Gotoh Tele humbucker bridge - microphonic feedback?

[McBrain]

Hi,

I'm planning my first build (7/8 T-Style) and had planned on using the Gotoh humbucker tele bridge.

I have however read that the bridge can result in unwanted microphonic feedback. It is suggested that it could be because the pickup is only mounted with two screws instead of 3 on a standard tele pickup.

I would like to hear comments from people with personal (especially live) experience with the above mentioned bridge. Did you experience unwanted feedback? If yes, did you find a way to cure the problem?

I can see that fender use a similar bridge on the J5, so I guess it should work, but I just wanted to be sure before going further with the project.

Thanks!

 

[Cagey]

I've used that bridge, and I know a number of others here have as well. Never a word about feedback, nor would I expect any. Doesn't make any electrical or physical sense.

Humbucker feedback that originates in the pickup is almost always caused by metal covers, and sometimes by loose windings. Usually, it's just the cheapies that do it, as the solution to the problem involves a manufacturing step that low-budget operations skip. They need to be "potted", usually with wax although I've seen other materials. I'd wait to see if you have a problem first, but if you do and you're unwilling to replace the pickup, there are instructions for potting them yourself here.

 

[jackthehack]

That makes no sense; what board did you read that on? I've used that bridge without any issues....

 

[McBrain]

Thanks for the answers.

I read it on a Danish guitar board. I'm pretty sure that the guy used Dimarzio's without covers.

 

[Cagey]

One guy's misfortune or misapplication is not a trend or indicative of any kind of problem. Tele-style bridges have been around since approximately forever. I'm quite sure if they were problem children, we'd have heard about or experienced it by now. I mean, it's been what, 60+ years they've been building Teles? Now, if you want to talk about comfort or the less-than-ideal saddles, that's different. But, you don't have those problems with the Gotoh part.

 

[McBrain]

One guy's misfortune or misapplication is not a trend or indicative of any kind of problem. Tele-style bridges have been around since approximately forever. I'm quite sure if they were problem children, we'd have heard about or experienced it by now. I mean, it's been what, 60+ years they've been around?

Sure, but the guy is in no way inexperienced and seems to know what he's doing. He's also done a few Warmoth builds, so I guess he could be a member here.

The way I understood it is that microphonic feedback is often caused by something that's loose and vibrating. I think thats why Fender started putting two screws at the front of the bridge plate on the US Teles, to prevent the bridge from resonating.

But its good to hear that none of you had any problems.

 

[Cagey]

I don't think a loose mount would cause it, but I'm not going to say it won't. I do know that very few other pickups of any size/orientation are mounted that way, and they don't have feedback problems. I don't know why Tele bridge pickups have the goofy mounting they do. I suspect that secret went to Leo's grave with him, and is probably something surprisingly petty like finding a source of WWII surplus pieces of stamped metal plates cut in a trapezoidal shape that he could get in mass quantities for very little money.

 

[McBrain]

I don't think a loose mount would cause it, but I'm not going to say it won't. I do know that very few other pickups of any size/orientation are mounted that way, and they don't have feedback problems.

I'm thinking it could be a combination of the looser mounting of the humbucker and the construction of the Tele bridge. The Tele bridge is different from pickup rings and pickguards in that the whole front part of the bridge, where the pickup is located, is not secured to the body, so I guess this could cause it to resonate.

So since none of you you are experiencing any problems, then maybe his bridge was uneven, giving it more room to resonate.

I believe thats why Callaham added screws to the front corners of their vintage style tele bridges. Fender also started doing it a couple of years ago on the standard US models:

 

[Cagey]

Ever heard of Occam's Razor? It essentially says "The simplest explanation is most often the correct one". Your poster source had a bum pickup and went in search of some wild explanation rather than accept the simple reality of his misfortune. Let it go. You'll have no performance issues mounting a humbucker in a Gotoh Tele bridge.

Or, if you wanna have fun, start a poll that asks how many members here have used that bridge without issue. I think there's a folder dedicated to such things.

 

[McBrain]

Your poster source had a bum pickup and went in search of some wild explanation rather than accept the simple reality of his misfortune. Let it go. You'll have no performance issues mounting a humbucker in a Gotoh Tele bridge.

Well, if I remember correctly, he actually solved his problem by replacing the bridge with a Schaller bridge (3D-6 I think) and a pickup ring. But no matter the explanation, it seems that its not a general problem.

Thanks again for the comments!