# Question for Pickup Experts (or anyone who knows)



## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

Hi, my name is Mike and I'm a Guitar O'Holic.

I have a set of DiMarzios on which I would like to install covers.

I have no problem doing this, but these pickups do not have a row of screws and a row of slugs like Duncans or Gibsons.

They have dual rows of allen screws.

Like many, I often search YouTube to learn from others who are more knowledgable than myself. In this case however I have been unable to find any clips showing covers being installed on this type of pickup.

I assume I will just use covers with no screw holes and pot them in parafin wax like normal.

The covers will arrive today or tomorrow.

Am I correct?

These are the pickups.










These are the covers I'm planning on using.


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## CathodeRay (Jan 12, 2018)

Rats, I thought this was gonna be about PUA's


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## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

CathodeRay said:


> Rats, I thought this was gonna be about PUA's


What's a PUA?


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

Dirk Wacker had a column in Premier Guitar a few years ago about how to shield pickups with copper tape, noting that it was important to leave a gap, lest high frequency content be affected. I'll extrapolate from that to solid-top pickup covers. I installed dual humbuckers on my old Epiphone Windsor that got stolen from me, and bought some lovely gold-plated covers for them like the ones you ordered. I wish I could recall what sort of effect they had on tone, once installed.

On a tangential note, one of the quirks/perks of the old Fender wide-range humbuckers was that the threaded CuNiFe polepieces could be lowered through the coils. The result was that one could mimic an angled Tele/Strat bridge pickup in HB form by lowering the G, B, and high E polepieces in one coil and lowering the E, A, and D in the other. The location of the three polepiece holes for each coil in the pickup covers anticipated raising polepieces for the "angled effect".

The threaded slugs in your DiMarzios might also be used in similar fashion, although I suspect the travel of the adjustable slugs is perhaps not as long as on the WRHBs, and the use of solid covers sort of gets in the way as well.

But I did like the way they looked.


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## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

mhammer said:


> Dirk Wacker had a column in Premier Guitar a few years ago about how to shield pickups with copper tape, noting that it was important to leave a gap, lest high frequency content be affected. I'll extrapolate from that to solid-top pickup covers. I installed dual humbuckers on my old Epiphone Windsor that got stolen from me, and bought some lovely gold-plated covers for them like the ones you ordered. I wish I could recall what sort of effect they had on tone, once installed.
> 
> On a tangential note, one of the quirks/perks of the old Fender wide-range humbuckers was that the threaded CuNiFe polepieces could be lowered through the coils. The result was that one could mimic an angled Tele/Strat bridge pickup in HB form by lowering the G, B, and high E polepieces in one coil and lowering the E, A, and D in the other. The location of the three polepiece holes for each coil in the pickup covers anticipated raising polepieces for the "angled effect".
> 
> ...


Thanks Mark. I think I'll use parafin as there are several good clips demonstrating that method. I think that will create the needed space. I realize this will make it impossible to adjust the pole pieces so I'm doing that before I install the covers. I would expect the tonal impact to be similar to that of installing covers on Gibson or Duncan style humbuckers, but I'm happy to know what other think about that.


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## fogdart (Mar 22, 2017)

Dirk Wacker! Is that a real name!!??


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## gtrguy (Jul 6, 2006)

Dimarzio offer pickups with covers with two rows of holes so that the pole pieces on both bobbins can be adjusted. Maybe available separately?


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## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

gtrguy said:


> Dimarzio offer pickups with covers with two rows of holes so that the pole pieces on both bobbins can be adjusted. Maybe available separately?



Maybe, but I have the covers coming with no holes so I'm hoping somebpody knows if that's ok. I can't imagine why it would be a problem, but I'm not sure so I'm asking.

It's not something that comes up oiften because for the most part I use Vinehams these days and I just order those with covers.


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## Paul Running (Apr 12, 2020)

Try it as is and if necessary you could drill holes later...experiment to taste.


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## Rollin Hand (Jul 12, 2012)

The Dimarzios will probably be potted already, so you likely won't need to pot them additionally. 

As for the covers, you could likely just slip the cover over the pickup without fastening it in any way to see if it works. Do the pickups have a metal or plastic base? Some Dimarzios use plastic. You may have to glue it on instead of soldering it in.


