Anybody Have Custombucker Squealing Problems?

Last week I was finally able to rehearse with a '14 RO I bought in May. I had played it through an amp at home many time but never at a band-level volume. A few times I noticed the pickups squealing on me when facing the amp (a 20w Marshall w/4x12 cab). I never, ever have had problems like this with my R8 (Antiquity & Burstbucker 1 in neck).

Have any of you had squealing with your Custombuckers?

I have four LPs with custombuckers. They'll all squeal if I get the guitar right in the speakers (i.e., within inches), but are fine if I'm back a little bit. I can get great harmonic feedback with all of them. I was told by the former owner of one that the pickups were quite microphonic when he got the guitar. He told me he removed the covers and dripped a little wax into the cover and put them back on. FWIW, I've also read that sometimes just putting a piece or two of masking tape inside the cover is enough to prevent cover-vibration type microphonics...

Mine did, I carefully tightened the four screws on the back of the pickup and problem solved, try it, easy and cheap.

LeonC said:

I have four LPs with custombuckers. They'll all squeal if I get the guitar right in the speakers (i.e., within inches), but are fine if I'm back a little bit. I can get great harmonic feedback with all of them. I was told by the former owner of one that the pickups were quite microphonic when he got the guitar. He told me he removed the covers and dripped a little wax into the cover and put them back on. FWIW, I've also read that sometimes just putting a piece or two of masking tape inside the cover is enough to prevent cover-vibration type microphonics...

Click to expand...

Use double sided tape

The squealing really only happens when I'm close to the amp at high volume and facing it. I wish there was something I could do without taking the strings off, pickups out, and popping the covers off & on (something I always did when I was a kid). Not so much because those things are a pain to do, but because it seems every time I get a great setup and I loosen all the strings, the neck never seems to forgive me! I always takes so much tweaking to get it right again - no matter what I do (and I've been doing this for over 50 years). This R0 was stellar off the wall and all that was involved in just changing the pickup rings changed it a bit.

Less trouble than changing pickups, I guess. I am happy with the Custombuckers, even though the neck pickup is louder than the bridge and I've had to lower it noticeably to compensate.