Clear bobbins

[solspirit]

I always thought they were kind of cheesy looking.

[Rex_Rocker]

Dunno, but seeing the coil bugs me, just like direct mount pickups without rings bug me.

It's like seeing an unattractive person naked. Go home, 2020s guitar. You're drunk. Please, cover those coils and put on a pickup ring.

I don't mind direct-mounted pickups visually. That's on the right guitar, though. on a Les Paul, yeah, no. No way. On a Strat either. Nope. But on something like a modern superstrat, I'm fine with it. Even on the EVH Wolfgangs because that's they'te supposed to be like, while neither Les Paul nor Strats are supposed to be like that.

The problem I have with those is more functional. There is a lot more incompatibility when pickup swapping, and you know I like to swap my pickups.

The clear bobbins look fine on that Les Paul to me. Wouldn't be my first choice, but I bet they'd look cool in the right guitar. But I guess at the time when those guitars came out, those transparent iMacs were all the rage. And the transparent Gameboy.

What I hate personally visually speaking on pickups is those "camo" BKP's that looks like someone vomited on them.

[Mincer]

I like direct mounted pickups on an LP, as long as they have a cover.

[eclecticsynergy]

I guess I'm a traditionalist now. I like the classic look with rings on a Les Paul.
Not as particular when it comes to covered vs uncovered, or matching bobbins vs zebra.
My LPs are all over the place. A couple even mix covered with uncovered.

I think clear bobbins on a regular LP might bother me; not positive though, I'd have to see it.
On a less traditional guitar - or even a superStrat with no pickguard - the direct mount look doesn't bother me at all.


PS: I really like some of the cover treatments that are out there nowadays; even those BKP camo covers look good to me.
From more than a foot away they don't really look like camo to me. Maybe it's just the novelty of something completely different.
I've been seeing a lot of mighty cool etched covers now that laser etchers have become affordable and common.

PPS: I've heard good things about Porter pickups. Haven't owned any myself; already have way more pickups than I can use.
One of these days I'll have to sell off thirty or forty of the unused ones.
It's like the extra pedals, though - my inner voice says, "I might still want that at some point..."

[Inflames626]

Also, I hate seeing pickup ears and mounting screws on a direct mount guitar.

[Rex_Rocker]

I guess I'm a traditionalist now. I like the classic look with rings on a Les Paul.
Not as particular when it comes to covered vs uncovered, or matching bobbins vs zebra.

That's the thing. Not all aesthetic choices look good on all guitars, and the same goes the other way around.

I like to think I more or less have an idea on what might look good on what because of my line of work. Maybe. But even then, there are times where you can't really predict unless you physically look at it. And it depends on who your target is and what you cant to convey. And even then, not everyone likes the same thing, so I can't even pretend I know it all when it comes to aesthetics. I have to acknowledge my aesthetics choices are 100% biased, LOL. However, if something looks ugly, but it looks ugly on purpose, it's serving a purpose, so there's that.

For example, I used to think Zebra pickups were ridiculous, and that they looked like wearing bowling shoes. But then I ran a couple of guitars where they really look good and match the look and the intention of what you want the guitar to convey aesthetically. It all depends on context.