On Feedback, Good and Bad
In this article, Pete Biltoft at Vintage Vibe Guitars describes the various causes of guitar feedback, both good and bad, and provides some suggestions for eliminating unwanted feedback.
Thanks again to Pete for the permission to post this here!
June 2013
Howdy!
Feedback: when it is used in an appropriate, controlled manner it can be glorious; when it appears unwanted it is about the worst sound ever. In this Tech Tips newsletter both types of feedback will be discussed.
Let’s start with the undesirable out of control high pitched screech we want to eliminate, and then move on the good stuff.
Unwanted microphonic feedback in guitars with magnetic guitar pickups usually arises from one or more of the following sources listed below. With each of these sources I have added suggestions in italics for eliminating the associated feedback.
Vibration of the coil windings inside a magnetic pickup. Most modern pickups are potted in molten wax under vacuum to reduce the possibility of unwanted microphonic feedback.