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## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

I guess I'm just hoping to heed any warnings from someone who has tried it. If it kills the sound of the pick ups I can simply remove them. Frankly, any time I've put covers on pickups, it has meant tiny adjustments to the eq on the amp to compensate. I hope this is the same.


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## loudtubeamps (Feb 2, 2012)

Milkman said:


> Thanks Mark. I think I'll use parafin as there are several good clips demonstrating that method. I think that will create the needed space. I realize this will make it impossible to adjust the pole pieces so I'm doing that before I install the covers. I would expect the tonal impact to be similar to that of installing covers on Gibson or Duncan style humbuckers, but I'm happy to know what other think about that.


I routinely cover the entire pickup in copper foil and ground it.
Makes any pickup extremely impervious to emf with no noticeable loss and I'm pretty anal about such things.
I would however suggest a thin insulation....plastic or electrical tape over pole pieces before covering.
Beeswax has a lower melting point and remains somewhat flexible.......
It's my goto.....


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## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

Rollin Hand said:


> The Dimarzios will probably be potted already, so you likely won't need to pot them additionally.
> 
> As for the covers, you could likely just slip the cover over the pickup without fastening it in any way to see if it works. Do the pickups have a metal or plastic base? Some Dimarzios use plastic. You may have to glue it on instead of soldering it in.


They're metal bases. I can solder them. Your suggestion makes sense but to judge the sound that would mean getting the thing balanced (Floyd Rose), removing the strings and either soldering them or abandoning the idea and then balancing it again. I think I'll just hope for the best and solder them.


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## Rollin Hand (Jul 12, 2012)

Milkman said:


> They're metal bases. I can solder them. Your suggestion makes sense but to judge the sound that would mean getting the thing balanced (Floyd Rose), removing the strings and either soldering them or abandoning the idea and then balancing it again. I think I'll just hope for the best and solder them.


You don't need to remove strings or unbalance things to slip the cover on. Dive bomb the trem until the strings are loose and floppy, slide the cover over the pickup, let the trem back up. If there's room, it should be easy-peasy. Then you'll know.


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

fogdart said:


> Dirk Wacker! Is that a real name!!??


Yup. Mod Garage: How to Shield Single-Coil Pickups


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## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

Rollin Hand said:


> You don't need to remove strings or unbalance things to slip the cover on. Dive bomb the trem until the strings are loose and floppy, slide the cover over the pickup, let the trem back up. If there's room, it should be easy-peasy. Then you'll know.


LOL, no that's not really possible on this guitar. Even with the strings completely off it's a careful process to remove or re-install the pickguard without damaging the finish. The guard actually slides under the end of the neck quite a bit. On a normal Strat, ok, but no to get this positioned properly you have to pretty much remove the strings on one end or the other. I do it at the bridge.

Unless someone tells me there's a potential problem with flux capacitance or some other valid scientific proncipal I should avoid, I'll give it a try.

Thanks


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## laristotle (Aug 29, 2019)

mhammer said:


> Yup. Mod Garage: How to Shield Single-Coil Pickups


I've done this with jazz pups on two of my basses.
Makes a noticeable difference.


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## Rollin Hand (Jul 12, 2012)

Milkman said:


> LOL, no that's not really possible on this guitar. Even with the strings completely off it's a careful process to remove or re-install the pickguard without damaging the finish. The guard actually slides under the end of the neck quite a bit. On a normal Strat, ok, but no to get this positioned properly you have to pretty much remove the strings on one end or the other. I do it at the bridge.
> 
> Unless someone tells me there's a potential problem with flux capacitance or some other valid scientific principal I should avoid, I'll give it a try.
> 
> Thanks


What I am saying is you shouldn't even have to remove the pickguard. Just slide the cover over top of the pickup, like putting on a hat. If there's room to fit the cover through the hole in the pickguard, that is. It looks tight in the pics, but if that's the case you're going to be "adjusting" the pickup holes in the pickguard either way.


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## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

Rollin Hand said:


> What I am saying is you shouldn't even have to remove the pickguard. Just slide the cover over top of the pickup, like putting on a hat. If there's room to fit the cover through the hole in the pickguard, that is. It looks tight in the pics, but if that's the case you're going to be "adjusting" the pickup holes in the pickguard either way.


I see. Well that's worth a try. As you said they may or may not fit that way but I get what you're saying.

Thanks for clarifying.

Actually, I have a set of chrome covers exactly like the gold ones I'm waiting for. I can try that today.


