[Deny]

I have always been a DiMarzio user, and I don't even necessarily like every pickup I've bought from them. So, picky? Maybe.

2 years ago I've got a Washburn Parallax which comes with SDs, Distortion in the bridge and Jazz in the neck (neither have metal covers). The bridge pickup squeals like a pig about to become bacon on moderate-high gain and stage volume (my drummer is REALLY loud). Exact same settings and my Ibanez Prestige equipped with a DiMarzio Fred on the bridge doesn't squeal. I also have a Chapman ML1 handy with a DiMarzio Super Distortion in the bridge, doesn't squeal either. In fact I have yet to find a setting that makes those pickups go microphonic.

I've repotted the SD Distortion bridge pickup to no avail, and was beginning to suspect the culprit was the tremolo springs.

Fast forward to this week when I've got a brand new custom made guitar from what's considered the Suhr custom shop in my country, and it came equipped with Duncans as well (no metal covers either), a JB on the bridge and a 59 on the neck. Guess what? The JB (which I've read somewhere is the exact same pickup as the Distortion with an alnico magnet) ALSO SQUEALS with the settings above!

So I'm not saying the SD JB and Distortion suck, but they probably are (much) more susceptible to microphonic squealing than the DiMarzios I own (Fred, PAF Pro, Blaze, Steve Special, The Breed, Super Distortion), and don't work for my application. Before anyone asks if I'm using a huge amount of gain, I'm not, it's an AX8 and the patch is a plexi with a mild boost in front for some tight hard rock sounds, I play in a Bon Jovi cover band.

Anyone with a similar experience?

[buddroyce]

Does moving to a different position on stage change anything?

[Deny]

Not a lot of difference, both in different venues and positions. Like I've mentioned DiMarzios do not squeal in the exact same situations the Seymour Duncans squeal like crazy.

[DarthPhineas]

Going across multiple brands, I have some potted pups that will squeal and I potted that won’t.


What else have you done to track down the issue?  Swapped pups to different guitars?  Used different rigs?  Changed up any pedals/cables/etc.?

[BluesJam]

I had problems in the past with squealing pickups.  The problem was from a modified overdrive pedal that made my pickups feedback.  DiMarzio makes quiet pickups.  Even my FS1 is very quiet in gain settings.  Not much hum and absolutely no squealing whatsoever.

[Deny]

I'm going to try replacing the pickups in the new guitar with a PAF Pro (bridge) and PAF Joe (neck) and see how that goes.

[BluesJam]

Deny, I Googled squealing Seymour Duncan pickups on the web, and there are many people on line that have similar complaints, such as yours with SD pickups.  Not too many issues with a DiMarzio in a similar search.  It’s good that both companies offer an exchange policy.  Good luck!

[greenlion]

I have used dozens and dozens of Duncan and Dimarzio pickups over the years, both potted and unpotted, and I have never noticed either brand being prone to squealing feedback.

[darkbluemurder]

I also used many examples of both brands and never had that problem with either. I had that problem with 70s Fender single coils (easily cured by potting), Gibson humbuckers (also easily cured by potting except for one that was expoxied but still squealed like a stuck pig), and one P90 pickup (no cure possible with that one as the bobbins were plastic that would not withstand a wax potting). Come to think of it I still have a 70s Super Distortion that I potted myself because it was microphonic but it's all good now.

From looking at pictures of a Parallaxe, it does not seem that the bridge construction adds to that phenomenon like sometimes telecaster bridges can so this is definitely not normal even though uncommon.

If (re)potting did not help I guess a pickup swap is in order.

Good luck,
Stephan

[BluesJam]

Several years ago I had a Bill Lawrence USA 500XL.  That thing squealed horrible.  I was able to wax pot it and that pickup bubbled like crazy in the pot. Potting did help.  I ended up taking them out and getting Super Distortions..

