Need help reducing feedback

[Keifer]

I play a Gibson DC through a JCM 2000 TSL head. I play usually at a volume setting of 6 or 7 with my gain turned up to about 7. I plugged in a 5751 tube in place of the first 12ax7 to reduce the amount of gain, but yet when I play live I get crazy feedback the moment I'm no longer strumming the strings. I've tried moving in different places, standing in certain positions, but almost nothing helps. I know my tubes are not microphonic nor are my pickups. What's the deal? Can it possibly be the way my tech set up my electronics that's causing all the feedback?

[Virtual Jim]

Try putting a narrow Q filter in your effects loop if you have one. Then produce your feed back and find out what the offending frequency is. Kill this frequency and then reset your amp tone controls to taste

[Keifer]

Thanks.... I've been reading about a lot of other players and what they do. I might have to get my pickups waxed and then I will get some kind of EQ. I'll see what that does.

[DC]

The first thing you should try is set up your amp like you usually play, plug in your guitar, then hold the face of your guitar up to your face and speak directly into the pickup at a very close distance. If you can hear your; 'testing, testing 1, 2, 3' through your amp, your pickups are microphonic and need potting or replacing.

 

I've encountered this problem more with pickups than anything else.

[Keifer]

Thanks.... I've been reading about a lot of other players and what they do. I might have to get my pickups waxed and then I will get some kind of EQ. I'll see what that does.