Hi, i am making a guitar using a metal biscuit tin and I am getting feedback static from pickup. Have tried earthing to tin. This stops feedbak but then I dont get anything through amp. Using magnetic pickup from old electric guitar and volume switch. New to this so any advice greatly appreciated.
Cheers
Greg from Tassie
Replies
Recently put a pickup on top of a tin in a wooden surround without issue, but the bottom of the pickup can't touch the tin. The pickup can't be inside the tin or have the tin top touch the magnets/poles, makes the entire tin into a pickup. You can cut a hole to surround the pickup, but that sometimes causes feedback in a deep metallic cavity. I cover the bottom of the pickups with thin foam padding and electrical tape, stops feedback dead in it's tracks.
Wiring: the pickup should have a ground wire that will go the back of the volume pot, out to the switch if you have one, to the back of the tone pot, to the bridge/stop tail piece and to the jack. Tin will get it's ground through the pot shafts and bridge/stop tail piece.
Make sure your wiring is correct. Pics would be a great help.
Thanks all for your replies
I have the pickup going through the lid so I will redo my set up and wiring and make sure I insulate it from the actual metal of the tin.
I have only made a couple of cigar box guitars with piezo pickups and and a mate turned up with an old electric guitar neck fitted with tuners, a tin biscuit tin and a box of various electric guitar electronics and asked me to turn it into a guitar. Not going to bad just need to get wiring/electronics sorted.
Cheers
Greg
just a guess but when you grounded the tin you may have grounded the hot instead/also.
A picture would help out tremendously, sounds like something is shorted to ground that shouldn't be, what kind of mag pickup, single, dual, does it have a cover, how did you mount it, like I said some details and a pic, plenty here have done tins, and will chime in.
Also posted in wrong area, but should get noticed anyway