• From: Stephens City, VA
  • Registered: 2016-03-08
  • Posts: 4

Topic: Extremely microphonic Epi JB Les Paul Green

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.  I posted this in the Marketplace thread too, sorry new to the forum, not sure where to post this topic. Help...

  • Registered: 2006-04-22
  • Posts: 1,168

Re: Extremely microphonic Epi JB Les Paul Green

You should be able to crank the Epiphone through anything. It maybe a faulty pickup.  Try bringing it to a repairman and measure what Ohmage it's putting out. 
Sorry bout that
Joe B

  • Registered: 2012-05-30
  • Posts: 485

Re: Extremely microphonic Epi JB Les Paul Green

loaf7575 wrote:

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.  I posted this in the Marketplace thread too, sorry new to the forum, not sure where to post this topic. Help...

Something's not right. It has a warranty - take it back. If they can't swap it then they should be able to swap out the pickups.

Guitars: Fender American Original 60s Strat, Fender American Vintage 52 Tele, Gibson Les Paul Traditional
FX: Various including - Ceriatone Centura, Fire Custom Shop Carpe Diem
Amp: Fender ML212 Deville + 212 extention cabinet
  • Registered: 2006-06-30
  • Posts: 2,835

Re: Extremely microphonic Epi JB Les Paul Green

Adrian J wrote:
loaf7575 wrote:

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.  I posted this in the Marketplace thread too, sorry new to the forum, not sure where to post this topic. Help...

Something's not right. It has a warranty - take it back. If they can't swap it then they should be able to swap out the pickups.

.
Sweetwater should take it back...it's new and replace it for you with another one shipped

And so castles made of sand melts into the sea, eventually.........
  • From: Stephens City, VA
  • Registered: 2016-03-08
  • Posts: 4

Re: Extremely microphonic Epi JB Les Paul Green

Joe Bonamassa wrote:

You should be able to crank the Epiphone through anything. It maybe a faulty pickup.  Try bringing it to a repairman and measure what Ohmage it's putting out. 
Sorry bout that
Joe B

Humbled, shocked and floored...excuse me while I pull myself up off the office floor.  I will measure them when I get home tonight.  I did call Sweetwater after your reply and they are ready to send me a new set of PUs to replace these if needed.  I prefer that over sending the guitar back to Fort Wayne.  God Bless you man.  Thanks for inspiring me to pick up the guitar again after 16 years.  I became so damn jaded after many years of tuning vocals/engineering/playing in Nashville.

  • From: Ridgeland, MS
  • Registered: 2009-08-12
  • Posts: 1,248

Re: Extremely microphonic Epi JB Les Paul Green

It sounds like you may have a loose pickup cover. Unscrew the mounting rings and look at the solder joint joining the cover to the base plate. If there is too much space between the bobbin and the cover you can get microphonic. It's also possible that the pickup wasn't potted properly (I'm assuming Epiphone pots its humbuckers).

  • Devan
  • Devan
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  • From: Darwin, Australia
  • Registered: 2010-04-13
  • Posts: 1,304

Re: Extremely microphonic Epi JB Les Paul Green

wharris wrote:

It sounds like you may have a loose pickup cover. Unscrew the mounting rings and look at the solder joint joining the cover to the base plate. If there is too much space between the bobbin and the cover you can get microphonic. It's also possible that the pickup wasn't potted properly (I'm assuming Epiphone pots its humbuckers).

I thought these guitars had the Gibson Burstbuckers in them?? (i.e. made by Gibson instead of Epiphone?)  I could be completely off track though...

JBLP Gold Top #129 - redubbed "#1 in Oz"
  • From: Massachusetts, USA
  • Registered: 2014-04-12
  • Posts: 663

Re: Extremely microphonic Epi JB Les Paul Green

Devan wrote:
wharris wrote:

It sounds like you may have a loose pickup cover. Unscrew the mounting rings and look at the solder joint joining the cover to the base plate. If there is too much space between the bobbin and the cover you can get microphonic. It's also possible that the pickup wasn't potted properly (I'm assuming Epiphone pots its humbuckers).

I thought these guitars had the Gibson Burstbuckers in them?? (i.e. made by Gibson instead of Epiphone?)  I could be completely off track though...

You are correct, from the Sweetwater site...

"premium Gibson USA humbucking pickups. With a Burstbucker 3 at the bridge and a Burstbucker 2 at the neck"

Play some cards & drink black coffee,
How I’d love to see you smile....
JBLP Std Goldtop
2015 R9 LP
  • From: Stephens City, VA
  • Registered: 2016-03-08
  • Posts: 4

Re: Extremely microphonic Epi JB Les Paul Green

Just wanted to get back on and say that EPI got replacement Burstbucker pickups sent to Ed Beaver at the World Music Center just outside of Nashville and he got them swapped out for me.  After a few small adjustments I want to report back that I am loving this guitar.  I do have to say that it took some work to make this guitar a player.  It came to me with back bow in the neck so the guitar was fretting out everywhere.  It took several turns of the truss rod to get to a proper neck set up.  Guitar has tuning issues.  The string height through the nut was way too high...every string slot had to be filed down.  I had Gibson get me a new blank truss rod cover and I got a pair of the gold top hats to replace the amber ones so I didn't look like a total JB Germ.  I put a Vibramate stop piece on the Bigsby to facilitate the ease of changing strings, and a new bridge with roller saddles.  Guitar still had tuning problems from the extreme angle under the tension bar and over the bridge.  Ordered a Briggs Fix tension bar extension kit that raised the tension bar on the Bigsby to a more suitable angle for the strings to pass under it and over the bridge.  Must say that little ditty was worth the $55 I paid for it.  Tuning issues are much better, and it passes the test as a player now.  I appreciate the response by JB (hey man, I know you didn't build it personally) and I am falling in love with it more and more each time I play it.

  • From: Massachusetts, USA
  • Registered: 2014-04-12
  • Posts: 663

Re: Extremely microphonic Epi JB Les Paul Green

I'm glad to hear that you've been able to resolve the issues. I have the Briggs Fix on my JB Epi LP also, it does what it claims to do.

Play some cards & drink black coffee,
How I’d love to see you smile....
JBLP Std Goldtop
2015 R9 LP