Pick up cover : with or without you ?

[Nic LP]

Hi everyone.

 

I would like to remove my pick up covers from my two Les Paul, only because I think it looks much better this way. I'm just wondering if it will change the sound of the guitars ? Anyone can help ???

 

Thanks.

[Tim Plains]

Yes & no. I think it more depends how sensitive your ears are.

[S t e v e]

could you post pictures of your les pauls? the colour and finish of the guitar makes all the difference when adding or removing pup covers, and as for the sound...unless you got supersonic hearing i doubt you will notice the difference.

 

here's my gary moore sig les paul that i'm going to fit pup covers on...for cosmetic reasons

 

[Nic LP]

Totally amazing top, the lemon burst is great. I would not put covers on these superbs pic ups. But hey, it's your's. Again, great guitar.

 

Ok for pictures of my Les Pauls, keep in touch.

[MatteoLP]

With open coils your axe will probably sound a little brighter, but not that much more.

You can try, you can easily remove the covers and replace them in a few moments!

[Andre S]

Totally amazing top' date=' the lemon burst is great. I would not put covers on these superbs pic ups. But hey, it's your's. Again, great guitar.

 

Ok for pictures of my Les Pauls, keep in touch.

[/quote']

 

Removing pickup covers is super easy, and can be done in 5 minutes, during a string change.

[bubba_leon]

Pickup covers offer a slight shielding, but if your pickups are wax potted it makes little to no difference. However they do provide good protection from environmental pollutants such as sweat, smoke, beer, barf etc. etc.

[Nic LP]

Pickup covers offer a slight shielding' date=' but if your pickups are wax potted it makes little to no difference. However they do provide good protection from environmental pollutants such as sweat, smoke, beer, barf etc. etc.[/quote']

 

As long as I barf on my guitar every single day, maybe I should keep the covers lolllll

[Nic LP]

With open coils your axe will probably sound a little brighter' date=' but not that much more.

You can try, you can easily remove the covers and replace them in a few moments! [/quote']

 

Thanks, it's good to know.

[jamman]

I think you can hear the difference,but it is suttle. (britter).If you like the look than go for it .you can always reinstall the covers if you don't like them that way.so you have nothing to loose.

[NeoConMan]

Of course it's all a matter of personal taste.

If you ask me, there isn't a Les Paul out there that looks better with open coils.

 

Kinda like having a really nice car and somebody stole your hubcaps.

What's cool about that?

 

 

I have a theory that the whole practice began after people started seeing pics of guitars minus the covers.

Late 60's and early 70's?

 

The road warriors playing concerts on whirlwind tours years ago had very little in the way of resources for

guitar repairs and had to make due with what they had while traveling to the next gig.

Remember, there was no internet, no cell phones, few dealers, and zero aftermarket for replacement pickups.

 

If a pickup was acting up and the cover was removed for trouble-shooting and repairs, I would imagine

the tech left the cover off and reinstalled it in the guitar to make sure it worked.

At some point, somebody decided it was not worth the effort to slack the strings and remove the pickup once

again simply to solder the cover back on.

Or maybe it was not worth the risk of killing the pickup once and for all with unnecessary heating.

 

Kids started seeing magazine articles with their guitar hero sporting naked pickups and a fad was born.

 

 

good protection from environmental pollutants such as sweat' date=' smoke, beer, barf etc. etc.[/quote']

That's why all mine are covered.

Dust and lint gets to those tiny little wires and you can't get it out without causing damage.

That's my reasoning behind it - and they look better!

 

[biggrin]/

[Lowdown]

It's all up to you mate.

 

Either you like'em...or you don't.

 

It's that simple.

[Kurt]

I don´t think that you´ll hear much of a difference!

 

So if you like the looks remove them.

 

The only thing you should think about is that they may be wax potted.

 

Greetings

Kurt

[Hector Arcadius]

With the exception of Goldtops (which I find pretty shiny already...) I generally like pickup covers. However there are some lesters which look pretty rocking with zebra open coils as well.

 

So, beauty is in the eyes of the beholder.

[Blackie]

Your going to need a decent soldering iron to melt the solder on the back of the pickup.

[Nic LP]

Your going to need a decent soldering iron to melt the solder on the back of the pickup.

 

Well, some say cover removal is super easy, and some others, like my luthier say that it's a simple but delicate

thing to do !?

[deepblue]

Hi everyone.

 

I would like to remove my pick up covers from my two Les Paul' date=' only because I think it looks much better this way. I'm just wondering if it will change the sound of the guitars ? Anyone can help ???

 

Thanks.[/quote']

 

Nic, I have to scroll over to read your post.

[charlie brown]

I've had them off, and put them back on. My Classic came "uncovered," and the first thing I did,

was buy some covers, for it. Did't make any (real) difference in tone (to me, anyway), and I much

prefer the looks of the covered pickups, over the uncovered versions. Uncovered just looks unfinished.

