[james on bass]

What does this mean?
What does it sound like when pickups go "microphonic"? Is it like microphone feedback whine?
What causes this?

 

[Hamm Guitars]

It means your pickups go 'microphonic'. It results in feedback and you can hear the guitar moving around on your body. If you talk into your pickups you may even hear it comming out of your amp.

There are a few pickup guys on the forum, but I guess it is the result of the coil windings vibrating in sympathy with .... everything.

You can pot your pickups (soak them in wax) and it usually gets rid of it.

Tubes can also go microphonic.

 

[J S Moore]

It's parts of the pickup vibrating in sympathy to audio waves. Potting will get rid of it. Sometimes it's the screws on the bottom of the baseplate that are loose, and it's an easy fix just to tighten them up.

To answer the other part of the question the whine or squeal is the result of microphonics.

It's not all bad though. Slightly microphonic pickups are can be tonal nirvana.:rockon2: