Pickups still microphonic in LS160 despite being potted

[schmintan]

I got a 2009 Tokai LS 160. Awesome guitar, great fit and finish, but at higher gains it was going microphonic.

I brought it in to have pickups repotted, by a very very very reputable luthier in the area, so i am not questioning if he did the job or not.

But when practicing a few days ago, plugged into a 400 watt speaker and amp, going through a pod x3 live at, when at very high volumes, tapping the pick off the pickup causes the guitar to still go microphonic ( horrible squealing from pickups).

Fair enough i was less than 3 foot from the speaker, but i thought that potting should resolve this completely.

Guitar teacher said it sounds like the potting was not done correctly.

Is it a case of

1. the job was not done correctly?
2. The pickups just cant handle the volume and i need different pickups?
3. Any guitar, no matter what the pickups will go microphonic that close to the amp/speaker at those volumes?

 

[Koubayashi]

Could it be the vibrations making them go nuts?
I have experienced that in a couple of guitars.

 

[JVsearch]

Covers on the pickups?

Guitar facing the speaker?

Basically, high volume plus close proximity to speaker = feedback.
With wax potted coils it's usually the covers vibrating that causes the microphonics. People didn't just remove the covers for looks you know!

If you're a regular high gain high volume player there specialised humbuckers that perform better than PAF type pickups. They may not sound as good though.