Mickthemiller Posted September 4, 2014 Share Posted September 4, 2014 I have recently bought a 2013 LPJ - the one with the plain black plastic pickup covers under which are a 490R and 498T. Now I would like to change these for chrome covers - an easy task with regular humbuckers but these little babies have the fixing lugs (that the right term?) on the cover and not on the base plate. I have read that the cover is just fixed on with a couple of blobs of silicon sealer type glue/stuff and can easily be gotten off. But then there is no way to fix the pickup to the guitar! mmmm! I had thought that if I got hold of some chrome covers and base plates, I could fix the base plate to the original base plate (that has no lugs) with a spot of solder so that they are earthed and then fix the new covers to that base plate as normal with a couple of spots of solder. This would add a little to the depth of the pickups but I reckon not enough to make then too high. Thing is, I'm not sure if this will work!! Anyone got any ideas? I really don't want to change the pickups for a new set with chrome covers, but if I have to then so be it. Either way I suppose I would be making a mod that would be hard to reverse. Mick - The MIller Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ErickC Posted September 5, 2014 Share Posted September 5, 2014 Interestingly enough, the 490/498 pickups that I put in my Orville came out of an LPJ. The base plate is completely different than the standard humbucker base plate, as the legs are on the covers. The base plates themselves are hexagonal and flat. The cover comes off with a bit of prying, it's only attached by a bead of silicone. My solution was to modify a pair of spare base plates to fit under the actual plate (clip or bend the tabs on the edges). I then unscrewed the screws holding the baseplate on, placed the plate with legs under it, and screwed it all back together. The covers went in the spare parts drawer. What kind of miller are you, by the way? I mill durum. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoundMaster Posted September 6, 2014 Share Posted September 6, 2014 Original post deleted by author. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mickthemiller Posted September 6, 2014 Author Share Posted September 6, 2014 Interestingly enough, the 490/498 pickups that I put in my Orville came out of an LPJ. The base plate is completely different than the standard humbucker base plate, as the legs are on the covers. The base plates themselves are hexagonal and flat. The cover comes off with a bit of prying, it's only attached by a bead of silicone. My solution was to modify a pair of spare base plates to fit under the actual plate (clip or bend the tabs on the edges). I then unscrewed the screws holding the baseplate on, placed the plate with legs under it, and screwed it all back together. The covers went in the spare parts drawer. What kind of miller are you, by the way? I mill durum. Erick Thanks - You make it sound easy to fix new base plates - will chrome covers fit on the new base plate and not make the whole pickup too deep to adjust up and down? It's that all black look that I can't seem to get used to so for starters I made an easy mod by removing the black surrounds and replacing with chrome. It looks a lot less like a slab now. I'll give it a few weeks before I dig out the tools again and try replacing the base plates. Mick the miller is a nickname my uncle gave me when I was a lad - he also sometimes referred to me as Micky Dripping - no choice there really!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deeman Posted September 6, 2014 Share Posted September 6, 2014 On a related topic, does anyone know if there is any benefit sound-wise to have plastic pickup covers? Or is it simply for aesthetic reasons? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoundMaster Posted September 6, 2014 Share Posted September 6, 2014 Original post deleted by author. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mickthemiller Posted September 6, 2014 Author Share Posted September 6, 2014 If you are referring to the 2013 LPJ, the covers are metal, not plastic. Well they certainly look and feel like plastic on mine Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoundMaster Posted September 6, 2014 Share Posted September 6, 2014 Original post deleted by author. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capmaster Posted September 6, 2014 Share Posted September 6, 2014 On a related topic, does anyone know if there is any benefit sound-wise to have plastic pickup covers? Or is it simply for aesthetic reasons? Except for missing access to pole adjustment, I think the plastic covers are basically like none at all. However, I'm not sure but guess they make these pickups with twelve slugs. This would have more impact on tone than the metal covers on six slugs/six screws pickups. Slug coils have higher inductance and therefore higher output level and a lower resonance frequency. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoundMaster Posted September 6, 2014 Share Posted September 6, 2014 Original post deleted by author. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capmaster Posted September 6, 2014 Share Posted September 6, 2014 ...always something to learn from this man! I'm sure glad I use Graph Tech SS saddles and Black XL nut. I think I may keep the stock pickups. Thanks cap. You're welcome. My guess that LPJ pickups have two slug coils came from both missing holes in the plastic covers and EriKC's description of the base plate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capmaster Posted September 6, 2014 Share Posted September 6, 2014 By the way, just found SGJ pickups pictured from below on the web. Should be built like the LPJ ones. This definitely says two slug coils each: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoundMaster Posted September 6, 2014 Share Posted September 6, 2014 Original post deleted by author. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capmaster Posted September 6, 2014 Share Posted September 6, 2014 WTHeck? The bridge p/u should be 498T...oh no, now I guess I need to look under these things... Sorry, just edited the previous mail after I found out the picture's name later when storing it to my computer. These are SGJ pickups. I beg your pardon for me being so sloppy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoundMaster Posted September 6, 2014 Share Posted September 6, 2014 Original post deleted by author. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ErickC Posted September 7, 2014 Share Posted September 7, 2014 Capmaster is right, and I forgot to mention it - these are 12 slug pickups. It doesn't look as awkward with covers on as you might think. You end up with two concentric circles in the cover holes, looking a bit like a target. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoundMaster Posted September 7, 2014 Share Posted September 7, 2014 Original post deleted by author. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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