Help! Feedback from MI Audio Crunch Box

[flyinmysoup]

Hi guys,

Brought my MI Audio Crunch Box to practice today. Found that it gives off feedback when my volume knob is turned beyond 10 o' clock or when the gain is turned beyond 12 o' clock. My pal who has the same pedal in the same room didn't have any issues with his.

What could be wrong? I'm running it to a Marshall and my guitar's a Strat. While I totally dig the sound from this box, the feedback's turning me off.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Still learning...

 

[weihuarocks]

you could lower the volume knob on ur guitar, then up the gain.

or play at a lower level.

all dist pedals will make ur guitar feedback at high lvls.

hope this helps

 

[Whitestrat]

What could be wrong? I'm running it to a Marshall and my guitar's a Strat. While I totally dig the sound from this box, the feedback's turning me off.

I'm not 100% sure the problem lies with the pedal. Try the same pedal at your friend's place with his guitar, and see how it does. If the pedal is fine, then look at your cables, and your pickups. Since it's a strat, the single coils COULD be the culprit. What are they?

 

[kernelspy]

Since it's a strat, the single coils COULD be the culprit. What are they?

Yeah, I also think it might be the pickup of your guitar itself. Or maybe your amplifier's volume is not compensating with your Crunchbox level.... there should always be a balance. Other than that, try your friend's Crunchbox with the same setup and see if it will give that nasty noise.

 

[flyinmysoup]

Thanks for the quick responses guys.

I thought of swapping guitars only after we left the practice cos' we were jamming something new and I didn't want to disrupt things during practice.

I never had this problem at home, only when I played loud in the jam room. My pickups are stock from the Squire Strat that I have. Nothing changed.

Will try to swap guitars and see what is going on. MI Audio is a reputable brand I must say. Will mix and match and see what I can do about it.

Was just surprised at the feedback which I have never gotten before cos' its the first time it has happened to me with this pedal in the set up.

Thanks guys!

 

[Danelectrico]

As with some cheaper guitars with improperly potted pickups, it's possible that your pickups are microphonic. At loud volumes and high gain, the volume from the amp is feeding into the pickups. Hence your guitar squeals like a stuck pig. You can read a bit more about it here http://www.guitarnuts.com/technical/electrical/index.php

It makes a cool effect though. The Smashing Pumpkins utilised this kind of sound quite a lot for their first 2 albums.

 

[gsonique]

It makes a cool effect though. The Smashing Pumpkins utilised this kind of sound quite a lot for their first 2 albums.

really !!! wasn't it the vocals ...squeal'in like a pig ??


:twisted:

 

[flyinmysoup]

Interesting read. Thanks Dan!

This Squire was owned by quite a few people till it came to me. From what I know, the owner farthest back was Dhalif, the shredder dude that did quite a number of miles on this old fella. This guitar surfaced quite a number of times on Soft actually. The cream colored one with the scalloped neck from the 8th fret onwards.

Here it is: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kls_sEU-B54

I was just thinking since he has played this guitar on stage before, I don't suppose it'll squeal on him. Haha... don't have contact with him, so I wouldn't know. The sounds from the single coils on this guitar's good, thats why I decided to keep them on.

Thanks for the diagnosis bro. I'll mix and match around and see if I could come up with an answer. If not, I'm going to Beez or Mike for a once over.

 

[fuzztremecho]

bro

that CBX so far no prob from me..thru LP to CBX to Fender amp clean..
hmm..call me if still persist..

ah bro now i remember..i adjust the internal trimpot to trebly side..towards 9 o'clock..can try to adjust it

 

[Danelectrico]

If it's a shrilly kind of noise (like Corgan's guitar and voice) and it sounds akin to microphone feedback, then it probably is. You may not know your pickups are microphonic unless you're playing really loud. If you do, I believe playing a guitar in an enclosed space like a jamming studio might make the problem seem worse than playing it on stage where the sound from the amp isn't generally in the direct path of the pickups.

Also, pickups can get microphonic over age as the wax used for potting and holding in the windings gets weaker. Another thing you can do is when plugged in with a gain pedal on, mute (or remove) the strings, select each pickup and knock on the body of the guitar. If you hear it being amplified considerably on a certain pickup, it's another sign that that pickup's faulty.

 

[flyinmysoup]

fuzz bro!

Hehe.... got adjust before ah? Wahaha!!! Eh, can adjust back or not? Keke... I'm like a blind man in the maze of electronics.

Bro Dan,

You are indeed a source of logic and information. Maybe tonight I'll turn it up at home and do the prescribed actions that you suggested, maybe sans removing the strings. Will try it with my LP also cos' bro fuzz also did not experience the feedback on his humbuckers.

 

[Danelectrico]

no worries at all, hope it works for ya. give us an update ... cheers

 

[Whitestrat]

I never had this problem at home, only when I played loud in the jam room. My pickups are stock from the Squire Strat that I have. Nothing changed.

In this case, I'm almost quite sure it's your pickups... Microphonic pickups...

 

[Whitestrat]

I was just thinking since he has played this guitar on stage before, I don't suppose it'll squeal on him. Haha... don't have contact with him, so I wouldn't know. The sounds from the single coils on this guitar's good, thats why I decided to keep them on.

You're assuming those were the same pickups he used on stage. For all you know, he could have had a better set when he used the guitar, and used those instead, but when he sold the guitar, he put back the same original stock pups.

 

[flyinmysoup]

Hehe.... perhaps dude... Its a nice guitar to me. Sounds great on clean. Came home late today, didn't manage to experiment. Guess its gonna be the weekend then. Will update.

 

[Marksman]

This Squire was owned by quite a few people till it came to me. From what I know, the owner farthest back was Dhalif, the shredder dude that did quite a number of miles on this old fella. This guitar surfaced quite a number of times on Soft actually.

Haha, you know, it's so damn cool to see a guitar with its story to tell. =)

 

[flyinmysoup]

Right on Marksman!

Its an old horse, been through many owners. But looking at it, I know its been to more places than myself even. Pretty piece of history to me.

I've tried the Crunchbox at high volumes and gain with my Epi LP fitted with Tonerider Rocksong hums, feedback is present, though not as bad as the Strat. To diagnose it even more accurately, I hooked the Strat up with my MT2 (which hasn't seen daylight in a very long while) and got feedback too. Its there even when I am holding on to the neck, muting the strings. Seems the single coils don't react very well at high levels of volume, gain, and mids. Hehe... I do hope I am making sense here though.

Would this problem be solved if the pickups are changed? Is it true that the more expensive pickups would not have this problem of feedback?

Thanks for the patience guys, I am not good with my electronics at all.

Better still, anyone that has owned this guitar can give some advice?

 

[MrBukka]

Hmmmm have u tried hum cancelling singlecoils (eg. stacked singlecoils or noisless single coils)?? But imho with too much gain even humbuckers do hum alittle. Maybe try lowering the gain on the crunchbox to abt 12, compensate it with volume and see whether it still have feedback.........try to tweak until u get the desire effect, alternatively try switching to the out of phase position on the pickup selector and see whether it hums.

 

[flyinmysoup]

Cool... I'm using the tweaking method for now. Like the clean tones from these old single coils pretty much now.

Compensating with other booster pedals like my Bad Monkey and RC Booster to get the tone I want. Not gigging anytime soon from the looks of it, so I guess home practice, sudah lah eh?

You guys have been great man! Totally appreciate the sharing!

Cheers!