Covering Humbuckers

[Beerfuelledman]

Hi all, I appreciate the answer to my question is going to involve a lot of personal choice, but I wondered if there is any generally accepted wisdom on whether to put covers on humbucking pickups?

I have the Neck/Bridge Seymour Duncan JH1 vintage pickup set and have been considering putting covers on in my PRS-a-like build.
I think this might look better, but I am conscious that Seymour Duncan dont sell the SH1s covered - so maybe they are optimised for being left open?

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Covering Humbuckers

I usually prefer the sound without covers.

Seems stronger and ballsier. Better for rock and overdriven bluesy tones.

Some say it makes no difference but it makes a big difference to me.

I have two PRS Singlecuts with Seth Lovers.

For a while one set had covers and other was uncovered.

I liked the sound of the one with uncovered Seths much, much better and I eventually removed the covers on the other set too.

 

[zionstrat]

Re: Covering Humbuckers

For me, it's all about the total package-
I have had many covered pups that I like better than uncovered and visa versa-

I hear a considerable difference when covering or uncovering a specific pup- a significant high end reduction with metal covers (keep in mind that plastic has no impact-I've used plastic covers for aesthetics).

However, with all of this said, some pups are perfectly voiced with a metal cover- case in point are firebirds and gibsons regular minihumb-

I wound a firebird without a metal cover (plastic instead) and it was shrill- Very hard to find a metal cover, since it was in a jazzmaster space, and had to make one to tame it.

Working on a strange uncovered coxe design that also has a firebird in the middle and if the outer coil doesn't tame the shrill, I may be in trouble

Bottom line, try it, but consider plastic covers if it doesn't work.

 

[LtKojak]

Re: Covering Humbuckers

I am conscious that Seymour Duncan dont sell the SH1s covered - so maybe they are optimised for being left open?

Your assumption is wrong. You can get the '59 with and without covers.

FWIW, the original prototype and the first batch had covers and the "Seymourized" sticker on the baseplate.

*I* wouldn't even consider to host a PAF-like p'up set without covers.

HTH,

 

[Mincer]

Re: Covering Humbuckers

I think many people can hear a slight difference, but I don't know if it is enough to pick one or the other (for many people). It certainly isn't a big deal to me. Covers are more traditional, so you tend to see covers on more traditional Duncan pickups, but this is just a general guideline. I think it was the 60s or 70s when people started taking their covers off, saying that the pickups sounded 'better', but they were after whatever changed their sound back then- they didn't have options like we do now.

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Covering Humbuckers

I did try my 59's with covers. They sounded much better (to me) without covers and I removed them again.

Without covers, there's more of everything. More volume too.

I'm one of those guys who removed the covers on the PAF's in my 50's Gibsons, and although I have some regrets about the guitars I altered 50 years ago they sounded better to me with the covers removed.

Sounded better to Jeff Beck, Eric Clapton and a jillion other guys too.

 

[Beerfuelledman]

Re: Covering Humbuckers

Your assumption is wrong. You can get the '59 with and without covers.

re right as I keep looking into it I found that option. I hadn't realised.
Youtube would suggest that covers take some brittleness out of the tone and make the pups sound bassier. Im inferring this to mean covers could 'tame' a hotter pup. As mine are vintage they may not need the same taming- so I might try without covers first

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Covering Humbuckers

re right as I keep looking into it I found that option. I hadn't realised.
Youtube would suggest that covers take some brittleness out of the tone and make the pups sound bassier. Im inferring this to mean covers could 'tame' a hotter pup. As mine are vintage they may not need the same taming- so I might try without covers first

When I compared a covered set of Seth Lovers in one PRS Singlecut with a set of uncovered Seth Lovers in my other PRS Singlecut that was not the case.

The uncovered set seemed to have more of everything, including bass.

Just an overall BIGGER and more present sound.

It was not a "slight" or "minor" or "subtle" difference.

 

[AlexR]

Re: Covering Humbuckers

There's a honky type tone you get with the cover that you get none of without though

 

[zionstrat]

Re: Covering Humbuckers

The theory is way out of my league, but here's a blog that gets into the details-
https://alexkenis.wordpress.com/201...t-of-pickup-cover-material-on-tone-and-noise/

 

[stupendous silly]

Re: Covering Humbuckers

A little bit sorry about the humbuckers I got with covers, for the reasons stated, so I agree uncovered sounds better - bigger and more presence - in general... but I have a very traditional looking Les Paul to which covered buckers are more becoming, so I may still get more of them I guess...

 

[SJ318]

Re: Covering Humbuckers

For looks, I like on my SG RI a nickel (raw) covered neck p'up and my parchment double bobbin in the bridge.
Double black looked like a copy, a knockoff, zebra not appealing, but the parchment I still love on certain finishes.
My white Strat needs an uncovered bridge, so I went with double white bobbins, as I am with the uncovered crowd, I very much hear a difference, but not so much in the neck pickup. I mean I don't care about a covered neck, I turn mine 180 degrees so the poles face the saddles, it looks cool *to me* and sounds fine, a lot of string vibration there, so it looks good covered. Jimmy page does this, and Jeff Beck did this early on with his Les Paul, and later with "Blow by Blow" both neck and bridge.
Steve Buffington

 

[Nostalgic Distortion]

Re: Covering Humbuckers

I've found that how you go about covering them has A LOT to do with the end result! I'm also in the "def. can hear the difference" camp reguardlelss of how its done, but having the pickup potted after its been covered drastically reduces the tone change!

IMHO some vintage PAF style humbuckers can benefit from having no wax, it gives them a more airy sound, but generally speaking if the humbucker is potted the cover should be as well.

In a pinch you can just always just melt some wax into the cover, push the pickup in, & heat the cover so the excess wax drains out of the holes. Its not as good as having your own double boiler & vacuum pump but its certainly better than useing silicon or nothing at all!!

When you do it just keep in mind that you only need enough to fill the air gap between the poles & the nickel, any more is a recipe for mud....