Painting the cover of a tele neck pickup....... advice/suggestions?

[James _R]

Finally decided on a Seymour Duncan Quarter Pound for the bridge as I rarely (if ever) use the bridge for clean. I know the Quarter Pound has the higher output and works well on higher gains - perfect for my band.

I've gone for a DiMarzio True Velvet T for the neck as I play most of my cleans on the neck pickup for that thicker and smoother tone (it will also sound nice for warmer distorted leads imho).

I'm going for a white/black theme for my Warmoth Tele and am thinking of painting the neck pickup cover white. Rather than ruining the chrome pickup cover on the True Velvet, I'm going to purchase a bare nickel silver cover from mojotone and paint that (if it works I'll remove the chrome cover, if not then.... nothing lost!).

http://www.mojotone.com/guitar-parts/pickup-covers-tele/Telecaster-Neck-Pickup-Cover-Bare#.VD1zGvldWSo

The pickup cover is completely bare with no plating, so I'm assuming I will need to do the following:

sand surface and sharp edges with various grades of sandpaper
a coat or two of an appropriate primer
a few thin coats of paint
laquer?

Anything I've missed? Any particular things i need to keep in mind when doing any of those steps? Any particular brands of paint i should keep an eye out for? Is it even a good idea??

Any tips would be appreciated!!

 

[bagman67]

You could top it with lacquer, to be sure.  Alternatively, you could go for something less likely to chip or wear off with your playing, such as an epoxy paint or powdercoat.  Maybe aluminum wheel clearcoat from the auto parts store.

 

[Prometheus]

For similar such tasks in the past, I've had good success with spraycans of black engine enamel. Very hard, good adhesion, and nice and shiny. If you have an all-metal part, you can even cure it (after it's dried) by baking. For that I'd recommend a toaster oven in the garage, 'cause it will take a while to gas off. Don't go too far past 200F.

Worth a try?

 

[James _R]

Cheers for the advice guys, always constructive and helpful responses on this forum!

I might go with an epoxy or powder coat to finish. I'm resigned to the fact that it'll almost definitely get some wear after I've played the guitar a few times, but if it will help the cover look prestine that much longer then it's worth doing.

 

[Cagey]

Nickel doesn't want to hold paint; it needs to be acid-etched. You can get self-etching primer easily, though. The Rustoleum brand has some, as do others, and they're readily available even at places like Walmart or Home Depot. Just watch the label...

Shoot an enamel cover coat over that, and you're good to go.

 

[James _R]

Cheers Cagey! I'll make sure i get hold of an acid-etching spray!  :icon_biggrin:

 

[Cagey]

Be sure to clean the metal - it'll likely have oil residue from the stamping process. Some Naphtha, Acetone or MEK works well. Avoid mineral spirits; it has a residue that defeats the purpose.

 

[Laika]

You could use something like Cerakote, but it is quite expensive and requires more preparation.  Probably too expensive for doing just a single pickup cover, but would be far more durable than any regular paint.

.

 

[stratamania]

I recall James_R is in the UK, so Hammerite may be the product range to look for.

 

[Wolfie351]

I've painted a dozen or so wheels with self etching primer -> wheel paint  -> wheel clear and have logged thousands of miles of weather, dirt and rocks and held up very well.  A lot more abuse than a plastic pick could do.  High-temp brake caliper paint could also do the trick with one coat.

 

[PhilAngus]

Yes, I was going to recommend Hammerite as well, the perfect solution. Just prepare with a little emery cloth first and paint straight on. :icon_smile: