Custom Pickup Covers?

[guitaardvark]

Hey all,

Are there any companies that make custom pickup covers? It's hard to justify almost $400 for a covered set of BKP, and I really like the sound of the Duncans I already have, but I'm having a hard time finding companies that make interesting covers (by "interesting," I mean things like BKP's camo, battleworn, tiger, burnt chrome, etc.).

To my knowledge, BKP, Guitarmory, and sometimes DiMarzio are the only ones that make these interesting covers, but they don't sell them separately from the pickup.

Thanks!

 

[Emperoff]

No, and if other big pickup companies did it, BKP would suffer a huge hit in sales. It's probably their biggest selling point.

Only Elysian Pickups comes to mind. AxesRus also sells covers that look quite nice, but you'd have to solder them to the pickup.

 

[STRHelvete]

Seymour Duncan DOES have a custom shop. Have you tried coming up with a design and seeing if they could do it?

 

[guitaardvark]

No, and if other big pickup companies did it, BKP would suffer a huge hit in sales. It's probably their biggest selling point.

Only Elysian Pickups comes to mind. AxesRus also sells covers that look quite nice, but you'd have to solder them to the pickup.

This is why I'm confused why other companies haven't done it. It seems like there's a gap in the market for a company who offers just custom covers. I'd be happy to solder a cover on if I do find a company. AxesRus has some decent options, but they're not quite what I'm looking for. Plus, international shipping can be a hassle.

Seymour Duncan DOES have a custom shop. Have you tried coming up with a design and seeing if they could do it?

I've heard amazing things about their custom shop, but that would probably mean shelling out BKP prices for a set. Or do you mean ordering just a cover?

 

[STRHelvete]

This is why I'm confused why other companies haven't done it. It seems like there's a gap in the market for a company who offers just custom covers. I'd be happy to solder a cover on if I do find a company. AxesRus has some decent options, but they're not quite what I'm looking for. Plus, international shipping can be a hassle.

I've heard amazing things about their custom shop, but that would probably mean shelling out BKP prices for a set. Or do you mean ordering just a cover?

Ordering the pickups with the cover. You want custom looks, you often have to pay custom prices. Thems the breaks. I ordered a custom SD set with just gold pole pieces and the set ran me 340 bucks. You do what you gotta do.

 

[Emperoff]

Ordering the pickups with the cover. You want custom looks, you often have to pay custom prices. Thems the breaks. I ordered a custom SD set with just gold pole pieces and the set ran me 340 bucks. You do what you gotta do.

Hey, gold is expensive!

 

[Masoo2]

Check out Euphoreal Labs from Japan, fairly certain they sell individual covers

 

[technomancer]

The reason nobody does it is because it's time consuming and expensive. Thus the reason the pickups that have the option are not cheap.

 

[KnightBrolaire]

I mean it's not that hard to emulate some of the bkp covers. Battle worn/tiger, just take a grinding disc to the cover and put some cuts in it. The blued stuff is just heated with a blow torch. You'd be better off buying some covers and messing around with customizing them tbh

 

[Emperoff]

The reason nobody does it is because it's time consuming and expensive. Thus the reason the pickups that have the option are not cheap.

BKPs without covers are still bloody expensive

 

[guitaardvark]

I mean it's not that hard to emulate some of the bkp covers. Battle worn/tiger, just take a grinding disc to the cover and put some cuts in it. The blued stuff is just heated with a blow torch. You'd be better off buying some covers and messing around with customizing them tbh

At this point, this might be my most viable option. Unfortunately I don't have a safe place to use a blowtorch, but brushed nickel and battleworn are at least fairly easy to achieve with a dremel and some scotchbrite.

 

[wheresthefbomb]

I mean it's not that hard to emulate some of the bkp covers. Battle worn/tiger, just take a grinding disc to the cover and put some cuts in it. The blued stuff is just heated with a blow torch. You'd be better off buying some covers and messing around with customizing them tbh

+1 DIY

Also FWIW raw nickel develops a really beautiful patina over extended use. It won't look like it just got done fighting aliens in Halo, but it will be distinct, if a bit understated.

 

[dmlinger]

Also FWIW raw nickel develops a really beautiful patina over extended use. It won't look like it just got done fighting aliens in Halo, but it will be distinct, if a bit understated.

You can speed this up by using muriatic acid. Put some in a glass or plastic container, put the cover(s) in another smaller container so it can float in the acid. Put cover on larger container. The fumes of the acid is what actually patinas the nickel.

 

[wheresthefbomb]

You can speed this up by using muriatic acid. Put some in a glass or plastic container, put the cover(s) in another smaller container so it can float in the acid. Put cover on larger container. The fumes of the acid is what actually patinas the nickel.

Wow, very interesting, thank you! I prefer to earn my patina through blood, sweat and tears but I very much appreciate the technical explanation. I bet you could make some really beautiful designs that way.

 

[cardinal]

Buy the BKP but sell the pickup and keep the cover? That's obviously a losing trade but might not be too bad.

 

[lewis]

At this point, this might be my most viable option. Unfortunately I don't have a safe place to use a blowtorch, but brushed nickel and battleworn are at least fairly easy to achieve with a dremel and some scotchbrite.

Hold them over a gas hob ?

 

[bostjan]

Isn't one of the things Tosin is hoc'ing some sort of flame-roasted pickup? Maybe you could increase the value by doing this to the entire pickup*.

*I'm joking. Don't actually do this, it's likely to release toxic plastic fumes and ruin the magnet, if not worse.

 

[guitaardvark]

Isn't one of the things Tosin is hoc'ing some sort of flame-roasted pickup? Maybe you could increase the value by doing this to the entire pickup*.

*I'm joking. Don't actually do this, it's likely to release toxic plastic fumes and ruin the magnet, if not worse.

I just looked this up. It's like someone misunderstood what a "hot" pickup is.

 

[ElysianGuitars]

This is why I'm confused why other companies haven't done it. It seems like there's a gap in the market for a company who offers just custom covers. I'd be happy to solder a cover on if I do find a company. AxesRus has some decent options, but they're not quite what I'm looking for. Plus, international shipping can be a hassle.

I've heard amazing things about their custom shop, but that would probably mean shelling out BKP prices for a set. Or do you mean ordering just a cover?

Margins. It's more worth my time to build a set of pickups with a custom cover than it is just to sell the cover.

 

[Adieu]

Unfortunately I don't have a safe place to use a blowtorch

Don't you have a paved street somewhere near your home?