Squealing like a....

DonovanB

My rig of late has been squealing like a mad thing.

It only happens when I am using a high gain distortion on my GT8. It doesnt matter which guitar I use it is very tough to control. As quick as I am most songs begin and end with a high squeal.

my amp is the Vox VT50. I'm not sure what causes this. and how do I control it?

AlanRatcliffe

Squeal is usually microphonic pickup feedback. Goes away when playing or if you turn the gain down? You'll notice that if you tap the pickups (with a non metallic object - like a finger), you get a clear "thump"coming through. In extreme cases, you might even be able to talk into the pickups like a microphone.

Two ways to tackle it: First is to crank your noise gate so it cuts in the moment you stop playing. Works well to stop the squeal, but affects your decay/sustain. Second is to have your pickups heavily potted with wax to reduce the microphony (or replace them with heavily potted models). Potting does change the tone of the pickups though - the microphony adds depth, warmth, woodiness and complexity to the tone - especially at lower gain settings. That's why some pickups like the Seth Lover are unpotted, pickups like The DiMarzio Super Distortion are heavily potted and most others fall somewhere in between.

If I were going to do a fair bit of high gain stuff, I'd probably have a guitar especially for the purpose with heavily potted, high output pickups.

DonovanB

Its not specific to any guitar. Surely all my guitars can't have this issue? I think it may be the amp/pedal

DonovanB

OMW Alan you're right... (why did I doubt that... :-[)

so far the Strat has definitely thumped and I could even monitor myself speaking into the pup...

Jack-Flash-Jr

My non-technical response is that a happy accident has occurred, your sound and style has come knocking, embrace it!

[deleted]

Yeah, Jack - I can see it now: Hendrix used to play with his teeth, and now Don will be remembered for singing his solos into his pickups...

AlanRatcliffe

DonovanB wrote Its not specific to any guitar. Surely all my guitars can't have this issue?

Maybe you like the tone of microphonic pickups - I do! ? Any pickup will become microphonic with enough gain (which works like compression), sometimes the best solution is just to dial it back a notch.

Jack Flash Jr wrote My non-technical response is that a happy accident has occurred, your sound and style has come knocking, embrace it!

Unfortunately, with squeal at high gain often comes flabby low end and palm mutes that ring too much...

Stratisfear wrote Hendrix used to play with his teeth, and now Don will be remembered for singing his solos into his pickups...

Vai's Erotic Nightmares - the scream in part of the experimental breakdown section 3/4 of the way though is via the pickup. ?

DonovanB

well funny enough I am playing through the GT8 into the computer. No squeal because I am at much lower volume.

Alan Ratcliffe wrote sometimes the best solution is just to dial it back a notch.

I'm going to have to for now. I'm hoping it's not my amp