Reinstalling Chrome pick up cover on Gibson pickup

[Bryn6490]

I just bought a 2004 Gibson Les Paul Standard. The Previous owner removed the chrome cover from the pickup. I would like to put the chrome cover back on the pickup. Is it okay to reinstall the chrome cover? Why would someone remove the chrome cover? The OEM chrome cover is in the case.

[LesBonfire]

They probably just changed it to either get a "better" tone from the pickup or make it look like Jimmy Page's Les Paul....probably the latter. Shouldn't be an issue putting a cover on it.

[Bender 4 Life]

slip it on, re-solder it to the base-plate, enjoy !!

[mastersja]

Removing the bridge pickup cover only, scratches the same itch as the urge to roll up the sleeves of your shirt when you're about to fight.

 

Or, they were going for that Mark Tremonti vibe with the looks of the guitar.

 

Or, possibly, seeking a tone difference sans pickup cover, some people hear it, others, like me can't. Though, electrically speaking, a covered, soldered on pickup is a capacitor, so it's certainly possible for a covered pickup to have some of the high frequency output funneled to ground. ( For several years I worked around jets, so I cannot tell the difference between a covered and uncovered pickup, it's pure looks to me.)

 

As was said above, put the cover on and resolder it to the base plate. You should be able to tell where the soldering once was done and will save you from trying the sometimes difficult task of creating a new area that will accept the solder.

 

I added covers to my LP Studio '50s Tribute Humbucker, because the gold top I bought seemed to demand that I do so. I obeyed.