Fralin pickups, whole guitar 'live" - help !

[benpug]

Hi
I am new here and not sure if this is the right place to post.
I purchased a new set of Fralin Tele Blues Specials off ebay for a friend. He plays a tele made up as follows : WD Tele neck (with pau ferro f/board), USA Tele Highway 1 body, USA Tele Deluxe bridge, Sperzel locking tuners.

Problem - the guitar is very noisy, wherever he touches the instrument it creates noise through the amp. He runs his hand along the back of the neck - he can hear it throught the amp etc etc. The guitar is earthed and the guy who wired it has tried every combination he can think of , all to no avail.

Here in South Africa it is difficult to find good repair guys who one can be sure know what they are doing and my friend is getting desperate. He
can't use the tele professionally because of this problem. Again he was assured the guitar has been earthed correctly.

Please can anyone help with this matter - I would appreciate any suggestions
Thanks
Stuart

[Mark Davis]

Have your friend shield the guitar with copper foil and attach another ground from the bridge to the vol pot.

[sidneystreet]

To me, it sounds like microphonic pups. You could talk to Fralin about having them more heavily wax-potted.

However, first I would actually try just using the guitar. Unless it squeals at high volume, I wouldn't change a thing. Microphonic pups are magic, when used within their limits.

[benpug]

Thanks for the help so far
He just tried standard tele pickups in the same guitar and the guitar is comparatively quiet so it seems it must be the pickups. Is wax potting them more heavily something that can be done by a novice ?
thanks

[aznrambo481]

wax potting involves mixing some concoction of beeswax and some other wax... and dipping the pickups in a molten concoction of it.

guitarnuts article

[tonfarbe]

Originally Posted by benpug

Thanks for the help so far
He just tried standard tele pickups in the same guitar and the guitar is comparatively quiet so it seems it must be the pickups.

So he soldered in another pair of pickups.
I suggest, that there was a bad soldering joint when he installed the Fralins
which caused the noise.
I have the Fralin Stock Pickups and they are not noticable noisier than my other Tele pickups which include Fender, Leosounds, OC Duff + Rockinger.

Maybe he should try to solder in the Fralins again + double check every soldering point.

[sidneystreet]

Just to clarify, guys. He seems to be describing handling noise, not electrical hum and buzz.

If the brushing of a hand across the surface of the body and neck is audible through the amp, what else could it be but a microphonic pickup?

[sidneystreet]

Originally Posted by benpug

Thanks for the help so far
He just tried standard tele pickups in the same guitar and the guitar is comparatively quiet so it seems it must be the pickups. Is wax potting them more heavily something that can be done by a novice ?
thanks

I have no experience with potting a pickup, myself. My suggestion would be to send them back to Fralin and let him do it. I'd hate to see you ruin the pickups trying to do it yourself.

[crackpot]

Originally Posted by benpug

I purchased a new set of Fralin Tele Blues Specials off ebay for a friend.

Did you purchase them from a dealer or from a private party? And can you send them back.

I've been a pickup soldering fool for quite a while and this does not sound like a shielding or soldering problem. I don't have any experience with Fralins but a pickup that is microphonic to the point of being unuseable (and I agree with your friend -- hearing your hand brush the back of the neck is unuseable) is either defective or busted.

[DavyA]

Whatever you have to do to make the Frailins right is going to be worth it. They are awsome pups IMHO....