The Mighty Mite's

[jnew]

Can these things be wax potted? I remember reading a long time ago, something about these having some coating or something about them. Point being, I didn't want to go and do something too stupid before knowing if it would be OK to do or not. I've got a 1300 that is horrible. I was trying to make a head to cab clip and can't even manage that. Will probably throw my DSD back in and do a clip here shortly but would like to know if the MM 1300 can be helped.

[rgorke]

They can absolutely be potted. Whatever was done to ten 40 years ago has worn off.

[JimiJames]

+1 and I think what rgorke is most likely referring to James, is fully explained here in these two sources.
This video & link should help shed some light on the matter.

[jnew]

I thought so but just wanted to make sure. So heck yeah, I'm gonna get it potted next week when I go back offshore. I helicopter out of Santa Barbara airport and it's literally walking distance from Seymour Duncan.

[Strat78]

I just potted my MM #1400 with pretty good results. I first dipped the whole pickup in with wrappings in place. It soaked for 15 minuets at 150 degrees. I let it harden for a couple of hours and put it back in the guitar: the squeal was just as bad but it had changed to a higher pitch. So I took it back out of the guitar and this time completely disassembled it so the copper windings were exposed. Soaked it again, then put it all back together, re-wrapped it and dunked it briefly one more time. Now it is pretty much dead silent when standing in front of a very loud cab. As previously told, the windings are not bonded nor ever were, at least in my #1400, in fact they were wound pretty loosely. I'll take apart a couple more and see if they are the same. So, pot your own pickups, it's easy, all you need is a candy thermometer and a couple of throw away IKEA pots.

[jnew]

What do you use for the wax?

[JimiJames]

What do you use for the wax?

paraffin.

...explained here in these two sources.
This video & link should help shed some light on the matter.

Was the "link" down? Sorry. Works now.

[rgorke]

What do you use for the wax?

http://www.stewmac.com/tsarchive/ts0168.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Got mine at Walmart.

[jnew]

Well, seems simple enough.

[Strat78]

There is some sort of cellulose tape on the old MM's that is covering the coils so tightly that the wax can't penetrate and saturate the windings. I had to take it off but ended up not wrapping the individual bobbins back up once the waxing was done. I just wrapped the bobbins together and then the perimeter of the pickup with the wide canvas tape. With the paraffin and bees wax mixture, the pickup did darken a little bit tone wise and possibly more gain as well, still very sweet sounding pickup. I think Ed used surf board wax back in the day. I potted a Super 70 as well and will try that tomorrow, perhaps the darkening effect will do just the trick! Oh, I did mine on the stove, but was very careful not to let the temp rise above 160, plus I kept the kitchen well ventilated.

[jnew]

My wife has a little electric plate or burner for wax that she uses for her legs. That should be fine for the heat source.

[rgorke]

You should get a thermometer just to be safe. I have found that at 135 degrees the wax clumps on the pickup but at 140-145 it doesn't. Too much higher, you'll have a great looking Frankenstein type pickup that may or may not function properly.

[vanhalen5150]

I use one of those aluminum countertop canisters I got at Walmart. They have a clear plastic lid with a rigid plastic top seal and a metal clamp lock on the side. I drilled a hole in the top and have my small shop-vac reversed and tapered with a small tube so it sucks all the air out continuously. I heat the wax in this as it sits in a pot with about 3" of water surounding the wax pot. Double boiler style.

I re-did some of my PU's that I thought were ok and immediately saw lots of micro air bubbles coming out.

[rgorke]

I use one of those aluminum countertop canisters I got at Walmart. They have a clear plastic lid with a rigid plastic top seal and a metal clamp lock on the side. I drilled a hole in the top and have my small shop-vac reversed and tapered with a small tube so it sucks all the air out continuously. I heat the wax in this as it sits in a pot with about 3" of water surounding the wax pot. Double boiler style.

I re-did some of my PU's that I thought were ok and immediately saw lots of micro air bubbles coming out.

So there is a vacuum on the wax that helps pull out the air? I found that moving the pickup around in the wax and slightly tapping on it helped dislodge some trapped air.

The one I just did squealed with the amp at bedroom level. I still slightly squeals but only at nearly full un attenuated levels and it can be controlled based on how I stand next to the amp. This is standing three feet in front of it.

I have a few that need additional potting.

[vanhalen5150]

I use one of those aluminum countertop canisters I got at Walmart. They have a clear plastic lid with a rigid plastic top seal and a metal clamp lock on the side. I drilled a hole in the top and have my small shop-vac reversed and tapered with a small tube so it sucks all the air out continuously. I heat the wax in this as it sits in a pot with about 3" of water surounding the wax pot. Double boiler style.

I re-did some of my PU's that I thought were ok and immediately saw lots of micro air bubbles coming out.

So there is a vacuum on the wax that helps pull out the air? I found that moving the pickup around in the wax and slightly tapping on it helped dislodge some trapped air.

The one I just did squealed with the amp at bedroom level. I still slightly squeals but only at nearly full un attenuated levels and it can be controlled based on how I stand next to the amp. This is standing three feet in front of it.

I have a few that need additional potting.

Yeah, it vacums out the extra air. I got the idea from watching a vid from the Duncan shop. Thats what they do to all the PU's now. The other thing I use to do is hold my electric sander against the side/top of the wax pot (no sandpaper). It really vibrates the wax and works out air bubbles. SD may even do that as well.