Why does my worn WLH cover look like brass?

[ibis]

The cover of my Whole Lotta Love bridge humbucker got tarnished, so I sanded it to get a brushed look and, to my horror, it looks like the metal under the nickel plating is brass coloured, not at all like the raw German silver I would have expected.
What does SD use as a cover material? Is it as sonically transparent?
Would the tone of my WLH pickup change (for better or for worse) if I remove the cover or replace it with a raw nickel cover?

 

[Rex_Rocker]

Re: Why does my worn WLH cover look like brass?

Pics?

 

[Chad]

Re: Why does my worn WLH cover look like brass?

Did you buy it new with a factory-installed cover?

 

[ibis]

Re: Why does my worn WLH cover look like brass?

Deleted

 

[TRex]

Re: Why does my worn WLH cover look like brass?

Unbelieving or is my post incomprehensible?
I'm after some info on current SD cover composition / quality. Do you have any?

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They are asking for pictures to consider the severity of the brass effect. I for one have never seen this happen before, so im curious what exactly this looks like.

 

[ibis]

Re: Why does my worn WLH cover look like brass?

Yes it was factory cover.

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[ibis]

Re: Why does my worn WLH cover look like brass?

 

[Masta' C]

Re: Why does my worn WLH cover look like brass?

Looks like the copper plate showing through. Did you "brush" the covers yourself?

P.S. - it's totally normal to ask for pics. Don't be rude when you're asking for help

 

[ibis]

Re: Why does my worn WLH cover look like brass?

I was brushing them after my sweat tarnished them (it's my gig beater and nickel or gold covers and I don't get on when I get sweaty). Obviously not brushing gently enough, but then I didnt expect to hit copper!
I don't particularly care about the aesthetics, I'll probably put raw nickel covers on and brush those. I'm not particularly asking for help, the cure is simple and inexpensive, I'm rather a little shocked to find what seems to be copper in a pickup cover.
You've got to ask why don't SD use pure nickel covers, given that they are said to be the most transparent sonically?



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[Masta' C]

Re: Why does my worn WLH cover look like brass?

Duncan uses nickel-silver covers with nickel plating (LINK). MOST covers you will find on the market being sold as "nickel", even from the other big names in the business, are this way, as plain nickel does not make a durable base material for physical stamping, which is how pickup covers are made.

"Raw" covers, which you are essentially referring to in this thread, are actually bare nickel-silver (aka: German silver) material and look/tarnish a bit differently than real nickel plating does.

You simply made a common error. If it's in a beater, who cares if a little copper shows through? Adds "character"

 

[Masta' C]

Re: Why does my worn WLH cover look like brass?

From AxesRUs:

Nickel

When most people say a finish is "Nickel", they’re referring to a smooth, mirrored "Nickel" finish that has been electroplated to a cover, and not to the construction of the humbucker's cover. As such, as with Chrome, it will have a copper undercoat to ensure the best possible finish, even when you’ve got a Nickel finish on a Nickel cover.


Raw

A “Raw” humbucker cover is the correct term used to reference a pickup cover that has no electroplating to influence its colour. Some people actually prefer a truly unfinished cover because they worry that the copper and electroplating will impact the tone, and as such, pure nickel is a must. Where raw covers actually come into their own, is in the way which they age. Similar in shade to a Nickel plated cover, the German silver (to avoid confusion here) is slightly softer, and will show its age much more readily, as well as more organically, then any plated cover. Please note, with Raw covers, they’ll normally show some light tooling marks and scratches, these can be buffed out to a high shine with a little work.

 

[thanaton]

Re: Why does my worn WLH cover look like brass?

The cover of my Whole Lotta Love bridge humbucker is getting pretty worn and, to my horror, it looks like the metal under the worn nickel plating is brass coloured, not at all like the raw German silver (nickel ) I would have expected (as seen with my old Gibson pickups)
What does SD use as a cover material?

One thing for sure, it ain't gonna age purty like.

Seymour Duncan does use chrome plated brass covers on many if not most of their pickups, including humbuckers and Tele neck pickups. I wouldn't assume they have used nickel silver unless the pickup is expressly spec'd that way, and even then I would be wary.

Is it as sonically transparent as a pure German silver cover?

No. It's less resistive and therefore invites more eddy current damping.

Would the tone of my WLH pickup change (for better or for worse) if I remove the cover or replace it with a pure nickel cover?

It would be just a tad brighter. I'm sure the reason SD uses brass is because the difference is barely perceptible anyway, few people are complaining.

 

[ibis]

Re: Why does my worn WLH cover look like brass?

Deleted

 

[ibis]

Re: Why does my worn WLH cover look like brass?

Ok I've now read the wiki on German silver and see that it can indeed be 60% copper.
So, the SD cover is German silver? I've never seen a worn cover with a coppery hue before. Is German silver, as it's used in pickup manufacture a silvery colour or coppery?

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[ibis]

Re: Why does my worn WLH cover look like brass?

Ah, reading the Axesrus site that masta'c quoted, I see that a copper undercoat is used to plate the nickel.
That's what I must have struck.
I get it now.


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[Masta' C]

Re: Why does my worn WLH cover look like brass?

It's a nickel-silver base material with a thin nickel plating on top. Below that nickel plate is a thin copper plating, which helps yield a smooth, even finish and allows the nickel electroplate to bond to the cover better. Look up plating videos and you'll get the idea behind the plating process pretty quick. To be clear, Duncan is NOT using "brass" covers as you suggested.

As far as the hue, you wore through the plating in an accelerated manner...something you might never have achieved on your own, even with years of sweat, grime, beer spills and hard play. If you had left them alone, they would have aged naturally over time, taking on a typical patina and wearing the plating down much more evenly and slowly. I imagine if you continue to play them as they are now, the copper tone will subdue a little as it oxidizes and you continue to play/handle/sweat on it.

 

[ibis]

Re: Why does my worn WLH cover look like brass?

Yes I get it now. Oxidation will not take long, believe me!

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[LtKojak]

Re: Why does my worn WLH cover look like brass?

Seymour Duncan does use chrome plated brass covers on many if not most of their pickups, including humbuckers and Tele neck pickups.

As usual, you talk about things your don't know nothing about.

Duncan uses NICKEL-plated brass covers only on tele neck p'ups because is vintage-correct. The humbucker covers are NICKEL-plated or gold-plated nickelsilver and the aged ones raw nickelsilver.

HTH,

 

[ibis]

Re: Why does my worn WLH cover look like brass?

You simply made a common error. If it's in a beater, who cares if a little copper shows through? Adds "character"

Yep, it'll perfectly match the nickel plate erosion on the brass stop tail studs! That guitar is getting a lot of (ab)use.

Thanks for putting me straight. I now know there's little point in replacing the covers from a sonic point. Appreciate your help.




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[vinnie1971]

Re: Why does my worn WLH cover look like brass?

From AxesRUs:

I have to say just replace the cover with one from axesrus.
I have German nickel ones and they are superb, barely any affect on the tone, perfect fit.
Plus they were really easy to solder to the bass plate compared to some cheap chrome plated ones I had which I ended up binning because solder would not stick.
BIG thumbs for the axesrus ones from me


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