Brass pickguard and metal covers

[EFK]

Who better to answer this than guys who deal with pickups day in and day out? Imagine a later SG w/ full face pickguard. Now imgaine the pickguard is brass. The pickups - humbuckers - are unpotted, nickel covered and suspended from the brass guard. The covers are touching the guard, not to mention the baseplates being joined to it via the mounting screws. As unpotted covers are generally at least a little microphonic, is it possible that in such a situation the pickguard could be picking up on this microphone-ism and essentially acting as one BIG microphone? Is there a way around this (haha yeah I know, get rid of the brass guard)? Would removing the covers yet leaving the pickups unpotted help in such a situation?

[David Schwab]

If you leave the covers on, make sure they are attached very tight. The usual method is to use a padded clamp or a vice to squeeze the cover on while you solder it.

Taking the covers off might also make the pickups less microphonic, since the cover is where much of it comes from.

The brass pickguard is just transferring the vibrations faster than if you were to tap on the body, or a plastic pickguard, but the pickups would still be microphonic.

[EFK]

Thank you for taking the time to reply, David. I think I'm going to first try taking the covers off - it hurts, b/c I'm really not a fan of the cover-less appearance but these I believe sound very good yet are quite microphonic; I'm also positive the brass guard is amplifying this through contact w/ the covers. I'll have to work on this - I've got a few ideas for isolating the pickups from the guard while retaining covers. Also trying to avoid potting.

[LtKojak]

just take the covers off...

Man, I just LOVE this guitar! 24 frets... it's gotta be custom made, late seventies, maybe?

I assume that those p'ups are custom made too... so, here's my take:

Two years ago I was lucky enough to find a in a music shop a 1967 MIJ Emperador 335 copy guitar almost untouched. It had a couple of Gotoh humbuckers that were so microphonic that I couldn't even use the guitar.

At the time I didn't know any better, so I just changed'em, putting Duncans in it... but today they're sitting in an Epi SG Custom sounding not less than great! I just took the covers out; they were NOT potted.

HTH,

[David Schwab]

That's a cool guitar! I had a Sekovia Les Paul Custom copy once (my first decent guitar) and later in its life I made an aluminum pick guard similar to that. I had a 70's P-90 from an SG at the neck, and a patent label Gibson humbucker (early 60's) at the bridge. It had a built in preamp that was from an article in Guitar Player that I modified to include a distortion feature.

Wish I had those pickups now!

[EFK]

Glad you like the guitar - I just finished it up about a month ago. It's my first (that I built). Cherry neck through, fairly hollow cherry wings. I was going for a funky old late 60s/70s vibe. And I like everything aged. I am utterly overjoyed w. the bridge pickup but am trying to work w/ the neck. A little too smooth, not bright enough for me (I'd rather it be overbright and just roll back the tone). I've tried A2 through A5, currently at A5 which is close but still no banana. I might go back and try A3 again; I tried one but I might have screwed up the charging so I'm going to try another. Frankly, I think an old early 70s t top might be best for this neck. Still working on the microphonics issues.

So on an unpotted pickup w/ semi-loose coils, is most of the microphonic character coming from the cover or the sagging wires? In other words, if I wanted to try to retain the covers and do a light potting, what is more beneficial: solidification of the outside layers of wire (or should I say immobilization...), OR an insulating substance such as wax or shellac being placed b/t the inside of the cover and the top of the coils? Any comments?

[David Schwab]

I didn't realize you built that! Very cool. I thought it was from the 70's.

I make my basses with cherry bodies. I love cherry.

I agree about bright neck pickups. Of course removing the cover will make it brighter, but I know you are going for a look. Though back in the 70's, when the big brass craze was under way, everyone was taking the covers off the humbuckers. That was the 70's look... and later on it would have cream colored DiMarzio Super Distortions and Dual Sounds!

I would think the outside wraps are the culprits. I pot my bass pickups with polyurethane. It takes maybe a few days to dry, but I don't hear any difference in tone afterwards.