Source for stamping covers?

[GuitarmanUK]

The way to tell is to ask the vendor what the bulk resistivity of the metal is. The higher the value, the lower the eddy currents, the more transparent the cover. The units of resistivity are ohm-centimeters or microhm-centimeters or ohm-meters or the like.

Looking at the electrical resistivity of copper, zinc, and nickel, you would think brass and nickel silver would not be that much different in resistance.



Comparing a brass alloy (60% copper 40% zinc) to nickel silver (60% copper 20% nickel, 20% zinc), it looks like the resistivity for the two alloys are approx 3.4 ohms vs. 3.6 ohms (x 10-8)

Resistivity in ohms/meter
Copper 1.72×10-8
Zinc 5.90×10-8
Nickel 6.99×10-8

[Possum]

...

Well it does make a difference, on the LCR meter, even though the old Mojo baseplate wasn't really either brass or nickel silver, you can see a midboost with the Mojo baseplate vs. the nickel silver plate from AllParts. You can also hear it as well, a slight treble drop with the brassier baseplate. It actually sounded good for what I was doing but Mojo had them change the mix to a real nickel silver ratio.

[David Schwab]

Looking at the electrical resistivity of copper, zinc, and nickel, you would think brass and nickel silver would not be that much different in resistance.

Yes, you would think so. I have heard the difference in tone with covers. I wonder if they make the brass covers thicker, because they can?

[Joe Gwinn]

Looking at the electrical resistivity of copper, zinc, and nickel, you would think brass and nickel silver would not be that much different in resistance.

Not so. Alloying makes a big difference. Look up the resistivity of the alloys, not just the elements being alloyed.

[Peter Naglitsch]

According to Wiki entry for nickel silver: "Other common names for this alloy are German silver, paktong, new silver and alpacca (or alpaca)...
Alpacca became a widely known name in northern Europe for nickel silver after it was used as a trademark brand by the manufacturer Berndorf"

I can verify that. Alpacca is the most common name for Nickle Silver in Sweden toghether with "new silver".

[kevinT]

Damn, I thought Alpacca was a new hybrid/mut sheep that Spence was breeding on his farm.

[kevinT]

I wish Tom Holmes would make a video making his covers.

[Possum]

...

That you will never see. I talked to him about a month ago and he said his ace in the hole is his parts making capabilities. He said I could ask him anything except how he makes his stuff. He said his covers take a long time to make.

[LtKojak]

Damn, I thought Alpacca was a new hybrid/mut sheep that Spence was breeding on his farm.

Yeah, you wish!

[belwar]

well i found my source and got a quote. Im going to have some nickel silver P90 covers made. It'l cost me about 1500-1700 for tooling and first run. Not to bad if you ask me. Now I just need to design it!

bel

[Possum]

...

BareKnuckles makes those, maybe snag one and see what they did. If you ever want to sell any of those, they are something I'd love to have, plus ones with no holes as well....

[Artur pickupmaker]

Comparing a brass alloy (60% copper 40% zinc) to nickel silver (60% copper 20% nickel, 20% zinc), it looks like the resistivity for the two alloys are approx 3.4 ohms vs. 3.6 ohms (x 10-8)

Resistivity in ohms/meter
Copper 1.72×10-8
Zinc 5.90×10-8
Nickel 6.99×10-8

The resistivity of an alloy is not the mid resistivity of its elements, can be very different from this value. Details of chemistry.

Here we call nickel silver "alpaca" alloy since we don't speak english. The proportion considerated right for this alloy is 60% copper, 22% zinc and 18% nickel. I think is the same alloy used for neck frets.
Do not confund with tha andinian animal called alpaca, from the family camelidae, relative to tha llama, guanaco and the vicuña.

[David King]

Adding more than 18% nickel to the mix makes it very difficult or impossible to work. Soft fretwire is usually around 12% nickel. I'd think this 12% stuff would be much easier to deep draw too.

[David Schwab]

That you will never see. I talked to him about a month ago and he said his ace in the hole is his parts making capabilities. He said I could ask him anything except how he makes his stuff. He said his covers take a long time to make.

I wonder if he folds and solders them? That's how the original Travis Bean covers were made.

[Possum]

....

No, he obviously does them how they did them in vintage days, I have a set of his and a PAF cover as well, his are slightly better. They just took more time to make a better product back then. Good luck getting that quality out of any supplier unless you can go to their shop and be somewhat in their face. Still, maybe like alot of things its a lost art.....