2021 Gibson Les Paul Standard 50's Gold Top:

Best compliment I ever got came to me back in May of this year. We had just finished a show at Brewcaipa in Yucaipa, California (first image) and we were actually set up outside, projecting into this club that's about 75 feet deep and has cement floors.

This guy walks up as we were tearing down and said, "Dude...I was right in front of your amp and it was so loud I couldn't believe it, but didn't hurt my ears. How do you keep it from feeding back..."

FB_IMG_1622409997674.jpg

FB_IMG_1622409991733.jpg

FB_IMG_1620082161405.jpg

FB_IMG_1613687871017.jpg

FB_IMG_1614007164775.jpg
 
I think when someone's buying aftermarket PAF types - especially at the prices Gibson charges - they're looking for something as close to the vintage experience as possible. The original PAFs weren't potted. In fact, wax potting only became popular among rockers when people began playing much louder in the 60s, precisely because the vintage pickups squeal at high volumes.

Today, stage levels in general are much lower than they were from the 60s through the 90s, so more players are happy doing without potting these days. Unpotted humbuckers do often seem to have a little extra air, chime and liveliness.

Of course not all potting is equal; there are different levels of depth ranging from a quick dip to full-on vacuum potting, and different formulas of wax used too. Often mass-production potting is much heavier than that done by boutique winders.

Many feel the muffled tone and dead character of Epiphone's notorious pre-2010 "mudbuckers" was due to them being encased in a solid block of heavy wax underneath their covers.

m3Zkuir.jpeg
I play fairly high gain and even at lower volumes if I stand in certain spots it will feedback uncontrollably. I need to install that 57+ at some point. I don't really play the 76 all that much, I just wanted one. Nice guitar. That potting shown above seems...uh...excessive...
 
I play fairly high gain and even at lower volumes if I stand in certain spots it will feedback uncontrollably. I need to install that 57+ at some point. I don't really play the 76 all that much, I just wanted one. Nice guitar. That potting shown above seems...uh...excessive...

Ugh!!!
 
Back
Top