[Piing]

My JS2450 is the most microphonic guitar that I've ever had, specially with the Satch Track at the neck. It captures all the clicks and unwanted mechanical noises from the switch, potentiometers... even clicking at the body with the pick. And not only playing with high-gain, it also happens with medium-low gain settings.

I had to put thermo-retractable tubes on the springs because their noise was unbearable.
 
It also gets nasty feedback coupling from the speakers very easily, even at low volume. And muting the strings doesn't cut the feedback. I am more problematic than the singer when he points his mike to the PA. I cannot go to rehearsals with this guitar anymore, not to mention gigs.

Is that happening to all of you, or do I have a faulty Satch Track?  I don't think that this is happening to Joe, because he plays x10 times louder than me!

Should I wax it?

[HarlowTheFish]

Sounds like there's some issue with the potting. I'm like 99% sure the Satch Track is supposed to be potted, and the problems you're having shouldn't be happening.

[BluesJam]

Do you have metal mounting rings or ceramic capacitors?

[Piing]

There is a 330 pf capacitor at the volume pot, but it is only activated when it is pulled up (hi-pass filter).

The pickup does not have metal mount rings. Other rings (for pots and switch) are properly tightened.

I am going to dismount the Satch Track pickup and connect it directly to the amplifier, for testing

[Piing]

After dismounting the DP425 neck pickup, I believe that I've found the offender: the pickup cover!

If I remove it, the micropohnic noises and the squeals are gone. If I put it back, the nightmare returns.

What would you recommend? Some foam inside the cover? Wax-potting with the cover attached?

[marcwormjim]

Never experienced these problems with the ST or other Dimarzio twin blade singles. I was going to suggest checking the cover before reading your post. Whether you end up potting or grounding the pickup cover, let us know what worked.

[Piing]

Dimarzio Technical Service has kindly replied to my message. They say that the hot glue they normally use between the coils of the pickup to minimize feedback problems is entirely missing. They can fix it if I return it, but I am in Thailand, so I may try to fix it myself.

Does anyone has a picture of a similar pickup with the cover removed? I would like to see how the hot glue is applied.

[Piing]

wow! I've been playing several hours without the plastic cover and, for the first time, I feel like I have a pro guitar.

I've already had this guitar for about a year and I always enjoyed the playability but I never liked the sound, so I always returned to the Strat or the old RG550LTD with Gravity Storm pups. It seems like capturing all these resonances was negatively affecting the tone. And the inability to play loud or with high gain was despairing.

Would you recommend waxing before applying the hot glue between the rails?

[HarlowTheFish]

I would personally hot-glue first, then wax, because the hot glue would probably mess with the potting. You might also want to add a wrap of some sort of poofy electrical tape to hold the cover a little more snugly.

[BluesJam]

Try

1) put thin rubber washer under and above the mounting screw holes.  That would stop vibrations of the pickup, the cover and mounting screws.

2) if that don’t work, you can try thin double sided sticky tape between the top of the coils and it will keep the cover firmly affixed.  You probably don’t need potting.

3) sometimes distortion pedals can create annoying feedback.

4) sometimes defective ceramic capacitors create microphonic issues

I put thin rubber washers on my pickup mountings.  I don’t recommend foam.  I had issues with it.