Undercover Or Exposed

Andy.tech

Andy.tech

New member
Hey, is there a huge difference with Humbuckers that are exposed and those that have the chrome covers? And is it difficult to remove the covers and the Wax? :?:
 
Re: Undercover Or Exposed

Covers are soldered on. Melt the solder, slide the cover off.

While there will be excess wax around the top of the bobbins in the corners where the covers were, you don't want to remove all the wax from coils (unless you like that sorta thing). Typically you can just shave the excess off with a butter knife (or some plastic cutlery), just don't get too crazy around the coil tape/wires.

As for tonal differences, some say they can hear it, others say they can't. I can hear a difference if I know the pickup has covers. Maybe it's a psychological thing, maybe it's real, who knows, but I do hear a slight reduction in the upper range, and a bit more focus in the upper-mids, kind of like a honk. Doesn't matter if it's plastic or metal.
 
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Re: Undercover Or Exposed

DrNewcenstein said:
Covers are soldered on. Melt the solder, slide the cover off.

While there will be excess wax around the top of the bobbins in the corners where the covers were, you don't want to remove all the wax from coils (unless you like that sorta thing). Typically you can just shave the excess off with a butter knife (or some plastic cutlery), just don't get too crazy around the coil tape/wires.

As for tonal differences, some say they can hear it, others say they can't. I can hear a difference if I know the pickup has covers. Maybe it's a psychological thing, maybe it's real, who knows, but I do hear a slight reduction in the upper range, and a bit more focus in the upper-mids, kind of like a honk. Doesn't matter if it's plastic or metal.
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Can I use a covered pickup uncovered? Or do you always have to use the cover?
 
Re: Undercover Or Exposed

Uncovered pickups lurk beneath pickup covers, so no, you don't have to use covers. They're an entirely optional cosmetic feature, for most pickups anyway. I'm sure there are some where removing the covers is a bad idea (vintage Filtertrons, P90s, or some such).
 
Re: Undercover Or Exposed

IMHO.....I cant tell a difference between my covered Agile pups and my SD uncovered JB/Jazz....IMO its just a cosmetic thing that manufactures do on certain styles of guitars.....
 
Re: Undercover Or Exposed

guitarSQUIRELL said:
IMHO.....I cant tell a difference between my covered Agile pups and my SD uncovered JB/Jazz....IMO its just a cosmetic thing that manufactures do on certain styles of guitars.....
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Are you saying your covered agile pups sound the same as your SD's do?
 
Re: Undercover Or Exposed

I've prefer the sound of uncovered pickups (they sound brighter and more "aggressive" to me). I've taken the covers off of numerous humbuckers in guitars without changing the guitar strings and without unsoldering them and the difference has always been obvious and consistent to me. As long as you do it correctly, the difference should be apparent to anyone. And obviously comparing different models of pickups when one has a cover and one doesn't won't tell you anything. In fact, even working with the same model pickups with on uncovered and the other one not is useless due to manufacturing variances. The only way to do a valid comparison is with the same pickup cover and then uncovered, controlling all the variables you can (such as the strings and pickup height).

And taking off the covers is not too difficult (certainly easier than putting them on IME :D)
-
Austin
 
Re: Undercover Or Exposed

Edgecrusher said:
Are you saying your covered agile pups sound the same as your SD's do?
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Well.....since Im using a modeler, I cant tell a difference.....I bought the Agile used, so I dont even know what it has in it yet......Could be SDs or something, I dont know....the only difference i can tell is the brightness on the guitar with the SDs in it at the moment.....The Agile is mahogany and I havent taken the pups out to see what they are yet....
 
Re: Undercover Or Exposed

I can definitely tell the difference between a covered humbucker and an uncovered one. I don't think either sounds better or worse, just different & the guitar should dictate what you use? Personally I think that uncovered humbuckers are a bit more aggressive and articulate. Where covers seem to add an more open and airy quality? I also think that when guitars are being developed the covers vs no covers question really comes down to looks more than sound, so sometimes you end up with a guitar that has covered pup's but probably shouldn't, or vice versa? In any case, you can remove them quite easily just like you can add them quite easily. Just be careful when you are removing the excess wax & wrap the bobbin with some electrical tape if using a pickup ribbon is not possible....
 
