PunkKitty Posted October 5, 2013 Posted October 5, 2013 I love the sound of the Seths in my Millie. But I get a lot of feedback from them when I play at high volumes. I recently got a deal on a 7.5/8 k set of Fralin humbuckers. The Fralins are potted. Has anyone used Fralins in a Millie? What did you think of them? I can easily install a set of covers on them for aesthetics. This is not a set of Fralin Pure PAFs. It's a standard set of Fralin humbuckers.
Blunote Posted October 6, 2013 Posted October 6, 2013 If you're going to change those Seths out for anything, think about finding a set of HRWs. HRWs in a MIllie is tonal nirvana. OTOH, why mess with a good thing? You love that Millie as it is. Regarding feedback, potting reduces micro phonic feedback -not the squeal you get standing next to a speaker at loud volume with a semi-hollow or hollow body guitar. If it's that kind of feedback you're getting, chances are you'll get that no matter what pickups you install. Here's a link that explains it better than I can. http://www.stewmac.com/freeinfo/Electronics/Pickup_building/a-lindyfralin.html If it's the microponic feedback you're getting you could pot them yourself with tape or wax when you replace the covers with nickel or chrome (IIRC, that's something you were planning to do). Myself, I really like the sound of SLs and that sound probably has to do with the fact that they are un-potted.
PunkKitty Posted October 6, 2013 Author Posted October 6, 2013 It's a semi hollow without f holes. Outside of the body wood it's essentially similar to a 150LW. If it had f holes, it would feed back much more.As for potting, I really don't want to mess with the Seths. I've potted many, many pickups and keep a small slow cooker with wax in it just for potting. You can't unpot a pickup.I also have a set of PRails that I can install. That would give me a lot of tonal variation.
Millennium Maestro Posted October 6, 2013 Posted October 6, 2013 I have dunacan distortions in mine so.... The world is your oyster!
bolero Posted October 6, 2013 Posted October 6, 2013 potted pickups will not feed back as easily at high volumes or with distortion boxes I would go ahead & swap pups, it's not that difficult & the only way to find out. in your case, if that's why they're feeding back?
H Posted October 6, 2013 Posted October 6, 2013 You can't unpot a pickup. Yes you can! I've done it myself with a hairdryer and absorbent kitchen paper.
mars_hall Posted October 6, 2013 Posted October 6, 2013 Microphonics are mechanical vibrations at a resonant frequency. The loose parts inside the cover are hitting each other ever so slightly at certain frequencies (resonance) and this gets amplified and fed back to the original resonator in a closed loop. Break the loop.. The pickup is a system of physical objects, each with its own resonant frequency or tendency to move when excited by certain ranges of harmonically-related frequencies. In this case, mechanical vibrations give little nudges in the direction the object is already moving at the moment. Damp or change/shift the frequency of vibration by placing another object close enough that it becomes a part of the original object's resonant mass. Stuff a piece of pasteboard (an old macaroni box) between the pickup ring and the cover. It can be hid. Change the mounting springs and/or screw lengths through which the vibration of the guitar body excites the pickup mass. Add felt washers to the contact mounting points (screw/spring head). You get the picture...
HANGAR18 Posted October 6, 2013 Posted October 6, 2013 HRWs in a MIllie is tonal nirvana. I'm surprised no one has bought the Millie with HRW's and f-holes from the guitar store right down the street from me. I almost bought it but... Sorry for the thread hijack.
Guest HRB853370 Posted October 6, 2013 Posted October 6, 2013 I'm surprised no one has bought the Millie with HRW's and f-holes from the guitar store right down the street from me. I almost bought it but... Sorry for the thread hijack. Let me finish the sentence for you: I almost bought it but I already have too many guitars I do not play...."
HANGAR18 Posted October 6, 2013 Posted October 6, 2013 Let me finish the sentence for you: I almost bought it but I already have too many guitars I do not play...." hahahaha You're funny. I played guitar at PSP as much as you did.
PunkKitty Posted October 6, 2013 Author Posted October 6, 2013 I decided to try the PRails. So far, there is less feedback. It sounds great through the Marshall. I love the P90 sounds. I'm trying to find the right tone for the humbuckers. Because they are potted and more powerful, they don't sound as open as the Seths. It's a trade off. Ignore my finger in the picture.
tulk1 Posted October 7, 2013 Posted October 7, 2013 I have the same basic guitar in a double cut. Mine does not feed back like semi-hollows do. I also drubbed the HRWs and put in a set of Tom Shorts. Which you can't get new anymore; well, for a while probably. Thing is, if it's unintentional squealing you're either too loud when too close to the amp; or you have microphonic pickups. I'd say get something else. Fralins are not a bad way to go.
PunkKitty Posted October 7, 2013 Author Posted October 7, 2013 The one thing that I'm missing from the P-Rails is a good PAF sound. I think the Millie will be getting the Fralins when they arrive.
koula901 Posted October 7, 2013 Posted October 7, 2013 I just heard those Fralin pups on a you tube vid, on an LP style guitar through a Maz 18 - they sound wonderful!
rockabilly69 Posted October 7, 2013 Posted October 7, 2013 PK, put the Seths back in, but before you do, unsolder the covers and run a bead of Silcone over the slug side coil. Put the cover back, making sure to clamp it tight before soldering. That will get rid of the microphonics feedback, without destroying the air. I've done this more times than I can count, and it has always worked! Seth's are one of the best pickups Duncan makes.
PunkKitty Posted October 13, 2013 Author Posted October 13, 2013 I ended up putting the Seths back in. The Fralins just didn't sound right in that guitar. I think they would sound great in a solid body. But I didn't like them as much as the Seths in the Millie. I stuck with the original hardware and decided not to change it for now. It's not broke. So I'm not going to fix it.
MartyGrass Posted October 14, 2013 Posted October 14, 2013 Seths are a great match in Millies IMO. They also sound perfect in a weight relieved LP style guitar. You're really pushing that Millie if you're getting much feedback. But they are built to be pushed. Use hearing protection, BTW. Those can be plugs, a lower volume, or just staying out of the line of fire when things get loud. I have a couple of associates who are ENT specialists. When they look at audiograms, they can get a good hunch as to who were the 80s rockers even before walking into the exam room.
bolero Posted October 14, 2013 Posted October 14, 2013 I think I did more damage to my hearing one night in a Hull dance club, standing directly in front of a PA blasting "black betty", than I have in all my years playing guitar!! bam ba lam...
H Posted October 15, 2013 Posted October 15, 2013 I think I did more damage to my hearing one night in a Hull dance club, standing directly in front of a PA blasting "black betty", than I have in all my years playing guitar!! bam ba lam... Hull? You jetsetter Did you make it to Grimsby too?
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