Removing the Cover plate effects tone?
- Thread starter Greyum
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Greyum
New member
Re: Removing the Cover plate effects tone?
Likely not the greatest quality...
They are already pretty low, I'll see if going lower is possible.
eclecticsynergy
Well-known member
Re: Removing the Cover plate effects tone?
Yup- on cheap import pickups removing the covers can make a significant difference.
For pickups that have better quality covers, the change is more subtle.
Yup- on cheap import pickups removing the covers can make a significant difference.
For pickups that have better quality covers, the change is more subtle.
Discharged
New member
Re: Removing the Cover plate effects tone?
For the record, the copper layer used is far too thin to affect tone in any way and it by no means should ever be considered as a sign of "bad quality" or ground to justify "bad tone". The reason of having it is doublefold: it helps to give the desired "mirror-like" effect when polished and to keep the plating firmly attached to the cover.
You can apply the plating to a highly polished raw nickelsilver cover without the copper layer, but it won't hold for long nor will ever have the "mirror-like" look, not even close; the "grain" is far too coarse.
It's the material used to make the covers that greatly affects tone, and that's brass, which, BTW, it's also needs to use a copper layer to be able to hold the nickel, gold or other plating material.
I've seen it myself by measuring the exact same p'up with no cover, raw nickel silver and the same raw nickel silver cover after the copper layer and nickel plating applied.
/Peter
Alex, I'm close with an artisan that actually specializes in all kinds of platings, so he explained me the process in great detail.
For the record, the copper layer used is far too thin to affect tone in any way and it by no means should ever be considered as a sign of "bad quality" or ground to justify "bad tone". The reason of having it is doublefold: it helps to give the desired "mirror-like" effect when polished and to keep the plating firmly attached to the cover.
You can apply the plating to a highly polished raw nickelsilver cover without the copper layer, but it won't hold for long nor will ever have the "mirror-like" look, not even close; the "grain" is far too coarse.
It's the material used to make the covers that greatly affects tone, and that's brass, which, BTW, it's also needs to use a copper layer to be able to hold the nickel, gold or other plating material.
I've seen it myself by measuring the exact same p'up with no cover, raw nickel silver and the same raw nickel silver cover after the copper layer and nickel plating applied.
/Peter
Last edited:
dystrust
Well-known member
Re: Removing the Cover plate effects tone?
The only pickups I've been able to directly compare covers on vs off are Duncan '59s and Gibson '57 Classics. On the '59s there is a slight difference, but it's quite subtle. The '57s OTOH change pretty significantly with the covers removed. I'm not a fan of '57 Classics in general, but they aren't bad with the covers removed.
All IME of course as guitar, amp, playing style, etc may also have an affect.
The only pickups I've been able to directly compare covers on vs off are Duncan '59s and Gibson '57 Classics. On the '59s there is a slight difference, but it's quite subtle. The '57s OTOH change pretty significantly with the covers removed. I'm not a fan of '57 Classics in general, but they aren't bad with the covers removed.
All IME of course as guitar, amp, playing style, etc may also have an affect.
Re: Removing the Cover plate effects tone?
Put on a thin hoodie with the loose hood up,,,,,,,then plug-in and adjust your amp to taste,,,,,,,,then just take the hood off.
That's about the difference you'll hear when removing covers and going to open-coil.
Same thing also works in reverse.
Put on a thin hoodie with the loose hood up,,,,,,,then plug-in and adjust your amp to taste,,,,,,,,then just take the hood off.
That's about the difference you'll hear when removing covers and going to open-coil.
Same thing also works in reverse.
