Why pot a pickup?
There are several reasons. Microphonics in a guitar pickup is actually the pickup wire vibrating at the same frequency as another sound in the room, usually your amp. Eventually, this vibration could harm the pickup, and potting solves this problem. I use a Paraffin and Beeswax solution that works very well for me as it did for Pre-CBS Fender (later they dipped the pickups in lacquer). Potting also reduces hum. Wax, though more difficult to do than lacquer, won’t break down in our lifetime and it is also easier to work with a pickup that hasn’t been hardened by lacquer. “Does reverse winding affect tone? Does potting?” Reverse winding does not affect tone. Potting may have a slight effect, but it is really insubstantial. If a player wishes, I will not pot their pickups. “What kind of capacitor should I use?” Again, trust your ears. .022 uF is the brightest, .05 uF is a good balance of brightness and midrange, .1 uF will mellow things out if you are having problems with brightness. The
