would like to read covers on vs. covers off-can't find the thread

[SJ318]

Yeah, Hello
Did four different searches and could not find one single thread about pickup covers -on or off. I would bet a lot of money there must be many of them. If you could lead me to one I would be grateful. I am sure this has been talked to death many times.
Thanks to whom or who ever,
steve

[Big Flannel]

Re: would like to read covers on vs. covers off-can't find the thread

I'm not sure how to link to the thread, but I asked the same question awhile ago. Go on YouTube and search for bare knuckle pickups. They have a video that answers your question.

[Jocelyn]

Re: would like to read covers on vs. covers off-can't find the thread

In very short removing covers brightens the tone slightly. Cosmetically I like the look of covers, on Gibson style guitars.

[AlexR]

Re: would like to read covers on vs. covers off-can't find the thread

[Lewguitar]

Re: would like to read covers on vs. covers off-can't find the thread

Quite a big difference and not subtle at all.

To me the same pickup sounds like a different pickup when it's covered vs. uncovered.

Uncovered I can hear a lot more sizzle and a lot more noise from the pick striking the strings.

Very good demo.

[SJ318]

Re: would like to read covers on vs. covers off-can't find the thread

Thanks to B. Flannel, Jocelyn, AlexR and Lewguitar,
Great answers, but I gotta go w/Lewguitar on this one, however, as Jocelyn says, I do like the looks of a nickel plated humbucker. Thanks AlexR for the ytube example. Well done.
So, I have a snow white strat, w/SH-2 Jazz neck pickup in the bridge, nice and bright, and when used w/57/62 Fender Strat middle pickup I can get many different sounds. There is no neck pickup or hole for a neck pickup so it is interesting to look at, plus less magnet pull. I think I will go for a double white humbucker (I am suppose to be able to get now) sh-2jazz for the brightness w/out the cover. Should look cool. I really like the PAF output of the sh-2jazz and the brightness and fullness of a humbucker (w/out the spikyness) that the middle strat + bridge are quite a beautiful pairing with each other. I even got a quack with both of them together as the rods and screws are not very close to the strings.
Thanks again,
Steve buffington

[Jocelyn]

Re: would like to read covers on vs. covers off-can't find the thread

The Jazz (n) would work well IMO with single coils. I really like this pickup a lot.

[Farkus]

Re: would like to read covers on vs. covers off-can't find the thread

Thanks for the video...I've seen it in the past and I have to admit I was surprised by the difference just the covers make...first time I'd seen pups A/B'd this way with only the cover being the difference.

I really like the look of the covered humbucker too but I have a LP Traditional that is really dark and I'm considering a pup change and for this guitar will probably go uncovered now...I was going to order a set of covered WLH but now I think I might try some of the pups I have in my drawer that I wasn't going to use b/c they were uncovered and I don't care for the look.

[Liko]

Re: would like to read covers on vs. covers off-can't find the thread

Quite a big difference and not subtle at all.

To me the same pickup sounds like a different pickup when it's covered vs. uncovered.

Uncovered I can hear a lot more sizzle and a lot more noise from the pick striking the strings.

Very good demo.

To me it sounds like a gain thing; with all other things being equal, including the amp setting, the uncovered pickup seems more sensitive and so the attacks are closer to breakup, giving you more "gravel" as the notes develop. The uncovered pickup also seems to have a little more high mids (which would be right around the pickups' resonant peak, further supporting the "more gain" theory).

[wolf]

Re: would like to read covers on vs. covers off-can't find the thread

I prefer the look of exposed double coils. Not to start an argument here, but I think the appearance of covered humbuckers seems a bit clunky and old fashioned.

[Scott Olson]

Re: would like to read covers on vs. covers off-can't find the thread

Hey there, by default the search is all posts, which is a bit scattershot, you'll want to go into advanced and change it to titles only. Here are a couple:

https://forum.seymourduncan.com/showthread.php?187334-Do-pickup-covers-affect-tone&highlight=tone+covers

https://forum.seymourduncan.com/showthread.php?193573-Pickup-covers-effect-on-tone&highlight=tone+covers

https://forum.seymourduncan.com/showthread.php?99016-Is-there-a-difference-in-tone-between-a-chrome-and-a-nickel-cover-on-humbuckers&highlight=tone+covers

https://forum.seymourduncan.com/showthread.php?231900-Tone-changed-after-soldering-on-covers-on-humbucker(s)-!&highlight=tone+covers

The nickel silver covers and thickness that we use is a very minimal effect on tone and when you do notice it, it's just a touch warmer.

[Liko]

Re: would like to read covers on vs. covers off-can't find the thread

I prefer the look of exposed double coils. Not to start an argument here, but I think the appearance of covered humbuckers seems a bit clunky and old fashioned.

I respectfully disagree. The covers, I feel, give a guitar a cleaner contemporary look, especially in a satin finish.

For example, here's a Gibson LP Studio, in faded brown, with no covers. The pickups immediately draw your eye, with the exposed silver on black polepieces:


... And here's the same model guitar with the stock chrome covers. Even though there's now more metal to catch the light, the pickups nevertheless seem to blend better with the other hardware on the guitar:

[SirJackdeFuzz]

Re: would like to read covers on vs. covers off-can't find the thread

I like BOTH . . . on the same guitar, ala Jimmy Page.

[Jermo3178]

Re: would like to read covers on vs. covers off-can't find the thread

I respectfully disagree. The covers, I feel, give a guitar a cleaner contemporary look, especially in a satin finish.

For example, here's a Gibson LP Studio, in faded brown, with no covers. The pickups immediately draw your eye, with the exposed silver on black polepieces:
[ATTACH=CONFIG]50689[/ATTACH]

... And here's the same model guitar with the stock chrome covers. Even though there's now more metal to catch the light, the pickups nevertheless seem to blend better with the other hardware on the guitar:
[ATTACH=CONFIG]50690[/ATTACH]

I like open coils without a pickguard.. with the pickguard I go with the covers. That is aesthetics alone though. There is a difference in the sound.. to my ears anyway. Without covers a pickup has a bigger bite, with them they are a little smoother.

[Big Flannel]

Re: would like to read covers on vs. covers off-can't find the thread

Thanks to B. Flannel, Jocelyn, AlexR and Lewguitar,
Great answers, but I gotta go w/Lewguitar on this one, however, as Jocelyn says, I do like the looks of a nickel plated humbucker. Thanks AlexR for the ytube example. Well done.
So, I have a snow white strat, w/SH-2 Jazz neck pickup in the bridge, nice and bright, and when used w/57/62 Fender Strat middle pickup I can get many different sounds. There is no neck pickup or hole for a neck pickup so it is interesting to look at, plus less magnet pull. I think I will go for a double white humbucker (I am suppose to be able to get now) sh-2jazz for the brightness w/out the cover. Should look cool. I really like the PAF output of the sh-2jazz and the brightness and fullness of a humbucker (w/out the spikyness) that the middle strat + bridge are quite a beautiful pairing with each other. I even got a quack with both of them together as the rods and screws are not very close to the strings.
Thanks again,
Steve buffington

I can't really take credit. I believe it was Little Pig Bacon that posted the vid in a previous thread. Still, I'm glad you're on the right track.