Can I fix microphonic Firefly pickups by taking the covers off?

Pretty much all the affordable import humbucker guitars I've covered feature microphonic pickups, and each time commenters claim that removing the covers will fix the issue. "It's a simple fix" they say, "Just pop them off with a screwdriver". Are they correct? is it a simple fix? tune in to find out on this exciting episode of 'Watch Ryan Fumble With Tools And Break Stuff"

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[bradleyclosson]

Why did you even upload this? Thank you for wasting my time.

[dancy]

You are like the Mister Rogers of guitar... just a relaxing time with someone talking about their feelings while playing/working on guitar. Thanks!

[worshiptutorials]

I’ve been watching every single video you post. I get almost nothing else done. No ragrets.

[DeadKoby]

Microphonic pickups are caused by the coils being able to vibrate. The wax is supposed to prevent the vibration, but during the manufacturing process, the coil has to be firmly wound, and potting is usually done in a vacuum chamber to get the air out. I THINK this was shown on a Seymour Duncan factory tour... and or a Gibson tour. The black paint is the conductive/shield type.

[richardsmyth]

You don't really need to remove the wax. The microphone effect happens when there is a gap between the pickup and the metal cover. The wax helps but good pickups are also equipped with an added piece of foam or self adhesive tape that conect or fill on the gap that exists between the metal cover and the pickup. The microphonic effect is due to the small feedback k vibration because if the air gap. No gap, no vibrations, no microphonic effect. The effect is basically the same as how a microphone or speaker works.
Enjiy

[HDProductionsLive]

I don't subscribe to many YouTubers, but I can't stop watching this. Thanks for giving me something to do for a half hour. Bravo!!

[SpiderStratagemVI]

Ryan, the fact you experiment, do cool and unusual mods, try affordable guitars and are honest about your capabilities in doing them i why i subscribed. Keep doing you!

[mark.guitar]

I am that tech! I always use a scalpel or a Stanley knife to take the solder off. A hairdryer usually melts out the wax. Great video. Keep encouraging people to have a go.

[iamsandman]

It’s really easy to disconnect ANY of the wires/leads when moving that stuff around. Sounds good on the neck pickup

[markhammer]

Wax potting helps, of course, but post-production potting is both awkward and risky. What I like to do to pack the coil a little more snugly, so it doesn't wiggle in place, is use plumber's teflon tape. It has no adhesive, but grips nicely so you can put a few wraps around a coil and pull tightly to pack the windings of the coil closer together. The stuff is cheap, available everywhere, easy to work with, and has just the right width for the job. Because it has no adhesive, that means you can take it off whenever you want without any risk to damaging the coil. Obviously it is not as effective as having wax seep through the entire coil, but for 50 cents, whaddya want - perfection, or simply an audible improvement?

[stringmancer]

Cool to hear someone else is a lefty and plays right handed guitar. I thought I was just a weirdo. I always felt bad for other lefties options are limited.

[weslester]

Awesomeness. Definitely can relate to trying fix something and then ending up with it not working.

[geemac]

On the LP style pickguards, I always thought a better way to mount it was to put the one screw in the top near the neck pickup, and have a piece of felt stuck on the underside of the pickguard to stand it off the face of the guitar. Of course, there's an unused hole in the pickguard but like you said, we're all so used to seeing it, we might not even think about it.

[mkgearhead]

Hey, I'm left handed and play righty too. It seems more natural to me to use my dominant hand for fretting. Maybe that's why my right hand technique is equivalent to beating the strings with a sock full of quarters. ;) When I pulled the covers off my FFLP I ended up with a black/white bridge pickup and a black/cream neck pickup. They still sounded dull and lifeless without the covers so I replaced them with a set of Epiphone ProBuckers.

[jackiedixon]

Enjoy listening to you, I am an old guitarist and I am still learning. Anything guitar has my eyes and ears.

[wharman]

Maybe next video is installing cheap, cheap, really cheap pickups. Love the video. I think you should sample the microphonic “Stay Grounded” for the outtro of all your videos.

[gringogreen]

So.. Good job on what not to do Ryan. Also this should be a lesson on how fragile pickups actually are. Overall it would be the less expensive route to either buy GFS pickups or buy a used set of humbuckers that came off a higher priced guitar and put them in a cheap guitar.

I have made some pickups with Jason Lollar a few years back at Roberto Venn here in Phoenix, so you can take a semi pro's response here.

First if you like your pickups and want to keep them, my suggestion would either take it to a luthier to get it repotted or do it yourself if you have the setup (most will not). Honestly on a cheap pickup just replace them, you will be much happier.

If you do take a cover off you would want to do it in a similar fashion as Ryan did with the soldering iron but use a razor blade or a hobby knife to break the solder hold. What taking the pickup cover off is it changes the magnetic field a bit also it leaves the pickup a little more prone to outside noise vs having a metal cover on it. So it really does not help a microphonic pickup change to being nonmicrophonic. If you had the machine to wind pickups one could cut the windings away and redo the whole pickup but you would be better off just getting new parts and making your own.

Ryan, you should get GFS Surf 90 pickups to drop in the Firefly guitar. You should be MUCH happier with that. Also gut the pots on switch if you want a better sound.

[joergwascher]

Hey Ryan...i have to say that your enthusiasm is highly inspirational...i am in my room doing simular stuff, talking to myself...without someone watching...so, you do something right...sadly i watch all your videos....stay grounded man...sorry for my english...greetings from austria

[RogueA.I.]

I have one of these. For the price you can’t beat it. You have to really search for the finish mistakes. Mine also has a buzzing fret or two higher up the neck. I agree, they are certainly the best option for anyone that wants to practice their tech skills without putting an expensive guitar at risk. I’ll probably pick up a couple more and leave them in alternate tunings.

[robertmcdowell]

Damn Ryan I knew the was a reason I liked you channel. Even when something doesn't work, we all still learn something. Didn't know the little tid-bit about you being ambidextrous. I too am the same way. Left hand dominant but play right, baseball right handed, right legged kicker, and right hand shooter as well. To answer, Yes! These video are great and important.