plastic pickup covers

[Reeps]

Hello, this is my first post here.  I'm planning on starting to build a warmoth flat top LP style guitar in a couple of weeks.

I have a question that's more aesthetic based than anything.  I like the look of EMG pickups, the matte black plastic pickup covers, but I'm leaning more toward using seymour duncan humbuckers (SH-JB and SH-2N maybe).  That said, is it possible to buy some plastic covers and mount those onto a seymour duncan pickup?  The bottom right most item on this page shows the covers: http://www.guitarpartsresource.com/covers_humbucker.htm

I'm very new to guitar building and pickups though it's definitely something that has interested me for a long time, I like to know how things are put together and how they work.

Thanks for any help you guys can give!

 

[-CB-]

Absolutely

You can get plain black, plain white plastic covers.  You can get no-hole black metal, nickle, chrome or gold covers.

These are available from www.allparts.com

You'll also see the same parts, at a slight discount on "those great online auction sites".

I've recently gotten some no hole covers for my L6s... which now has Gibson 490/490 set on it.  No problems there.  Be cautioned tho, that the covers with HOLES are prone to being not the right item - that is, advertised as 1-15/16 (American neck or vintage spacing) but being actually 1-29/32 (or its metric counterpart, seen on far east pickups).  I've had my share of wasted time, effort and money with that sort of thing, and will only go with an actual Gibson cover for a Gibby pickup now.

 

[Reeps]

Oh great, I've been to allparts before too.  So, pickups with the adjustable screws (pole pieces right?), you'd have to have a pickup cover with holes?  How does that work if the plastic covers don't have holes?  I suppose you could drill your own or is it not even needed?

If you had to drill holes, can you replace the silver screws in the pickup with black ones, or are those screws locked into the pickup and only move up and down, but not out?

Thanks for your reply!

 

[CD]

I think I've seen passive EMGs with the adjustable poles, but I can't remember what ones they were.

 

[-CB-]

So, pickups with the adjustable screws (pole pieces right?), you'd have to have a pickup cover with holes?  How does that work if the plastic covers don't have holes?  I suppose you could drill your own or is it not even needed?

If you had to drill holes, can you replace the silver screws in the pickup with black ones, or are those screws locked into the pickup and only move up and down, but not out?

Thanks for your reply!

Plastic covers generally have no holes.  Metal can either have holes or not.

Dont even try to drill your covers.

But, you can replace the poles with black ones (or just paint the ones you've got).

 

[Reeps]

[Plastic covers generally have no holes.  Metal can either have holes or not.

So on a seymour duncan type pickup with the exposed pole pieces and screws (say, like this: http://img3.musiciansfriend.com/dbase/pics/products/0/4/5/246045.jpg), you can just slip the plastic cover over it and you don't have to worry that it has no holes? And I suppose that since it's plastic you don't have to use wax and solder to mount the pickup in there?  Thanks again you guys

 

[-CB-]

What you do with plastic covers, is screw the poles down so they're not sticking out.  Then put the cover on.  Get a spring clamp and some thin wood, and clamp the cover to the pickup with the wood there to protect the cover.

Then... just light a birthday candle and let the wax drip in... the wax will be enough to hold the pickup in place, and plastic covers dont squeal anyway... so its not critical.

 

[Reeps]

Oh I see, so the wood goes outside the pickup cover so you don't scratch it, and then the wax drips inside the cover around the pickup to lock it in, correct? No wax should touch the top of the pickup or the polepieces, if it does, is that a problem?

 

[-CB-]

No, and thats what you want, is for the wax to seep down in there.

Thing is, just find a way to press cover to pickup - I use a spring clamp and some small wood pieces... even for soldered covers, a tight fit is best.

Just drip a whole candle's worth of birthday candle down in there and let it flow where it may.  They do even more than that on potted pickups - they're dang dear wax filled.

Dont use glue.  Glue you wont get off and can run into the windings.  Wax on the windings wont hurt.  A little gentle heat, and the covers off if need be.  Glue... fagettaboutdit.  Once its on, she's a no comin' back offa.

Capiche?

 

[jackthehack]

Note from the "Doh!!!!! Should have thought about that dept...." When using wax dipped/potted pickups, whether store bought or homebrew, NEVER leave the axe sitting in direct sunlight when playing an outdoor gig in summer; wax can melt out more quickly than you think and leave a huge mess....

 

[-CB-]

So true

 

[Explorerbass]

No, and thats what you want, is for the wax to seep down in there.

Thing is, just find a way to press cover to pickup - I use a spring clamp and some small wood pieces... even for soldered covers, a tight fit is best.

Just drip a whole candle's worth of birthday candle down in there and let it flow where it may.  They do even more than that on potted pickups - they're dang dear wax filled.

Dont use glue.  Glue you wont get off and can run into the windings.  Wax on the windings wont hurt.  A little gentle heat, and the covers off if need be.  Glue... fagettaboutdit.  Once its on, she's a no comin' back offa.

Capiche?

eh, shut yo trap. u wanna end up like larry loose lips and start wearing concrete shoes? dont tell em our secrets! I HAD TO SAY IT! :cool01:

 

[nathan a]

I have bought and used those very plastic covers you're looking at on a friend's squire fat-strat. Just slide them on, and that's it. No drilling, no wax-- you're just using plastic.

One thing though, if you're gonna be using a seymour duncan trembucker, the cover doesn't fit well. You can kinda make it go, if you push and wiggle a lot, but it feels very uncomfortable. Might as well try it anyway though since they're only a couple dollars.

 

[-CB-]

You can kinda make it go, if you push and wiggle a lot, but it feels very uncomfortable

Sherman, set the WABAC machine to the year 1975, Deerfield Beach, Florida, and the home of that certain cute female that was the fancy of my experimental teenage years.....

Ever sort of think that Bill Gates modeled himself on Sherman?

 

[RLW]

You can kinda make it go, if you push and wiggle a lot, but it feels very uncomfortable

Sherman, set the WABAC machine to the year 1975, Deerfield Beach, Florida, and the home of that certain cute female that was the fancy of my experimental teenage years.....

Ever sort of think that Bill Gates modeled himself on Sherman?

That is too funny. And probably true!

I notice you and I both have British TV avatars.

:icon_smile:

 

[nathan a]

Sherman, set the WABAC machine to the year 1975, Deerfield Beach, Florida, and the home of that certain cute female that was the fancy of my experimental teenage years.....

Y'know CB, I think maybe the right word isn't "uncomfortable", but rather that the, erm, plastic pickup covers, feel "disappointing and short-lasting".

 

[Reeps]

Haha, thanks for the help you guys, just what I needed!

 

[-CB-]

Y'know CB, I think maybe the right word isn't "uncomfortable", but rather that the, erm, plastic pickup covers, feel "disappointing and short-lasting".

Well, consider this old fart's heart still beats in tune to hers, and its 30+ years later.  And the experiments have now joined the ranks of perhaps "Weird Science meets Howard the Duck"