When to repot?

[Richard]

I have a Les Paul with a Dimarzio DLX 90 Neck pickup in the bridge position. At high gain it squeals. The pickup is screwed directly into the guitar so there is a good bit of handling noise. My question is how do I know if this is a flawed pickup or if I'm using an unreasonable amount of gain?

[ric]

I don't think you can have too much gain, can you? $-)

Since you mention nk p/u in br position, if this just started after a rewire...

I switched the br p/u wires under my Tele's control plate to get it in phase with a different nk p/u, forgetting the p/u is grounded under the bridge plate. With my new live bridge plate I had handling noise and one rockin' feedback machine 'till I figured it out.

If the squealing just started could you have overlooked a ground issue?

[Richard]

The feedback usually calms down if I put my fingers on the pickup. To be fair, it is a lot of gain when it happens, standing close to the amp.

[big_teee]

The feedback usually calms down if I put my fingers on the pickup. To be fair, it is a lot of gain when it happens, standing close to the amp.

IME, that is usually a lack of shielding, and lack of enough shielded hookup cable.
In a LP, where the switch is so far away on top, with long cables to pickups, it all has to be wired, & grounded just right.
T

[Richard]

I'm referring to the feedback from sound pressure/amplification, the electrical noise is tolerable when I touch metal.

[copperheadroads]

With high amounts of gain you will get feedback & it's probably controllable if your can stop it by muting the strings I don't think the pickup is the problem

[Leo_Gnardo]

The pickup is screwed directly into the guitar so there is a good bit of handling noise.

1: No mechanical decoupling from the guitar, that'll shake the pickup as you noted "handling noise". How about you "float" it on some rubber grommets, surgical tubing, foam rubber? That might help. and

B) Is there a metal cover? It stops "singing" when you press a finger on the cover? Consider wax-potting the pickup, with the cover ON. Then back to 1: ^^^ mount it in a way so it's not just "screwed to the wood."

[mr fab]

I had a les paul deluxe years ago and it squealed big time. the pickups were mounted on aluminium plates in the pickup cavity and placing a piece of spongy foam between the bottom of the pickup and this plate helped somewhat.

I suspect your guitar will be similar as the dimarzio dlx was made as a replacement for the Gibson mini humbuckers of the time

try some sponge and see if there is any improvement

[Richard]

Wow, it's been a while since I checked this thread. Thanks for the replies. The reason I screwed the pickup directly to the guitar is because the routes are too shallow for the mounting plate. The feedback is definitely from the pickup itself. I'm somewhat hesitant to change the mounting of the pickup because it sounds so bitchin' and I think the mounting has a lot to do with that. There's a local pickup winder, I may get him to repot it.