Adding HB cover?

[MDE123]

Hi all — probably easy question but, how tightly to the plastic edge do pickup covers sit on a standard humbucker? My Tele sounds great but needs to get a little dressed up.

Looking on Fralin and SD’s site it seems easy enough to do, but…

The opening in the pickguard looks tight — 2-3/4” x 1-1/2”. I don’t want to modify it as this is a stock FSR, so I could get a new pickguard and swap back if ever needed to return to stock. The tortoise has orange/gold in it that matches true neck nicely so I don’t want to screw it up!

Aesthetic comments are welcome, too. Possibly thinking a black or aged white pickguard to match the binding.

 

[Ray Stankewitz]

You need to measure the pole spread for the cover so it will fit down fully. From the SD web blog, I used double sided tape on top of the slug side of the pickup to help prevent microphones. I did need to break out my Weller/Ungar 900° soldering iron to solder the cover in place.
Easy, Breezy, Beautiful Covered Humbuckers

 

[Hal Nico]

I've found HBs with a cover lose some of their brightness. Most likely the metal adds some capacitance that drops treble.

Just a thought. YMMV

 

[Naked Strat Brat]

Hi all — probably easy question but, how tightly to the plastic edge do pickup covers sit on a standard humbucker? My Tele sounds great but needs to get a little dressed up.

Looking on Fralin and SD’s site it seems easy enough to do, but…

The opening in the pickguard looks tight — 2-3/4” x 1-1/2”. I don’t want to modify it as this is a stock FSR, so I could get a new pickguard and swap back if ever needed to return to stock. The tortoise has orange/gold in it that matches true neck nicely so I don’t want to screw it up!

Aesthetic comments are welcome, too. Possibly thinking a black or aged white pickguard to match the binding.

Hello. I am in the middle of the same type of project myself. I ordered the metal covers that are open top and then have a perliod top for the metal cover. It will not work with my rig. The covers would hit my strings no matter what, Floyd Rose bridge takes my string action right down so there is not enough space. But that does not mean it would not work on your guitar! For me, I now just purchased a full cover made of black plastic. That way I can cut off most of the bottom sides all the way around them, and top can get cut open for my perliod top to fit inside that for a mount.

These will be going on an HH Contemporary Strat that is in project mode for upgrades, new locking tuners and keys, pickguard, covers, strings, knobs.

 

[Shaytan]

I’ve done that on my PRS SE years ago. They’ve recently came off again. I know higher-end brands offer covers that should be a drop fit on their own pickups, but I just can’t recommend your cheapo alternatives off Amazon, eBay and the likes this turn.

Even though the covers I’ve got should be of all the right measurements, they just didn’t fit properly, it didn’t sit all the way forcing me to overly raise the pole screws and the corresponding holes drifted away from their spacing, they weren’t machined up to the best standards.

It did look okay and would’ve done the job for videos and gigs, but close up it looked janky and that was what mattered to me, so out they’ve went. You may have a better experience or, perhaps, not be as picky as me! Maybe if you don’t cheap out and find a matching size cover off a higher quality aftermarket brand you’ll be better served, too - though my two cents go for yours looking rad as is.

 

[DougMen]

I've found HBs with a cover lose some of their brightness. Most likely the metal adds some capacitance that drops treble.

Just a thought. YMMV

As with Tele neck pickup covers, it depends on what metal it's made of. But, that is why so many guys removed the covers on the PAFs on their original '57-'60 Les Pauls.

 

[Hal Nico]

As with Tele neck pickup covers, it depends on what metal it's made of. But, that is why so many guys removed the covers on the PAFs on their original '57-'60 Les Pauls.

Exactly. The Wilkinson Neck HB I use in my Squier Bullet HSS bridge position was too dull for my liking so I took the case off and it came back to what I liked

At the end of the day it can be a bit of trial-and-error.

 

[kdm1218]

And yet there are a host of YouTube videos showing covered versus uncovered making minimal to no difference. I am likely about to try it myself soon with a project. I’m sure as with many tone things there are some whose ears are just better tuned to catch a subtle difference.

 

[Hal Nico]

And yet there are a host of YouTube videos showing covered versus uncovered making minimal to no difference. I am likely about to try it myself soon with a project. I’m sure as with many tone things there are some whose ears are just better tuned to catch a subtle difference.

Bear in mind there are other variables that can affect tone/output etc and most of the main parts of a pickup interact with each other. Some pickups have more windings and or thinner or thick wire used where a pickup cover may have more or less affect depending on what it is made of.

Then there is the RC effect of the Tone circuit to take into account. There is a residual amount of attenuation from this even when the tone control is fully open.

 

[AxelMorisson]

I can confirm that it depends a little on how hot the pickups were originally and also what/how you play them. With distortion and /or high gain, and with a bit of EQ involved there would not be a great deal of difference- but then again in these cases there is very little difference between..anything. Played clean and without so much overdrive the covers did darken the sound a bit- even on cheap pickups. But yes, it's not better/worse, it's a bit different. I did the opposite thing- ripped the covers from a kit guitar I was building. The pickups were a bit tame and lacked clarity. After the operation I got some high end back and with it the illusion of clarity, but lost a bit of the growl and bite in the lower registers. That is why I built another identical kit , and I left the covers on this one. I use both depending on what I need, but realistically a bit of EQ and a nice preamp and you can make them pretty similar.

Now combine the cover/no cover thing with the pickup height thing and you find an entirely different palette of sounds..

 

[Ray Stankewitz]

The biggest mistake made is buying covers without measuring the screw spread first. The covers are not "one size fits all." Philadelphia Luthier Tools and Musiclily are great sources for odd sizes of covers.
And many a shrill, crappy sounding HB has been fixed by putting a cover on it, particularly Dean DMT pickups. If a pickup isn't microphonic before the cover is put on, it will very likely not be microphonic afterward.

 

[MDE123]

Awesome replies — thanks everyone! I didn’t know it’s create such a rousing discussion. Thank you for the tips on carefully measuring the screw spacing. As this is purely a vanity project I don’t want it looking like crap! But good to know it may affect the tone.

This is low on my list of “to do” but if I find a decent pickguard for cheapish I might start assembling the bits