Epi JB Les Paul Inverness Green Microphonic PUs

Does Joe ever read this forum?  Any one else have the newest JB Signature Les Paul from Epiphone?  Are your pickups so microphonic that you can't play very loud or with much pre-amp tube drive?  I like so many things about the guitar, but I feel like I got a bad set of pickups on it.  Bought it from Sweetwater so I can't walk it back in there, and I don't rightly think they would actually know whether its correct or not.  Any one know what's up?  I thought these were to be potted Burstbuckers 2 and 3.  I could use the guitar for a microphone I guess...I can talk through them and be heard pretty well thru the amp.  If I happen to touch the pickups with a guitar pick its like a small firecracker went off.  I cannot get the notes of the guitar to enter into the realm of sustaining feedback the way I have every other Les Paul I have ever owned.  It just won't get there before the microphonic feedback takes over and you have to shut the guitar down.  Help...