Re: Undercover Or Exposed

guitarSQUIRELL said:
Well.....since Im using a modeler, I cant tell a difference.....I bought the Agile used, so I dont even know what it has in it yet......Could be SDs or something, I dont know....the only difference i can tell is the brightness on the guitar with the SDs in it at the moment.....The Agile is mahogany and I havent taken the pups out to see what they are yet....
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Seems like this isnt very good evidence that covers dont make a difference. Its not good evidence that your pickups sound the same either.
 
Re: Undercover Or Exposed

there is a subtle but noticeable difference between covered and non-covered assuming a high quality cover. a cheap cover will make a huge difference and kill lots of high end
 
Re: Undercover Or Exposed

DrNewcenstein said:
As for tonal differences, some say they can hear it, others say they can't. I can hear a difference if I know the pickup has covers. Maybe it's a psychological thing, maybe it's real, who knows, but I do hear a slight reduction in the upper range, and a bit more focus in the upper-mids, kind of like a honk. Doesn't matter if it's plastic or metal.
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+1 to this–some folks hear it others don't. From my experience covered pickups tend to sound a tad more "mellow" than their uncovered equivalents BUT that is just me, others might not hear/feel the same.
 
Re: Undercover Or Exposed

treyhaislip said:
+1 to this–some folks hear it others don't. From my experience covered pickups tend to sound a tad more "mellow" than their uncovered equivalents BUT that is just me, others might not hear/feel the same.
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Nostalgic Distortion said:
I can definitely tell the difference between a covered humbucker and an uncovered one. I don't think either sounds better or worse, just different & the guitar should dictate what you use? Personally I think that uncovered humbuckers are a bit more aggressive and articulate. Where covers seem to add an more open and airy quality? I also think that when guitars are being developed the covers vs no covers question really comes down to looks more than sound, so sometimes you end up with a guitar that has covered pup's but probably shouldn't, or vice versa? In any case, you can remove them quite easily just like you can add them quite easily. Just be careful when you are removing the excess wax & wrap the bobbin with some electrical tape if using a pickup ribbon is not possible....
Click to expand...

I'm pretty much in the same camp. I have both an LP Standard and an ES-335 set up with a pair of '59s. In the LP I like uncovered for the extra brightness and aggression, whereas I prefer covered with the 335 since it seems to smooth out the highs a bit.
 
Re: Undercover Or Exposed

dystrust said:
I'm pretty much in the same camp. I have both an LP Standard and an ES-335 set up with a pair of '59s. In the LP I like uncovered for the extra brightness and aggression, whereas I prefer covered with the 335 since it seems to smooth out the highs a bit.
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I think this is why people have different guitars? I know looks is in the mix when making a decision in guitars, but (at least for me) I would think the different guitars would give you a different feel/sound?
 
Re: Undercover Or Exposed

Andy.tech said:
I think this is why people have different guitars? I know looks is in the mix when making a decision in guitars, but (at least for me) I would think the different guitars would give you a different feel/sound?
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It is why I have different guitars and the LP & 335 do sound inherently different. In the case of these two guitars, I liked '59s in both guitars, but didn't like open coils with the 335. I admit to not trying covers on the LP because I like the look better without and didn't see a reason to change.
 
Re: Undercover Or Exposed

guitarSQUIRELL said:
Well.....since Im using a modeler, I cant tell a difference.....I bought the Agile used, so I dont even know what it has in it yet......Could be SDs or something, I dont know....the only difference i can tell is the brightness on the guitar with the SDs in it at the moment.....The Agile is mahogany and I havent taken the pups out to see what they are yet....
Click to expand...

guitarSQUIRELL said:
IMHO.....I cant tell a difference between my covered Agile pups and my SD uncovered JB/Jazz....IMO its just a cosmetic thing that manufactures do on certain styles of guitars.....
Click to expand...

guitarSQUIRELL said:
We are all entitled to out own opinions though.....for me NO DIFFERENCE
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you are comparing a set of covered mystery pups to an uncovered jb/jazz set and you cant tell the difference. to be blunt, you have zero frame of reference for knowing if a cover makes a tonal difference
 
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