Dealing with pickup squeal at the amp.

[Structo]

Sorry I was trying to be funny.

Carry on.......

[Gaz]

Can you record/demonstrate this and email to me at begnater@aol.com? Trying to help determine if the problem is the amp or pickup squeal.

Yes, thanks Bruce! I will also post a link to Soundcloud or similar so everyone can hear what exactly I'm dealing with here.

[bruce egnater]

Any progress yet?

[Gaz]

Thanks for checking in. Not just yet. Life getting in the way of fun amp problems

[eddie25]

I've been struggling with this exact issue and I remembered this topic.

I have a glorious sounding high gain amp that just turns into a squealy mess somewhere between rehearsal and gig volume (with 80% of guitars). It's perfectly fine at any level or with any guitar into a load. The cap on the input grid will work ok, but is only effective on the squeal at the values that will effect the tone, basically up to 500pf sounds ok but still squeals and .01uF starts a drastic loss in tone and it still isn't 100% stable until it's pretty much neutered.

So let's say this is purely microphonic pickup feedback related... Is reducing high end or gain the only way to solve this at the amp? Could lead dress (or something like transformer coupling) have an effect in this case?

I can't seem to get any change with chopsticks or different wire routing/sheilding techniques, but I'm having a hard time believing that there aren't amps with this same gain and high end structure that are more stable at bone crushing levels even with a sensitive Les Paul or something.

[Gaz]

I never figured out a solution besides lowering the gain. I kind of gave up when I tried turning up the amp extremely loud (gain and master), and with my guitar, walked out of the room, shut the door, and went down the hall a few feet. No squeal at all. I figured it had to be interaction with the guitar and nothing with the amp itself. I think the best test would be to go to Guitar Center and try some high gain amps for yourself to see how they behave... even though it might annoy a few employees.

[eddie25]

Maybe I am barking up the wrong tree because I plugged in a Fender Hot Rod Deville and cranked up the gain, which I never do with those amps, and it was doing pretty much the same thing.

It's a shame because the amp sounds utterly amazing with no band aids. I guess thus is the struggle of the high gain amp. I compromised a bit with a 500pf cap on the input and a 500pf cap on the second gain stage plate resistor and it's still only slightly better. Hard to even tell if it's worth it, but it does still sound great. A guy had it and loved the sound of course, but it was too squealy for him and his fender solid state is not apparently. Do the Ceriatones, Freidmans, Naylors, Soldanos of the world do this? Can you stand next to them when they are cranked?

[briane]

worth saying - I recently built a high-gain slo-clone

absoluteely no issues - I did use 33 grid stopper to v1 - some sheilded wire - I basically built it like I do a dumble clone as far as wire/resistor choices.

so most issues are likely lead dress or layout.

I think those with issues need to post pics so we might be able to help.

[Gaz]

Just curious what you mean by "no issues"? Can you stand in front of the amp with the gain maxed and the master way up with no feedback between playing?

Thanks.