Gavanti wrote: ↑Wed Dec 13, 2017 5:35 am
Hey congrats!. These are super cool guitars, and the silver is hard to beat for aesthetics. I had a late model SA-50 that also got pretty microphonic. The flip side was that the pickups were among the clearest I've ever played. Yours is also missing the baffles for the f-holes that would theoretically cut down on howl. The trem on these is pretty much identical to the SG-2/3 trem from that era, so you'll find good info in the Vintage section on those. If you haven't seen it yet, most of the info you need is at
user SuperAxe's site on SA's. He has experimented with the pickups, so he might be able to offer advice on potting.
Thanks Gavanti, I must admit that I only checked the microphonic behaviour after CD contacted me. I just never thought about it as I don't play loud and don't use high gain. But this is what I found:
- SA-5 - narrow pickups - rubbing and tapping the pickup cover comes thru the amp; Shouting into the pickup does not come through.
- SA-30 - old style pickup, serial # < ~17000 - rubbing and tapping the pickup cover comes thru the amp but not too bad; Shouting into the pickup does not come through.
- SA-50 - new style chrome plated pickup - rubbing and tapping the pickup cover comes thru the amp loud and clear; Shouting into the pickup does come through as well.
I don't know if the later pickups are more microphonic than the earlier, although on mine it is. The pickups are not potted. I do like these pickups so I have no reason to change their 'behaviour' through potting them.
And then there is off course the whole debate if potting actually does something at all....