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Well, I got a chance to use my coffee maker wax pot (as described here: http://music-electronics-forum.com/t31683/ )
A friend has an Epiphone Les Paul with squealy pickups (don't they all?). He didn't want to replace them and asked if anything could be done. Never having opened one up I had no idea what I was in for. Attempts at removing the cover were futile. Even heating the covers with a blow drier didn't get them loose enough to lift before the base plate pops off. It isn't screwed to anything and is only adhered in place because the pickup cover is filled with wax before the plate is mushed on. Obviously the wax is poured in over the cold assembly because the pickups are microphonic. No screws hold anything together either. Everything is just placed together, held somewhat by the magnet and the wax is poured in. Attempting to heat and pry them apart would almost certainly ruin them. So...
I just plopped them whole into the wax pot. I kept the base plates lifted out of the way but the rest was submerged. I left them in there until all the internal wax had meted and I could actually see the assebly inside. The bobbins are clear and to my surprise they are taped too. No matter. Nothing to lose now. After about 15 minutes the pickups were at euqilibrium with the wax and the big bubbles had stopped. So I took a wooden stick and proceeded to tap vigorously on the assemblies until no more small bubbles would emerge. I left them in for another ten minutes and taped again for good measure. They seemed to have given up all the air they would so I removed them.
It worked. The pickups are squeal free. Now I need to back them with foam or something to take up the space previously occupied by the wax and solder the base plates to the covers.
I know most people replace these things. But if potting them ever comes up, this worked for me.
A friend has an Epiphone Les Paul with squealy pickups (don't they all?). He didn't want to replace them and asked if anything could be done. Never having opened one up I had no idea what I was in for. Attempts at removing the cover were futile. Even heating the covers with a blow drier didn't get them loose enough to lift before the base plate pops off. It isn't screwed to anything and is only adhered in place because the pickup cover is filled with wax before the plate is mushed on. Obviously the wax is poured in over the cold assembly because the pickups are microphonic. No screws hold anything together either. Everything is just placed together, held somewhat by the magnet and the wax is poured in. Attempting to heat and pry them apart would almost certainly ruin them. So...
I just plopped them whole into the wax pot. I kept the base plates lifted out of the way but the rest was submerged. I left them in there until all the internal wax had meted and I could actually see the assebly inside. The bobbins are clear and to my surprise they are taped too. No matter. Nothing to lose now. After about 15 minutes the pickups were at euqilibrium with the wax and the big bubbles had stopped. So I took a wooden stick and proceeded to tap vigorously on the assemblies until no more small bubbles would emerge. I left them in for another ten minutes and taped again for good measure. They seemed to have given up all the air they would so I removed them.
It worked. The pickups are squeal free. Now I need to back them with foam or something to take up the space previously occupied by the wax and solder the base plates to the covers.
I know most people replace these things. But if potting them ever comes up, this worked for me.
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