The Electra Forums

Has anyone done it before and did it help curb the feedback??? I'm going to attempt to do it this weekend.

Any feedback would be greatly appreciated!!!

I've had a number of my Japanese pickups waxed, and it helps. It doesn't always get rid of all the feedback, especially if you play super overdriven or loud (like I do...), but it definitely helps. The wax fills in the spaces within the coils and keeps the windings from vibrating. I've never had the guts to do it myself, I have my guitar guy do it. He has a special blend of Bee and Paraffin waxes he's happy with.

The one thing that you want to keep in mind is that if it isn't hot enough the wax wont flow into the spaces, if it is too hot, it will in effect melt the bobbins, so there is a balancing act going on there, and I don't know the magic temperature personally! You also want to dip it until the 'bubbles' stop flowing, on one of my MMK45's, it took over a half hour for the bubbles to cease.


Pun intended? Good luck, Mike.

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Electra Guitar Videos ===> http://www.youtube.com/user/mjm33mjm?feature=watch

Thanks for the advice!

Thorny has a complete web site about this subject:

http://www.guitarnuts.com/technical/electrical/index.php

RCSBlues

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RCSBlues

Yes, nearly all MMK pickups benefit from it. I think the MMK pickups are pretty good and should be used instead of replaced. I don't do EVERY one, but I don't hesitate to wax pot the pickups if they are microphonic. An added benefit is it helps the pickups avoid inner coil corrosion that will ruin them. My first MPC had this with its bridge humbucker.

That is not my site, but the guy that runs it published the info a long time ago. I kept having people ask how to do it, so he was kind enough to take some general instructions I had sent to him, dress them up, and put it on his website with more safety tips around it. I use a mixture of the regular old white wax used in "canning" or in candle-making with about a 10% or so mixture of beeswax added - it does not take much. The Beeswax makes the mixture softer and less prone to cracking and easier to disassemble if needed. I use a small cheap double boiler I found in a junk pile and I leave the wax in there (I only use it for potting pickups). Always us a double boiler and watch your temperature (as low as possible for the wax to melt). Keep away from any flames or sparks with the melted wax. Wax candles are made to burn after all and that stuff can ignite just like a grease fire!

Follow the instructions as last time I checked they were still there and pretty complete.

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Thorny