Mod: EMG Covers for Passive Pickups - Page 3

possumkiller · 03-21-2010, 10:11 AM

Very good idea. When I was a kid and wanted EMGs so bad and couldnt afford them I always bought those black plastic covers for my stock pickups. I actually sold a guitar to a GC for another hundred bucks because they thought they were EMGs in it lol.

mikernaut · 03-22-2010, 09:47 AM

This is great. I have a 7 string coming eventually that I want white pickups in and seeing BKP's don't do white 7 pups yet this would be a great solution.

Was it tricky sawing off the bottoms. it seems like it would be. did you clamp them with something to hold them steady?

loktide · 03-22-2010, 10:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mikernaut

Was it tricky sawing off the bottoms. it seems like it would be. did you clamp them with something to hold them steady?

not at all. i actually clamped the cover between my knees while sawing the bottom

the covers are made of fairly soft plastic, so it didn't require much effort to saw through them.

philkilla · 03-24-2010, 11:15 PM

Would this mod affect the tone of the pickups at all?

loktide · 03-25-2010, 03:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by philkilla

Would this mod affect the tone of the pickups at all?

from page 1:

Quote:

Originally Posted by Galius

Neato. Might have to try this on my intrepid. I wonder if the pickup being covered by plactic affects the tone or output.

Quote:

Originally Posted by loktide

just like without the covers. (regular) plastic doesn't interact with magnetic fields like nickel or other metals used for regular pickup covers do

philkilla · 03-25-2010, 11:54 AM

Oh..cool

philkilla · 03-28-2010, 10:05 PM

Did the Ran today.

loktide · 03-29-2010, 01:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by philkilla

Did the Ran today.

cool

did you have to mod the covers, or did the pickup fit right in?

philkilla · 03-29-2010, 06:22 AM

I had to cut about 5mm off of the bottom too. I used a hacksaw which came out like shit...lol, than I used 60-grit sandpaper to even it out. Finding screws to make it work was the tricky part though.

loktide · 03-29-2010, 06:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by philkilla

Finding screws to make it work was the tricky part though.

really? i used the ones that came with the EMG808s

i guess the mounting holes on the EMG35 covers are placed different than on passive pickups

philkilla · 03-29-2010, 08:47 AM

I haven't seen my EMG screws in ages, and the guy that installed the lundgren used different screws to boot...so that made it interesting.

Necky379 · 04-11-2010, 10:01 PM

do you think this would work with an sd invader? i want to do this to my sc-607 but i dont know if the big allen pole pieces will get in the way. should work right?

lateralus819 · 05-04-2010, 12:36 PM

Would this work with regular routes? I have some BKPS in my carvin and id love to do this.

Groff · 05-05-2010, 02:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lateralus819

Would this work with regular routes? I have some BKPS in my carvin and id love to do this.

No, they won't fit. The corners of the cover go farther than a standard route.

sevenstringj · 05-27-2010, 07:56 PM

Just a thought: Could you apply shielding to the inside of that cover and ground it? Wouldn't that provide better shielding than the bridge/strings method? I'm guessing you'd also cover it with tape so it doesn't contact the pole pieces?

JordanLee · 05-27-2010, 11:50 PM

I REALLY want to do this with my cold sweats and 2228 that are coming next week.

Quick question to the OP and others equally knowledgable: was there any resolve to DPM's comment about the casing keeping the pups too far from the strings? Is this a significant problem? Obviously, I'd rather have great sounding pups and have them looks messy, than shitty sounding clean ones... But if I can do BOTH! (shakes head in disbelief)
OP: what are your thoughts? Are you getting good tone (more specifically, the tone you want) with the casings on? Is there enough room to get the
close enough? If not, can you order a thinner casing?

Thanks!

dpm · 05-28-2010, 01:11 AM

it really depends on the magnetic field strength of your pickups, if you've got a big ceramic magnet and efficient polepieces it may not effect things too much.

JordanLee · 05-28-2010, 08:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dpm

it really depends on the magnetic field strength of your pickups, if you've got a big ceramic magnet and efficient polepieces it may not effect things too much.

Are you, or anyone else, aware if this is the case with the BKP cold sweats? I know nothing about pup magneticism.

Spondus · 05-28-2010, 09:29 AM

I'm pretty sure it won't have any effect on tone. The magnetic permeability of plastic is very high (as in the magnetic field between plastic and a paramagnet is too small to be felt) and only active pickups need to be placed very close to the strings due to the fact they use weaker magnets and are actively amplified.

Given that the cases are probably only about 1mm thick, you'd just have to bring the pickups about 1mm close the usual so that the poles of the pickup are at the same distance with respect to the strings with the cover both on and off.

