Feedback at low volume

[mastora]

I'm not sure where to post this question because I'm pretty sure its got something to do with my guitar and not my amp, so here goes. I have a Triple recto. I recently installed a set of Duncan Blackouts AHB-1 in my guitar and noticed all kinds of feedback on my high gain channel 3. I use channel 2 for a crunchier, less gain tone and use ch.3 for more aggressive in-your-face, distortion. The problem that is really starting to get under my skin is that at low vollume, I'm getting feedback. Volume settings are roughly master 10 oclock and channel 3 volume at 7-8 oclcock. gain is at around 2 oclock. Anything louder than this I get feed back and if i crank it, it is not playable. This is the only guitar it does this with and I have 6 guitars to choose from, one of which has EMG 85, and 60's (no feedback with this guitar). Does anyone have any suggestions as to where i can start to look? I'll be using this guitar for gigs and can't have that kind of problem.
Thank you for your help.

 

[94Tremoverb]

You're right, it's the guitar. If the other guitars don't do it, it's nothing to do with the amp.

Most likely the pickups - I don't know if they're faulty or this is normal with them, but you would be best to contact Duncan, or ask on their forum. The only other possibility is that it's a microphonic tone cap or one of the pots, which is possible but rare.

 

[mastora]

I'll recheck my wiring and then find a Duncan forum. Thanks for the suggestion.

 

[UnderJollyRoger]

Does the feedbck go away when you put a finger on the pickups ? If so, try tighten them real good. Putting some foam underneath them might help too ...

On the other hand, I don't know about the output of the blackouts ? Maybe it is just too much with your gain at 2:00 ?

 

[MikeyV311]

Hey there. I have an AHB-2 Metal Blackout in the bridge of my ESP LTD MH-50 and the thing just F'n screams! I have had similar experiences with the feedback you mention. With the AHB-2, there is a jumper on the back of the pickup for a 10db boost. I wired the contacts to a switch that I installed on my guitar by myself, and it works great. Of course the feedback is more apparent with the boost on, but IMHO the boost isn't even needed when running full on brutal distortion in "modern" setting. Try backing off your volume on the guitar a bit, and be careful about where you stand relative to the amplifier. I've found that through a combination of those 2 factors that I can fend off the feedback considerably. Also if you play a floyd rose equipped guitar, make sure you put some small strips of foam INSIDE your springs in the back cavity. I was having a horrible ringing coming out oof my guitar and it turned out to be the springs resonating from the back! Things get very sensitive with Hi-Gain. Double-check your wiring and shielding. If you still have a ground wire running from the "claw" of your Floyd, disconnect it. Ground wires are not needed with active pickups and can actually introduce noise rather than killing it. (both Seymour Duncan and EMG have made this clear in their instructions for active pickups) Also having setup multiple guitars with different electronics over the years, this rule seems to hold very true. Sometimes it's the little things that count a heck of a lot when using such a sensitive and dynamic setup!! Hope I've helped you a bit man. Peace for now and happy shreddin!
-Mike Vissicchio

 

[mastora]

Thanks for the tips. I'll check it as soon as i can and will post my findings. One more question, the pups are a tight fit in the cavity of the guitar. Would that initiate some feed back? Also, I have the pup height rather low in the guitar to help with the feed back, that is also why the gain is at 2:00.

 

[espboogie123]

Don't think the tight fit would cause any problems. Black when I ran actives, I noticed I would feedback when my battery was dying. Make sure the wiring is correct. Actives are not meant to be grounded to bridge etc.

 

[fluff191]

I run Blackouts in all of my guitars and what you are experiencing is not volume-related feedback. The pickup itself is acting like a tuning fork and vibrating. When the feedback happens, push down lightly on the pickup and it should stop. To permanently fix the problem, you need to put some foam under the pickup in the cavity.

 

[mastora]

Well after rechecking wiring and basic checks like patch cords etc. It looks like the problem was wiring afer all. I DID ground the "claw" on my floyd and it was causing the problems. I disconected the ground wire and no rediculous feedback.
Thanks Mikeyv311 for your help and suggestions, and thanks to the rest of you guys for your responses. Unlike the Duncan forum, where all I got was wise cracks and smart ass remarks (execpt for one person), they are, in my opinion, a bunch of wanna be rock stars that have nothing better to do.

 

[fluff191]

I hate the Duncan forum. Bunch of a$$holes.

 

[94Tremoverb]

I forgot that. It's probably the reason I haven't been there in years - I was once a member but I left... sorry, my bad.

Interesting that it was the ground to the claw - it must have been acting like an antenna or something. I'll remember that for future reference, thanks! I always disconnect the string ground from an active guitar anyway since it's a shock hazard, but it's useful to know there is another problem too.