Does it matter if the nickel humbucker cover touches the fixed slugs?

[David King]

The covers were given ample time to gas off, several days to weeks and months. The wire was heavy APT which is pretty much immune to solvents, https://wire-cable-tubing.wireandcab...nd-magnet-wire. The results were consistent over a number of pickups including some pickups made by another maker who was the one who reported back to me that my great idea wasn't working for him. Removing the paint from the covers immediately fixed the problem.

My theory of the case is that the magnetic properties of the pure nickel in the paint was diffusing the field somehow, short circuiting the flux lines away from the strings. I really don't think eddy currents were to blame but I never tested this hypothesis.

[freefrog]

My experience is more with nickel conductive spray paint under the covers and I was surprised at how much the nickel paint dulled the tone, much more than aluminum or copper tape even though the layer of nickel was thinner and presumably had a higher resistance. Very audible effect.

Same experience here. I think to have kept measured resonant peaks showing this effect, somewhere in my archives. I'll share these screenshots if I find them.