JordanLee · 05-28-2010, 10:14 AM

Well, I think I'll give it a shot. The other option is to get pickup rings... Anyone know where one could get some for 8 string BKPs?

dpm · 05-28-2010, 04:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Spondus

Given that the cases are probably only about 1mm thick, you'd just have to bring the pickups about 1mm close the usual so that the poles of the pickup are at the same distance with respect to the strings with the cover both on and off.

These ones are 2mm thick on top. So let's say that I like the tone and output of my bridge pickup with the poles 1.5mm from the treble E (measured when fretted at the last fret), if we place the same pickup with the cover at 0.5mm from the string (ie. really, really close) that pickup's poles will then be 2.5mm from the treble E. Keep in mind this is when fretted at the last fret so when you're playing down the other end of the neck the pickup will be even further away from the strings, plus generally you'd want the bass side lower compared to the treble for balance so that side of the pickup is further away again... anyways, I tried it with these covers before this thread existed and didn't like the effect, then I set up a jig to machine the inside of the covers to 1mm thick and tonally things worked better but it's a total pain in the ass and the heat from machining can sometimes damage the cover so I stopped doing that too. Like I said, it depends on where you like your pickup relative to the strings and how powerful the magnetic field is.

13point9 · 05-28-2010, 04:27 PM

Would a hotter pickup, counter this?

say using BKP's for example, I want the sound of a black dog, but I buy a hotter pup (Miracle man or something like that) and have the cover on it, would this at least in part work?

n00b question i know but im not to hot on magnetic field dynamics

dpm · 05-28-2010, 05:14 PM

well, it depends on what is making the pickup 'hot'. There are 3 basic ways to increase output, by increasing the number of turns of wire on the coil, increasing the amount of iron in the coil (ie. bigger polepieces), and a larger, more powerful magnet. A hot pickup might have any combination of those factors but the magnet properties and polepiece size are the 2 that will effect the magnetic field out of the top of the pickup.

13point9 · 05-28-2010, 05:18 PM

ah ok cool cheers trying to find out as I'm going to be looking at replacing some 707's when I can afford it and don't want the gaping holes haha, I guess pickup rings are the other option...

La Lettre B · 11-06-2010, 01:12 PM

The photobucket links are dead
Is there a way to re-upload the images?

I'm about to do this conversion and it would be appreciated.
Thanks!

	sevenstring guitars		sevenstring registry		photo gallery		subscription		spy

03-21-2010, 10:11 AM	#51
possumkiller SS.org Regular Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: no Posts: 1,989 Thanked: 39 Feedback Score: 4 reviews	Very good idea. When I was a kid and wanted EMGs so bad and couldnt afford them I always bought those black plastic covers for my stock pickups. I actually sold a guitar to a GC for another hundred bucks because they thought they were EMGs in it lol. sol niger 333: "I'm guessing a dildo was used. A truth dildo."

05-28-2010, 04:27 PM	#72
13point9 Now with Less Hair! Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: London Posts: 1,874 Thanked: 66 Feedback Score: 1 reviews	Would a hotter pickup, counter this? say using BKP's for example, I want the sound of a black dog, but I buy a hotter pup (Miracle man or something like that) and have the cover on it, would this at least in part work? n00b question i know but im not to hot on magnetic field dynamics "I won't be satisfied until somebody can whammy a whole piano." Pink Freud ".... that, I'd rather eat 20 pounds of steak and then prove how jacked I am by having angry sex with their mothers whilst curling 200 pounds and drinking ale." maliciousteve

05-28-2010, 05:18 PM	#74
13point9 Now with Less Hair! Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: London Posts: 1,874 Thanked: 66 Feedback Score: 1 reviews	ah ok cool cheers trying to find out as I'm going to be looking at replacing some 707's when I can afford it and don't want the gaping holes haha, I guess pickup rings are the other option... "I won't be satisfied until somebody can whammy a whole piano." Pink Freud ".... that, I'd rather eat 20 pounds of steak and then prove how jacked I am by having angry sex with their mothers whilst curling 200 pounds and drinking ale." maliciousteve

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03-22-2010, 09:47 AM	#52
mikernaut pixel pusher Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Madison WI Posts: 2,384 Thanked: 80 Feedback Score: 5 reviews	This is great. I have a 7 string coming eventually that I want white pickups in and seeing BKP's don't do white 7 pups yet this would be a great solution. Was it tricky sawing off the bottoms. it seems like it would be. did you clamp them with something to hold them steady?

