickups. Just crank up the amp with the guitar plugged in until it starts ringing, and then put your finger smack dab in the middle of the pickup. If it stops, it's the cover.

IMHO, wax potting might remove a bit of the detail in the sound, that can be heard under certain circumstances, but your audience will never know the difference. Wax is obviously better than squealing, but OTOH, if you're using metal-levels of gain and getting that ringing sound, the guitar probably isn't the right tool for the job anyway.

 

[F44:876]

Wax is obviously better than squealing, but OTOH, if you're using metal-levels of gain and getting that ringing sound, the guitar probably isn't the right tool for the job anyway.

It’s funny, I actually enjoy and want a lot of feedback - but on my other guitars it goes away once i start playing. this is the first time i encountered a guitar that the squeals persist right over top of whatever i’m trying to play lol.

 

[GAD]

It’s funny, I actually enjoy and want a lot of feedback - but on my other guitars it goes away once i start playing. this is the first time i encountered a guitar that the squeals persist right over top of whatever i’m trying to play lol.

Back in the late '80s my S300 bridge pickup started squealing at volume. It's not feedback, which can be all sorts of great. No, squealing is an awful ear-splitting sound that must be resolved at all costs.

 

[Groundwire]

Microphonic pickups are a wild thing because they are great until they aren’t. I love my pickups to be a bit microphonic; they let all the nuances come out and the guitar feels much more alive, but the second they cross the line to uncontrollable squealing, they are maddening.
My ‘70 S-100 has fairly microphonic pickups. I can’t use it with high gain, but I love the guitar so much as it is that I just don’t use it for that sound.

One thing I can say is that, like previous comments have noted, microphonics can come from any air gap. I one had a Tele bridge pickup that was unuseable, and I was able to solve the issue by re-seating the base plate with fresh wax.

One thing to check on your S-100 is the foam beneath the pickups. If the foam is degraded and not pressing up against the pickups, then they are getting a lot of vibration. Perhaps try replacing the foam, check the covers, and look for any other loose screws, or anything that would cause the pickup to wiggle around. Air gaps and movement are your enemy when it comes to microphonics.

If you do take to a tech, make sure they check every other possible solution before wax potting. Potting isn’t neceibad, but it can kill the liveliness and air of some pickups. Good luck, and I hope you get it worked out so you can gig with that S-100 again.

 

[matsickma]

The Fender HB1 pickups are wax potted. I'm not sure what potting does to the pickup sound beyond halting the vibration of the pickup coil wires and reducing the high frequency squeal. But the Fender HB1's aren't rated as highly as the Guild models.
I would think magnet type and bobbin winding has the bigger impact to the guitar sound when amplified than the wax potting influence on tone.

M

 

[GAD]

The Fender HB1 pickups are wax potted. I'm not sure what potting does to the pickup sound beyond halting the vibration of the pickup coil wires and reducing the high frequency squeal. But the Fender HB1's aren't rated as highly as the Guild models.
I would think magnet type and bobbin winding has the bigger impact to the guitar sound when amplified than the wax potting influence on tone.

M

I would tend to agree with this.

 

[Groundwire]

The Fender HB1 pickups are wax potted. I'm not sure what potting does to the pickup sound beyond halting the vibration of the pickup coil wires and reducing the high frequency squeal. But the Fender HB1's aren't rated as highly as the Guild models.
I would think magnet type and bobbin winding has the bigger impact to the guitar sound when amplified than the wax potting influence on tone.

M

I cannot say for certain because I’ve never potted a pickup and been able to compare before/after, but my experience is that heavily potted pickups are darker and more controlled sounding. For some, this may be a good thing.

The wax fills air gaps and reduces vibrations within the coils. Those vibrations are what hemp create a lively sounding pickup. But of course there are many pickups that are potted and still sound great. The most important thing is a guitar that is useable.

 

[mushroom]

Ok - I’ve been on the cider so pre-apologies.

Some things you mentioned are…..

It’s your favourite guitar.
It’s all original.

Maybe - and wild thinking here - is you just use a different guitar for the live band stuff.

Use the “favourite guitar” for studio or other stuff??

I used my M75 live and S300 for recording (yes I know blah blah) but….

Dude, you do what you want but that’s my 2.7 cents worth.

 

[F44:876]

Ok - I’ve been on the cider so pre-apologies.

Some things you mentioned are…..

It’s your favourite guitar.
It’s all original.

Maybe - and wild thinking here - is you just use a different guitar for the live band stuff.

Use the “favourite guitar” for studio or other stuff??

I used my M75 live and S300 for recording (yes I know blah blah) but….

Dude, you do what you want but that’s my 2.7 cents worth.

I did end up taking it to a tech who is a fellow Guild lover. He's going to wax pot the pickups along with other minor maintenance things the guitar has needed for some time. I'll report back on how it turns out!