Epiphone LP Std wax potted stock pickups

[Duffy]

For anyone wondering about the Epiphone LP Std stock pickups, yes they are was potted.

This is from the Epiphone web site in regard to the LP Std, this probably does not apply to some of the lesser models:

Quote:

(The Epiphone LP Std is)
a real Les Paul. Epiphone utilizes a double vacuum waxing process that ensures quiet operation, free from microphonic hum. The pickup is first placed in the specialized wax vacuuming system before the cover is placed on the unit to ensure that the wax fully penetrates to the very center of the pickup and solidifies all parts. After the cover is placed on, it is again given a second vacuum wax bath until the unit is completely saturated with wax. Epiphone uses only the highest quality parts for its pickups. ABS plastic bobbins, 1010 Cold Rolled Steel pole shoes and pole screws, Alnico magnets and the finest magnet wire available.

Unquote.

Hope this helps people wondering about the stock pickups on the Epi LP Standards.

[deeaa*]

I once took off covers on my Epiphone and found this to be the case. The cover and the outer layer of wax was easy to remove; cover was soldered in two spots to PU frame and a little warming up loosened the wax too.

[DeanEVO_Dude]

I once took off covers on my Epiphone and found this to be the case. The cover and the outer layer of wax was easy to remove; cover was soldered in two spots to PU frame and a little warming up loosened the wax too.

A little shipping from whence they came to the high-desert of Colorado, in the summer time, loosened up some of the wax in the 2 pairs that I have gotten, as well! LOL

[Duffy]

You can easily, relatively so, re-wax pot those pickups.

I read a thread or directions somewhere online. It was simple. You melt enough wax, paraffin I believe, in a pan so you can totally immerse the pickup in the wax. Some guys are able to leave the pickups on the guitar if there is enough wire.

You immerse the pickup completely in the wax and take a pencil and tap on the pickup in order to tap any air pockets out of the inside that may be trapped or isolated. You turn the pickup over and around so the wax can penetrate into it from differing angles and tap on it as you do so.

Do this once or twice to each pickup to completely do your best to get wax in uniformly.

Then I guess you wipe off the excess exterior wax and clean up the pickup on the outside.

It is supposed to work very well.

Google wax potting a pickup and you will probably be able to find the directions.

I would be willing to try it and may some day.



I had a wax potted set of pickups on P bass pickup set I got from GFS. The covers fell literally off the pickups and the wax was cursorilly applied in a very skimpy and shoddy, including non-uniform spotty manner. Pitiful excuse for potting after reading the article on how to do it yourself. The pickup works okay, but I never shoud have got the Hot GFS P Bass pickups because I wanted Seymour Duncan Quarter Pounders which were only a few dollars more really, like twice as much but still only 60 something US for the pair and readily available in shops near me. I regret this but that was a black Squire, kinda cool affinity P bass - I recently got a beautiful mint '04 Fender black P bass for 250, a MIM std, and put on an aged pearl Fender pickguard. It really looks cool. I have to take some pictures with my new Nikon Digital SLR that takes awesome pictures and yesterday was a beautiful sunny day. Maybe today. My fiance will help me, she is very inventive and photogenic as well, LOL.

I also want to take some pictures of this awesome stock Peavey Generation X Vintage model telecaster, with a stock covered humbucker in the neck and a std bridge pup. The bridge us an ashtray type with brass saddles, 4 of them, and it is done in a beautiful antique burst with awesome tight straight grain and sounds superb. They did this right. The pickups are balanced and it sounds great in all positions with some Bad Monkey and a stereo multi reverb pedal from Behringer that sounds almost as good as my Digitech Hardwire one. This tele is a bad boy. I hit my Fender SCXD with this set up yesterday and it virtually screamed the blues and rock too.

[deeaa*]

Since I have long been a user of active pickups only, I haven't tried, but it seems to me the tightness/looseness of the coils and/or waxing or not etc. might be big contributors to an electric guitar's sound.

I think something like 80-90% of an electric's sound originates at the pickup, including its position, distance, power, fastening, etc. variables, and thus the wax/no wax might have a huge effect in relation to, say, swapping body woods.

I should really get a couple of buckers to test with, deliberately de-wax and loosen up the other and see how the sound is affected. I would venture without wax it could be more organic, noisy and raw, perhaps interesting. Waxing I'd guess will make it sound smoother, clearer and more vintage as well. Hardly any modern hi-output 'screamer' pups are waxed after all.

