Do they effects sound? - Pickup covers

It should effect it TOO noticibly. Nickel pup covers are known to atler the sound a bit, but even that isn't bad.

The plastic's effect should be negligible.

Plastic covers won't alter the sound at all, because they're electrically nonconductive. Metal covers do weaken the signal a bit and take some of the treble off, but it's a subtle effect that lots of people can't hear at all.

Pickup covers are typically made from nonferrous metals such as brass or nickel-silver, plastic, and are usually plated with nickel, chrome, gold, or black chrome finish. If it was to contain iron, it would alter the pickup's magnetic field changing the pickup's tone and response.

Joe

good good. Thanks

Pickup covers are typically made from nonferrous metals such as brass or nickel-silver, plastic, and are usually plated with nickel, chrome, gold, or black chrome finish. If it was to contain iron, it would alter the pickup's magnetic field changing the pickup's tone and response.

JoeThat's incorrect. Nonferrous metals affect the magnetic field because they are electrically conductive and the fluctuating magnetic field of the pickup induces eddy currents in the metal shield that generate an opposing magnetic field that weakens the signal. Ferrous metals have the same effect insofar as they're electrically conductive. Their magnetic properties really don't bear on this much. Nonconductive magnets, such as those made of ferrite ceramics, don't do this. That's a big reason for the sonic differences between pickups with magnets of Alnico alloys (which are somewhat conductive) vs. those with ceramic magnets (which aren't.)

A cover or baseplate made of steel will affect the pickup's response noticeably less than one of brass or copper, which are more electrically conductive. More conductive = less resistance = larger induced eddy currents = larger opposing magnetic field. Nonconductors such as typical plastics effectively have infinite resistance and don't carry eddy currents, so there's no countering magnetic field produced.

Hmm... so here's a question, assuming all of what you say it true, Ricochet, could I put a thin panel of wood between my pups and my strings and have it not effect the sound of the instrument?

That would be pretty cool on a DIY guitar, pups with a veneer over them that's flush with the body... look like a Variax (appears to be pupless) but sounds like a genuine magnetic pup... yeah... I'm digging this already.

Hmm... so here's a question, assuming all of what you say it true, Ricochet, could I put a thin panel of wood between my pups and my strings and have it not effect the sound of the instrument?

That would be pretty cool on a DIY guitar, pups with a veneer over them that's flush with the body... look like a Variax (appears to be pupless) but sounds like a genuine magnetic pup... yeah... I'm digging this already.

Assuming that you don't change the distance of the pickup from the strings, yes.

That's incorrect. Nonferrous metals affect the magnetic field because they are electrically conductive and the fluctuating magnetic field of the pickup induces eddy currents in the metal shield that generate an opposing magnetic field that weakens the signal. Ferrous metals have the same effect insofar as they're electrically conductive. Their magnetic properties really don't bear on this much. Nonconductive magnets, such as those made of ferrite ceramics, don't do this. That's a big reason for the sonic differences between pickups with magnets of Alnico alloys (which are somewhat conductive) vs. those with ceramic magnets (which aren't.)

A cover or baseplate made of steel will affect the pickup's response noticeably less than one of brass or copper, which are more electrically conductive. More conductive = less resistance = larger induced eddy currents = larger opposing magnetic field. Nonconductors such as typical plastics effectively have infinite resistance and don't carry eddy currents, so there's no countering magnetic field produced.

While true, the major effect from conductive, non-ferrous covers is probably not from eddy current resistive losses or partial magnetic flux cancellation, but from something far simpler: parasitic capacitance between the cover and coil windings.

Not sure if any manufacturer has done this, but if the plastic covers are coated (on the inside) with conductive paint or tape, they may also affect the pups frequency response.

OK :? anyways i got 2 gold pickup covers (gibson) for my les paul copy and it has affected the sound allot in my opinion. it hasn't lost much of the bite but it just sounds messy when i'm playing with distortion clean sounds are fine though. The thing is it looks damn nice so i don't know if i should take them off or not.

BTW is there somekinda fix for this

Minus Human

Yeah, that's true about the capacitive effect, too. That probably has more effect on the high frequency rolloff than the eddy current effect, like gnease said.

OK :? anyways i got 2 gold pickup covers (gibson) for my les paul copy and it has affected the sound allot in my opinion. it hasn't lost much of the bite but it just sounds messy when i'm playing with distortion clean sounds are fine though. The thing is it looks darn nice so i don't know if i should take them off or not.

I think that's why Jimmy Page left a pup cover on the neck and not the bridge.

I heard it just fell off after whacking it too much with his violin bow. :wink: