Wax Potting is the process of immersing guitar and bass pickups in wax. The method solves two main problems: 1.) It prevents Microphonics, and 2.) It protects the pickup for many years.

How can I tell if my truck is wax potted?

Wax-potted coils unwind nicely, unlike lacquer-potted coils which might as well be glued together. You can recognize lacquer by its thin, shiny, wet-looking coat, compared to wax which is thicker and more dull-looking. Fender used wax more often than not, but sometimes they only dipped the pickups—whereas I soak mine.

What does coil potted mean?

Guitar pickup potting is a process whereby the fine wire coils of a guitar pickup are encapsulated in a substance that inhibits movement of the coil. … If the wire is left unpotted it is possible for unwanted microphonics or oscillations to occur, causing the pickup to “howl”.