[Duffy]

I'm not sure your ideas on wax potted pickups is correcct. Some really screaming hot passive HB's are waxed.

If you are using only active pickups I suggest you try out a couple really nice guitars at a store near you. LTD makes an EC1000 LP style with Seymour Duncan humbuckers, a couple different sets and this guitar sounds incredible, even when played after an EC1000 with EMG's, a much fuller, smooth, pleasing sound, to my ear - and these pickups sound great cranked. One has the JB bridge and 59 neck, the other Alnico II's.

Another one to try is the Schecter Blackjack with Seymour Duncan passives, and any other Schecter with the SD passives, awesome tone.

Not as thin sounding and ragged as the EMG's. I don't know if I described this accurately, but the SD's are much smoother, thick, and full sounding and push the tube preamp really well.

I have an Ibanez ART300 alligator hide dark swamp water amber burst active pickup LP style guitar that sounds fabulous, better I think than the EMG 81 and 60 combination. Really cool guitar. I need to post some pictures of it.

Generally I like the Seymour Duncan passives and I have an LP with Gibson 57 humbuckers, one a plus, and they sound really really good. They don't call them Gibsons for nothing I've found. Nothing alright - to say the least considering their guitar prices, but the pickups are decent.

Also, a couple days ago I played an Epi Prophecy with the Dirty Fingers Gibson passive humbuckers, very hot and great sounding, thru a Fender SuperSonic 60, new style. Great guitar with a very useable coil split.

[deeaa*]

Yep, that's why I'd like to experiment with waxing/non-waxing. Removing covers at least did change the sound. Maybe the results would be anything but what I thought.

I did play passives for about 15 years, duncan jb and 59 among my faves, plus p-90's I loved too, but I never could get the punch and control and separation actives give. Passives have so much looser low ends and they mush up easier. Plus I alwys needed a noisy booster with them anyway. My sound and style is so organic it gets too messy and overly tubey with passives, although they have their pro's for sure too.

Blackouts might be good to try...I don't like emg81s much, but 85s give me just the sound I need.

[FrankenFretter***]

The original PAFs were not wax potted, so in order to make a pickup fully accurate as far as emulating the original PAF, they shouldn't be potted. I forget which pickup it is that Gibson sells currently that is unpotted, but that info is from their website. Perhaps it isn't as historically accurate to pot the pickups, but I prefer them that way. Controlled feedback is fine, but uncontrolled...not so much.

[Tig***]

Speaking of Epi pickups, I wonder how good their new ProBuckers sound?

Here's the sale pitch:


In an effort to continually improve quality, Epiphone has introduced new features over the years like our wiring harness "Quick Connector" for unequalled reliability and ease of service, an "All-Metal Toggle Switch" to ensure years of reliable service and performance, a "Locking Tune-o-matic/Stopbar" that auto-locks the bridge and tailpiece in place with no tools needed, "Full-Size Potentiometers with 1" diameter for better throw, longer life and reliable service and proprietary "Output Jacks" that feature an improved contact shape and heavy-duty spring steel... just to name a few.
Now we are proud to announce the introduction of the Epiphone ProBucker™ pickup. Currently offered in the LP Traditional PRO (and other models coming soon), these pickups are an inspired version of Gibson's BurstBucker, featuring unevenly wound coils and Alnico-II magnets that replicate that "Patent Applied for" airy tone. You'll love the way they sound!
ProBuckers feature:
18% Nickel Silver unit bases and covers: This is the same alloy used by Gibson. The use of Nickel Silver reduces the occurrence of eddy currents due to low conductivity and provides a more transparent and crisp output.
Bobbins manufactured to Gibson specifications and dimensions: The size and shape of bobbins has great impact on tonal response. The bobbins used on these pickups duplicate the size and shape of the gold standard in the industry, Gibson humbuckers.
Elektrisola magnet wire: The same wire used by Gibson. Single build (thickness of coating on wire) high quality magnet wire manufactured to NEMA (National Electrical Manufactures Association) standards.
Pole screws and slugs: Manufactured to Gibson specifications using the same metal alloys. Also: ProBucker pickups feature Sand cast Alnico II magnets, high quality 4 conductor lead wire and are Vacuum Wax potted to eliminate microphonics.

[markb]

The Epi 57 classics that came out of my 2001 Dot were definitely wax potted.