Pickup covers effect tone?

[sooperunkn]

I just put a C5 bridge and Jazz neck into my '78 Les Paul Custom and I was thinking about putting gold Duncan covers on them. How will this effect my tone? Does is soften the highs? Muddy?

Also, I'm pretty sure I heard the Duncans pups come wax potted so how important is it to wax the inside of the covers?

 

[Lewguitar]

I never wax pot humbuckers with covers since I learned a trick or two from Tom Holmes. I always put a piece of 1/2" masking tape INSIDE the cover where the steel slug polepieces would be...this damps the cover and helps keep it from vibrating and becoming microphonic. I also clamp them on very tight before soldering.

As for tone change: the highs do sound differant with and without covers.

With a cover, the slug polepieces are under the cover which means that the uncovered adjustable polepieces will dominate a little as thier magnetic field is not impeded by the nickel cover. That gives a certain character to the treble of the pickup.

Without a cover, the magnetic field from both rows of polepieces are not muffled or impeded by the cover and the result is that the highs are not so much brighter as a little more aggrssive...which is why most hard rockers prefer NO COVERS.

The highs seem to spray out of my amp more without covers.

Jazzers tend to like the highs of covered pickups...rockers tend to like the more aggressive, slightly sizzly highs of uncovered pickups and blues/jazz/rock guys, like me , tend to like both!

Lew

 

[papersoul]

We tried it with a JB in my old Hamer and found the notes bloomed better with the open coil....hard to explain...fatter also...because I was able to get the slugs more even with the screws, hence the entire pickup closer to the strings rather than the bridge side screws dominating. If you can get passed the uncovered look (as some people much prefer covered), you can gain a "slight" edge in versatility.

Wax potting can also effect tone so covering pickups usually requires extra potting. Something to consider.

 

[Lewguitar]

We tried it with a JB in my old Hamer and found the notes bloomed better with the open coil....hard to explain...fatter also...because I was able to get the slugs more even with the screws, hence the entire pickup closer to the strings rather than the bridge side screws dominating.

That is a very good observation. It's also the reason, all other things being equal, that a Tele lead pickup with flat poles sounds fuller than one with raised poles.

Lew

 

[sooperunkn]

Thanks for the tips! I think I'm going to pass on the covers for now 'cause I'm loving the tone I've got so why mess with it? I just like the look of the gold covers and I always felt it protected the actual pickup as well (spills, dust, etc...) and prevents it from moving around much.

So if I want a fatter sound I should sink the pole pieces deeper into the pickup and then move the entire pickup a little closer to the strings?

 

[John Wymore]

because I was able to get the slugs more even with the screws, hence the entire pickup closer to the strings rather than the bridge side screws dominating.

I really feel this is the main reason a covered pickup with a quality cover may sound slightly different than an uncovered one. A good quality non-magnetic cover should have minimal affect on the magnetic field.

 

[sooperunkn]

So are the Duncan gold covers a "good quality non-magnetic cover" that should have minimal effect on the magnetic field? Because I know there aren't too many non-Duncan covers that will fit a Duncan pup.

 

[Lewguitar]

So are the Duncan gold covers a "good quality non-magnetic cover" that should have minimal effect on the magnetic field? Because I know there aren't too many non-Duncan covers that will fit a Duncan pup.

"Minimal" means there IS an effect...just subtle. As nutso as most of us are about tone, you WILL probably hear a diff between a covered and uncovered pickup.

Any material covering a magnet or polepiece will alter the the magnetic field...just like a refrigerator magnet might hold up one piece of paper on your fridge but not 3 or 4 thickness's of the same piece of paper.

Know what I mean?

Lew

 

[John Wymore]

So are the Duncan gold covers a "good quality non-magnetic cover" that should have minimal effect on the magnetic field? Because I know there aren't too many non-Duncan covers that will fit a Duncan pup.

IMHO, Yes ...

I also agree with Lew though, that there is still going to be some sort minimal effect from the cover. Whether it's noticable to the ear among all the other variables present in the tone chain is a matter of much debated opnion. I have never done a quanitative A/B test so I can't really post an opinion.

My take is that if you like the look go for it!!

 

[Lewguitar]

IMHO, Yes ...

I also agree with Lew though, that there is still going to be some sort minimal effect from the cover. Whether it's noticable to the ear among all the other variables present in the tone chain is a matter of much debated opnion. I have never done a quanitative A/B test so I can't really post an opinion.

My take is that if you like the look go for it!!

Yep...that's about right. Most guys I know who use nickel or gold covered humbuckers use them because they like the way they look...they don't use covers because they think the pickup sounds better with them. It's a looks thing. Lew

 

[RACER X]

Just a little, but not enough to worry about.

 

[papersoul]

I got started on the whole uncovered thing when my old guitar teacher insisted he definitely noticed a difference. I actually notice a little more clarity....but maybe I've used crappy covers?

The bottome line is I like the ability to get the poles (slugs and screws) more even with the strings for what I may perceive as a fatter tone. Am I crazy like a fox?

 

[Jonny C]

Re: Pickup covers effect tone?

The type of metal used in pickup covers will make no diiference to the magnetic field (just taken a uni exam on electromagnetism, so I can tell you that for sure! ). As has been already mentioned, taking them off will make the sound a little more trebly.

Has anyone noticed that taking them off will make them more susceptible to interference? When I took the covers off mine, there was a definite increase in hum. I think the covers provide that extra little bit of shielding over the pickups too.

 

[papersoul]

Re: Pickup covers effect tone?

The type of metal used in pickup covers will make no diiference to the magnetic field (just taken a uni exam on electromagnetism, so I can tell you that for sure! ). As has been already mentioned, taking them off will make the sound a little more trebly.

Has anyone noticed that taking them off will make them more susceptible to interference? When I took the covers off mine, there was a definite increase in hum. I think the covers provide that extra little bit of shielding over the pickups too.

That is interesting. Are p'ups normally more quiet with covers? My Gibson BB Pros are very quiet and happen to be covered. My uncovered Duncan C-5 is also very quiet though.

 

[Jonny C]

Re: Pickup covers effect tone?

I think that it largely depends on your surroundings whether you pick up more hum with the covers off. Because I live in a house plagued with dimmer switches and bad mains interference I can tell the difference quite easily.