But, some folks love that! So...to each his/her own.

 

CB

[KL]

I prefer them on, but if you do decide to go without them keep them because if you ever come to sell it the buyer will probably want them. I have found it's best to keep things like this is the pocket in the case the actual guitar is kept in because when you come to want those parts then you can't remember where you put them. This goes for all things like strap buttons if you replace them with strap locks and pick guards, screws, spare parts etc. (Ha ha I suppose it depends how much stuff you remove! You might not have room for it all in the pocket!!!).

 

This thread brings made me think of something . . . I much prefer Les Pauls withOUT the pickguard installed. I always think it's a shame when shops install the pickguards as if you don't like them you end up with screw holes.

 

Does anyone know if Les Pauls have always been supplied with the pickguard optional, or whether they used to fit them at the factory? On my 70's goldtop deluxe I removed the pickguard, so of corse I have 2 screw holes in it, plus a bit of a finish ding where the screw that holds the bracket on the guard was rubbing the top over the years. I still think it looks better without the guard.

[Rocky4]

It has no effect according to Seth

[Nic LP]

I prefer them on' date=' but if you do decide to go without them keep them because if you ever come to sell it the buyer will probably want them. I have found it's best to keep things like this is the pocket in the case the actual guitar is kept in because when you come to want those parts then you can't remember where you put them. This goes for all things like strap buttons if you replace them with strap locks and pick guards, screws, spare parts etc. (Ha ha I suppose it depends how much stuff you remove! You might not have room for it all in the pocket!!!).

 

This thread brings made me think of something . . . I much prefer Les Pauls withOUT the pickguard installed. I always think it's a shame when shops install the pickguards as if you don't like them you end up with screw holes.

 

Does anyone know if Les Pauls have always been supplied with the pickguard optional, or whether they used to fit them at the factory? On my 70's goldtop deluxe I removed the pickguard, so of corse I have 2 screw holes in it, plus a bit of a finish ding where the screw that holds the bracket on the guard was rubbing the top over the years. I still think it looks better without the guard. [/quote']

 

Hi KL.

 

Totally agree with you on regarding stuff you remove from the guitar, I'm pretty much ''all original'' when it come to those things, so don't worry, everything is kept at it's place. Therefore, I'm not planning to sell my Les Paul, they are almost a part of me, especially my first one that I buy when I was 18.

 

For the pick guard thing, to, me, it depends on the type of top : if it's plane, I don't really care, plus the pick guard is a comfortable feature ( well, to me ) while playing. But when it comes to a figured top, I prefer to be able to look at what I paid for...

 

For your question : I think the optional pick guard is a recent politic at Gibson. My 1993 Standard came out of the box with the pick guard on. You could post a topic regarding this subjectif you want to know more about it.

[KL]

Hi Nic LP

 

Thanks . . . yes I will post it as a topic and see what people say.

[NeoConMan]

Well' date=' some say cover removal is super easy, and some others, like my luthier say

that it's a simple but delicate thing to do !?[/quote']

Yeah, don't get the pickup too hot with the soldering iron and fxck it up for good - the point of my original post.

 

:D

 

 

Nic' date=' I have to scroll over to read your post.[/quote']

Same with Lowdown and a few others for me.

The line across the top of the signature is too long and it doesn't wrap so the display isn't big enough.

[NeoConMan]

I have found it's best to keep things like this is the pocket in the case the actual guitar is kept in

because when you come to want those parts then you can't remember where you put them.

This goes for all things like strap buttons if you replace them with strap locks and

pick guards' date=' screws, spare parts etc.

A helpful hint that CANNOT be repeated too often;

Any of those spare parts you store in the case absolutely, positively must be in a Zip-Loc bag.

And not the cheap thin ones, buy yourself a box of the One Quart freezer bags. They are much thicker.

 

Trust me on this one.

I've seen the damage those tiny metal parts can do to a guitar inside the case when they start swimming around.

Horror Story is the best way to describe it.

Next time your guitar is gonna be traveling in the case, think about that one for a minute.

Even a simple truss rod tool can do more damage than you ever thought possible.

 

You'll cry when you open the case at your destination....

 

 

 

 

I always think it's a shame when shops install the pickguards as if you don't like

them you end up with screw holes. Does anyone know if Les Pauls have always been supplied

with the pickguard optional' date=' or whether they used to fit them at the factory? On my 70's goldtop

deluxe I removed the pickguard, so of corse I have 2 screw holes in it, plus a bit of a finish ding

where the screw that holds the bracket on the guard was rubbing the top over the years. [/quote']

My LP Classic Plus was not drilled, nor was a pick guard shipped with the guitar.

Depended on the wood figuring in the top I guess.

My goldtop has the same ding you describe, and the guard is removed.

I put the screws back in the holes for safe-keeping - looks better than a damned open hole, eh?