Pickup Covers...what's their purpose?

Jones_Tones

Jones_Tones

New member
Hi -

I'm planning on installing a 59b in my SG and want to put a nickel cover on it. Besides cosmetics, what does it do to your sound? I've heard somewhere that it can change the output slightly or alter frequency somehow?

After all that...where can i get one? Should any local gear shop have them cuz all i ever see are the SD pups in the cases w/out covers.







p.s.: does this :dance: annoy the crap outta anyone else or is it just me?:laugh2:
 
Re: Pickup Covers...what's their purpose?

I found that it takes a bit of trebble off the pickup. Some find no difference at all. I like a covers more for cosmetics rather than than tonal effect.
 
Re: Pickup Covers...what's their purpose?

Shields noise,protects the coils,and cosmetic...Still not totally sold on the loss of the highend,but if you guys say so? LOL
 
Re: Pickup Covers...what's their purpose?

Keeping the covers on inhibits the mojo from getting out :)
...for every one but Angus...

I think is cosmetics, cool factor...seeing the humbucker coils guitar is like a hot rod with 6-71 supercharger air intake scoop rising out of the hood. It says I ain't plaing no wimpy single coil...I've got pure rockin power in my guitar. See the humbucker's dual coils!? :laugh2:

In the long run it's probably better to keep the cover on and keep dust from accumlating in the coils.
 
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Re: Pickup Covers...what's their purpose?

Guitar Toad said:
Keeping the covers on inhibits the mojo from getting out :)
...for every one but Angus...

I think is cosmetics, cool factor...seeing the humbucker coils guitar is like a hot rod with 6-71 supercharger air intake scoop rising out of the hood. It says I ain't plaing no wimpy single coil...I've got pure rockin power in my guitar. See the humbucker's dual coils!? :laugh2:

In the long run it's probably better to keep the cover on and keep dust from accumlating in the coils.
Click to expand...

Except on a strat,I always keep the covers on..I prefer it cosmetically on my guitars...
 
Re: Pickup Covers...what's their purpose?

I almost always see Gibson ES-guitars and SG's with covers and some Les Pauls with covers. Covers add a classy, refined look to a guitar. The cover is like your guitar wearing a tie and without is casual.

HH Strats and strat like guitar rarely have covers. If they do have covers, they are black on a black, blue or red guitar.

Strat SC pups look cool with the covers on. The think I don't get is the aged covers that come with the Antiquity pups. I like black or white but not the aged creamy off-white. I'm just not with Seymour on the aged white coloring.
 
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Re: Pickup Covers...what's their purpose?

Having a cover on a pickup will automatically affect the tonal response if adjusted in the traditional way because your screws will be adjusted closer to the strings when they are flush with the cover... the slugs are further away because they are under the cover.

An uncoverd pickup is generally adjusted with the screws and slugs equidistant from the strings which would produce a response with more immediacy since the slugs are closer to the strings than with a covered pickup.

It is claimed that the actual presence of the cover has no affect on the actual magnetic field, but it is grounded to the baseplate which will affect the capacitance of the circuit which can affect the response as well.
 
Re: Pickup Covers...what's their purpose?

BachToRock said:
Having a cover on a pickup will automatically affect the tonal response if adjusted in the traditional way because your screws will be adjusted closer to the strings when they are flush with the cover... the slugs are further away because they are under the cover.

An uncoverd pickup is generally adjusted with the screws and slugs equidistant from the strings which would produce a response with more immediacy since the slugs are closer to the strings than with a covered pickup.

It is claimed that the actual presence of the cover has no affect on the actual magnetic field, but it is grounded to the baseplate which will affect the capacitance of the circuit which can affect the response as well.
Click to expand...

I always use covers on my Gibson style axes and no cover(naturally)on a strat,so I'm out of the loop as far as being able to give any real facts? I used to see Beck and Page without the covers on their Les Pauls though...
 
Re: Pickup Covers...what's their purpose?

Do ferrous covers affect the pickup's magnetic field the way a tele's baseplate affects the tele's magnetic field? Putting a baseplate on my strats bridge pup made it sound a bit more mid-ranging and more punchy.

I would think that the metal cover on an HB would have the similar effect.
 
Re: Pickup Covers...what's their purpose?

I seem to remember a very old interview with Jeff Beck where he stated that he removed the covers because it helped prevent squealing at loud volumes and it "looked cool"...
 
Re: Pickup Covers...what's their purpose?

Guitar Toad said:
The cover is like your guitar wearing a tie and without is casual.
Click to expand...
Hehe, I like that explanation! And everyone from rockers to jazz musicians can use covers, but uncovered coils only look good in heavier situations, IMO.
 
Re: Pickup Covers...what's their purpose?

The covers on strats are purely cosmetic and make no difference to the sound, but the protect the coils from damage as well.
The metal covers on humbuckers affect the the sound subtly. The reasons for this have mostly been covered here.

Chrome over brass doesn't affect the magnetic field as brass is magnetically transparent. Steel (used on some import guitars) and Nickel Silver are not, however. All types will have a capacitance effect (the source of the top end muting) and this will be different between potted and unpotted pickups as wax and air have different dielectric characteristics.

Covered pickups are less prone to inductive noise, but on Gibsons most of this comes from Gibsons rubbish cavity screening..
 
Re: Pickup Covers...what's their purpose?

The covers were originally believed to not only LOOK better, but also to reduce noise. We now know it's not altogether effective.

Most people, incl some famous ones like Clapton, agree you will get an ohhhh so slight loss of high end and a little more cream with the tone if you HAVE covers. I believe this is true! It is NOT night and day, but it is slight, esp on the top end. SG's are middy guitars, and 59s are bright pups, so covers aren't a bad thing on them. I liked covers on my 59.
 
Re: Pickup Covers...what's their purpose?

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They help in preventing this!
 
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