Feedback Problem- any suggestions?

Beexter

I played a gig on New Years Eve and had a real problem with a nasty high pitched feedback. 
I was playing through an HX Stomp and SD170 into a pair of 1x12 Bluguitar Nanocabs connected in series for a 16 ohm load. Volume on the HX Stomp was at 12 o' clock as was the SD170 so not really crazy loud.
Admittedly i was only about 5ft from the cabs (small stage) with no option to change position but the feedback was horrendous. I tried angling the speakers away from me but that had no effect. I switched off my vocal mic, still no difference. The only thing that worked was dropping the 2 volume controls down to 11 o' clock but as soon as i tried to boost my level for leads, the feedback returned. 
I played the same gig last year, stood in the same place but through my Mesa Express and an oversized 1x12 cab - no issues whatsoever despite being louder.

Anyone know why that would be or what else i could have done other than turning down?

Roland

Occasionally I get electro-magnetic coupling between my guitar (single coils) and my Matrix Q10. It can sound like acoustic feedback, but it isn’t. Moving further away from the cab helps, but there isn’t space do that in a pub. Standing at the side of the cab helps, but then you can’t hear it, and often there isn’t room. We put the guitar through the PA, so it’s easy for me to use the Q10 as a floor monitor, and that works.

Beexter

I found it worse with my Telecaster (single coils) so swapped to a humbucker equipped guitar which helped a little. That surprised me as i would have expected hotter pickups to have made it worse. I only switched guitars after trying other options. 

p90fool

Induction loop? It sounds just like on-the-edge microphonic feedback and it's a bugger to work around. 

1983

Your tele might be microphonic which can cause this, a lot of humbuckers are wax dipped which is probably what helped?

Might just be that certain frequencies are more pronounced on this rig than with your mesa, annoyingly the freqs that cause microphonic feedback in this case.. I would try lowering the gain then playing with your EQ, the mids in particular to see if you get anywhere. Good luck!

pintspiller

Adjusting EQ can help. As can reducing gain on amp or rolling back volume on guitar.

I had a bit of feedback at NYE gig too. I play bass and my volume dropped out and only the descending line in These Boots Are Made For Walking through my OD was heard. I unplugged from my pedal chain straight into my amp.

The pedalboard was plugged into the Normal channel, so when I plugged straight in i went into the Bright channel. I'm convinced my feedback was caused by being plugged into the Bright.

Turned out I must've stepped on my lead and pulled it out of the Normal a bit and that's why my volume died. It mustn't have been totally disconnected as there was signal when I had OD engaged.

thomasw88

p90fool said:

Induction loop? It sounds just like on-the-edge microphonic feedback and it's a bugger to work around. 

Yeah I’d go with that. Did a support gig for a well known blues singer last year and my amp was squealing like feck during the sound check. Changed everything, cables, guitars and even head amp to no avail.

Then the guitar player in the headline act had a thought and said I wonder if there is a hearing aid loop in the venue. Found the maintenance man and he said there was. Turned it off and voila Everything was fine!

Beexter

Didn't consider the induction loop possibility so thanks for the suggestions. The only time I've had problems with one was when I could get no signal from my line6 wireless- as soon as the induction loop was turned off, the signal returned.