03-24-2010, 11:15 PM	#54
philkilla Jesus Saves Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Jacksonville, Florida Posts: 639 Thanked: 14 Feedback Score: 0 reviews	Would this mod affect the tone of the pickups at all?

03-25-2010, 11:54 AM	#56
philkilla Jesus Saves Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Jacksonville, Florida Posts: 639 Thanked: 14 Feedback Score: 0 reviews	Oh..cool

03-29-2010, 06:22 AM	#59
philkilla Jesus Saves Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Jacksonville, Florida Posts: 639 Thanked: 14 Feedback Score: 0 reviews	I had to cut about 5mm off of the bottom too. I used a hacksaw which came out like shit...lol, than I used 60-grit sandpaper to even it out. Finding screws to make it work was the tricky part though.

03-29-2010, 08:47 AM	#61
philkilla Jesus Saves Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Jacksonville, Florida Posts: 639 Thanked: 14 Feedback Score: 0 reviews	I haven't seen my EMG screws in ages, and the guy that installed the lundgren used different screws to boot...so that made it interesting.

04-11-2010, 10:01 PM	#62
Necky379 SS.org Regular Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: USA Posts: 946 Thanked: 20 Feedback Score: 2 reviews	do you think this would work with an sd invader? i want to do this to my sc-607 but i dont know if the big allen pole pieces will get in the way. should work right?

05-04-2010, 12:36 PM	#63
lateralus819 Mr. legacy Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: corinth ny Posts: 667 Thanked: 18 Feedback Score: 6 reviews	Would this work with regular routes? I have some BKPS in my carvin and id love to do this.

05-27-2010, 07:56 PM	#65
sevenstringj Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: ny Posts: 2,381 Thanked: 46 Feedback Score: 22 reviews	Just a thought: Could you apply shielding to the inside of that cover and ground it? Wouldn't that provide better shielding than the bridge/strings method? I'm guessing you'd also cover it with tape so it doesn't contact the pole pieces?

05-27-2010, 11:50 PM	#66
JordanLee Star-stuff Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Edmonton AB, CAD Posts: 112 Thanked: 9 Feedback Score: 0 reviews	I REALLY want to do this with my cold sweats and 2228 that are coming next week. Quick question to the OP and others equally knowledgable: was there any resolve to DPM's comment about the casing keeping the pups too far from the strings? Is this a significant problem? Obviously, I'd rather have great sounding pups and have them looks messy, than shitty sounding clean ones... But if I can do BOTH! (shakes head in disbelief) OP: what are your thoughts? Are you getting good tone (more specifically, the tone you want) with the casings on? Is there enough room to get the close enough? If not, can you order a thinner casing? Thanks!

05-28-2010, 01:11 AM	#67
dpm Oni Guitars Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Brisbane, Queensland, Australia Posts: 3,377 Thanked: 21 Feedback Score: 2 reviews	it really depends on the magnetic field strength of your pickups, if you've got a big ceramic magnet and efficient polepieces it may not effect things too much.

05-28-2010, 09:29 AM	#69
Spondus SS.org Regular Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: S Wales/Oxford UK Posts: 650 Thanked: 13 Feedback Score: 4 reviews	I'm pretty sure it won't have any effect on tone. The magnetic permeability of plastic is very high (as in the magnetic field between plastic and a paramagnet is too small to be felt) and only active pickups need to be placed very close to the strings due to the fact they use weaker magnets and are actively amplified. Given that the cases are probably only about 1mm thick, you'd just have to bring the pickups about 1mm close the usual so that the poles of the pickup are at the same distance with respect to the strings with the cover both on and off.

05-28-2010, 10:14 AM	#70
JordanLee Star-stuff Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Edmonton AB, CAD Posts: 112 Thanked: 9 Feedback Score: 0 reviews	Well, I think I'll give it a shot. The other option is to get pickup rings... Anyone know where one could get some for 8 string BKPs?

05-28-2010, 05:14 PM	#73
dpm Oni Guitars Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Brisbane, Queensland, Australia Posts: 3,377 Thanked: 21 Feedback Score: 2 reviews	well, it depends on what is making the pickup 'hot'. There are 3 basic ways to increase output, by increasing the number of turns of wire on the coil, increasing the amount of iron in the coil (ie. bigger polepieces), and a larger, more powerful magnet. A hot pickup might have any combination of those factors but the magnet properties and polepiece size are the 2 that will effect the magnetic field out of the top of the pickup.

11-06-2010, 01:12 PM	#75
La Lettre B ss.org Regular Join Date: May 2010 Location: Montreal, QC Posts: 9 Thanked: 0 Feedback Score: 0 reviews	The photobucket links are dead Is there a way to re-upload the images? I'm about to do this conversion and it would be appreciated. Thanks!