Clear/Transparent Single Coil covers

[Lyrebird Steve]

Hi All,

I've been asked if I can get some clear/transparent/see-through pickup covers for a Strat clone ... without the magnet holes (ie I've found almost what he is after at Mojo Mojotone Single Coil Strat Pickup Cover Transparent 52mm (2-1/16'')).

Are these made by anyone / sold online ?

How difficult is it to make-at-home some vacuum moulded products given they need to be transparent ?

Thanks in advance

Steve

[Bruce Johnson]

Vacuum-forming parts isn't real difficult, but there is some investment in buying/building a vacuum-forming machine. Check around the model car and model airplane forums. Many of those guys use home built vacuum-forming rigs to make car bodies and airplane canopies.

I think the simpler approach for small quantities would be to cast the pickup covers from clear acrylic resin. Make up some male and female silicone rubber molds from an existing pickup cover, then cast the parts in the molds. That would be the least amount of work and expense.

[peskywinnets]

I bought 50 of those transparent covers for a project - but the project got parked (as they always do, but may get resurrected so I'm hanging on to them)....just a shame they're only available 52mm pole to pole spacing (cos most folks want 52mm, 52mm & 50mm for a set)

there's some pretty significant scratching on each of the pickups' sidewall (one side, internally), which apparently is down to the demoulding process (sounds odd to me, I never see such scratching on normal pickup covers...it's probably more a case of their mould is damaged!)

[jonson]

I'll agree with 50% of what you said there Bruce and disagree with the other half. There have been several threads come up about vacuum forming over the last few years but the subject has only really been touched on, so time to do a tutorial I think. For Strat covers, a bit of time, 2 foot square of mdf and a good vacume cleaner/pump or shop vac is all that's needed for excellent results. The layout for Rtv rubber, Casting resin and time far outways that. There is an inherant problem with clear casting resins coming out of a rubber mold sticky and then we have to revert to polyurethane resins and one that deals with very thin section walling so the time, expense and failure rate is not in my opinion worth it . I use both methods but for this job it's gotta be vacume every time. I will do in the near future a tutorial with pics purely for pickup covers unless someone else wishes to and help a few guys along the way.

[rjb]

I will do in the near future a tutorial with pics purely for pickup covers...

Yea! I'll be watching.