I’m sure DiMarzio probably changed their pickup manufacturing of their original 1970’s flagship pickups, like the Super Distortion, Dual Sound and FS 1.  It would be great if they did an anniversary re-issues of these pickups to exact 1970’s specs

[gtrjunior]

I saw your post about this on the Duncan forum. You closed it down before I could respond.

But a year or so ago I put a tone zone p90 bridge in my LP Special and had the same issue as you. I tried everything to fix it....I even sent it back to Dimarzio for repotting. Nothing helped. It ended up being removed and I ordered a set of Fokin pickups which are perfect.

Anyway, my point is that I don’t think it is so much the Duncan brand. Maybe those pickups just aren’t right in those guitars, through your rig, with the settings you use. Like the tone zone being the wrong pickup for my needs in that particular guitar.
 
As I mentioned in your Duncan thread I have a JB in 2 guitars and play high gain material through a Splawn Quickrod and don’t experience any of the issues you are describing with those guitars.

I don’t know exactly what the cause is for you with those pickups and I hope you sort it out but I don’t necessarily think it’s exclusive to the Duncan brand. I know you weren’t happy with he responses you got from the Duncan community. Sorry for that, it’s actually a good forum. You just had a bad experience.

[RayBarbeeMusic]

Loose wiring in the guitar can be a problem.  I've seen that on more than one occasion.  Especially prone on hollow/semi hollow, but I've seen it on solid bodies as well.  Zip tie everything in the control compartment, or re-wire it with better wire.  Depending on the resonant frequency of the problem and the frequencies accentuated by the pickup, some pickups are more prone to making that happen *on your guitar* than others.  Not a problem with the pickup per se. 

Other things:  Microphonic tubes in your amp or a bad filter cap can cause the same effect, and again, the frequencies in certain pickups can be more likely to set that off. 

Since companies started potting pickups, I've never seen a DiMarzio or Duncan that squealed because of an issue with the pickup, at least not one that came potted from the factory. 

[Deny]

Just did an interesting experiment, turned the gain and volume reasonably high (my living room is tiny) and tested all humbucker equipped guitars in the room:

- Chapman with DiMarzio Super Distortion: on the edge of uncontrollable feedback but still useable
- Washburn Parallax (Duncan Distortion): almost the same as the Chapman, but squeals onstage whereas the Chapman doesn't
- Ibanez Universe: a bit harder to control than the Chapman
- Ibanez  Prestige with DiMarzio Fred: much easier to control than any of the others
- Custom shop guitar with JB: squeals like crazy but if I press the pickup against the body it improves considerably.

So I'm thinking part of the problem is that I haven't fiddled with the new guitar yet and padded under the pickup with polyurethane foam, but because it has the same coil configuration as the Duncan Distortion I'm thinking it will squeal at stage volumes with the gain structure I'm using even after I do that.

So in conclusion, I will blame the squealing on the fact that JBs are overwound in comparison to my other pickups, OR another way of looking at the problem would be that lower output pickups are more resistant to squealing, pick your favorite.

[BluesJam]

You could get some compression tubing that Fender uses for their pickups.  Maybe the pickup springs are causing issues.  Foam under the pickups will help too.  The tremolo springs, if applicable could be making noises/frequencies that could be affecting things.  If you have a tube amp, you may have a microphonic tube causing issues.  Lastly, maybe your house electricity/lighting is causing interference.  These are all simple things to  work through.  Hopefully some of this will help.

[DarthPhineas]

So in conclusion, I will blame the squealing on the fact that JBs are overwound in comparison to my other pickups, OR another way of looking at the problem would be that lower output pickups are more resistant to squealing, pick your favorite.

One of the most popular and best selling OEM and replacement pickups that has been in the market over 40 years is at “blame”?

I don’t think laying the “blame” on what you called an “overwound” pickup will fly here, among DiMarzio enthusiasts, where the Super D is also one of the best selling and longest running replacement pickups and would also be considered “overwound” by your criteria.

The wildcard in all of this seems to remain as your rig.