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## Granny Gremlin (Jun 3, 2016)

Milkman said:


> Maybe, but I have the covers coming with no holes so I'm hoping somebpody knows if that's ok. I can't imagine why it would be a problem, but I'm not sure so I'm asking.
> 
> It's not something that comes up oiften because for the most part I use Vinehams these days and I just order those with covers.



I mean it'll work, but it will affect tone and make the poles inaccessible. It's not a problem if you like the result and don't ever need to adjust thew poles again. 

Personally I find that too much of a commitment (to an unknown result). I also think that they look better in that guitar uncovered (especially if not covering the middle single coil to match) but obviously you think you'd like the look. Perhaps try it without the wax potting first (easily reversible) to see if you hear/like the difference. ... and it appears someone beat me to the punch on that.


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## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

Granny Gremlin said:


> I mean it'll work, but it will affect tone and make the poles inaccessible. It's not a problem if you like the result and don't ever need to adjust thew poles again.
> 
> Personally I find that too much of a commitment (to an unknown result). I also think that they look better in that guitar uncovered (especially if not covering the middle single coil to match) but obviously you think you'd like the look. Perhaps try it without the wax potting first (easily reversible) to see if you hear/like the difference.


I have installed convers on humbuckers on a number of occasions so I'm familiar with the tonal impact on Gibson and Seymour Duncans. I have never done so with covers without screw holes so that's really the nature of my questions.

Once I have the pole pieces adjusted, I have never needed to adjust them again. In many cases I don't adjust them at all.

I think uncovered pickups look like a kid putting playing cards in the spokes of his banana bike to make it sound like a motorcycle.

Different strokes.


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## Rollin Hand (Jul 12, 2012)

Another thought: I am assuming the pickups are f-spaced to match the trem...will the covers even be big enough?

Personally, I like the uncovered look. If the covers don't work, and you want to carry the gold look from the hardware to the pickups, you can paint the screws, or perhaps even contact Dimarzio for a set of gold screws.


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## Granny Gremlin (Jun 3, 2016)

Milkman said:


> I have installed convers on humbuckers on a number of occasions so I'm familiar with the tonakl impact on Gibson and Seymour Duncans. I have never done so with covers without screw holes so that's really the nature of my questions.
> 
> Once I have the pole pieces adjusted, I have never needed to adjust them again. In many cases I don't adjust them at all.
> 
> ...



Yeah fair - but that's what I mean about unknown result - no holes is a different ballgame. The pickups should be similar enough that you can ignore that variable - same basic construction and operating principle even if diff magnets and wire guage (and different base tone) - the effect should be the same, and the result is foreseeable if you account for the different baseline tone. It's not like a standard (PAF based) bucker (like these are, as well as SD and Gibsons) which is essentially 2 single coils in series (barring 4 conductor wiring and toying with s vs p opperation) vs a sidewinder with a single set of central poles and 1 common magnet.

Also, I'm not sure how adding a full cover would affect the need to adjust the poles. Maybe not at all; honestly no idea. I do know that if I change string gauges or brands I sometimes feel the need to adjust poles. It is possible that the cover will make a difference there as well - I mean if it's grounded (attached with solder tacks to the pickup base) it could affect the magnetic field. 

Just riffing here, but it comes back to thinking it best to try covering a pup without potting first just to see if the results match your previous experience.


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## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

Rollin Hand said:


> Another thought: I am assuming the pickups are f-spaced to match the trem...will the covers even be big enough?
> 
> Personally, I like the uncovered look. If the covers don't work, and you want to carry the gold look from the hardware to the pickups, you can paint the screws, or perhaps even contact Dimarzio for a set of gold screws.


The covers will fit. Next Gen provides good drawings and I confirmed.

I really don't care for the uncovered look. Otherwise I wouldn't be bothering to spend the money or expend the labor. The bridge pickup is F spaced. The neck pickup isn't.

Unfortunately I can't just slip them on to try them. The pickguard is a bit too tight (just tried) and so I'll have to remove some material.


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## Paul Running (Apr 12, 2020)

Milkman said:


> I really don't care for the uncovered look.


Looks like a car without it's hood eh?


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## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

Paul Running said:


> Looks like a car without it's hood eh?



Like a racing stripe on an AMC Pacer.


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## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

CathodeRay said:


> Rats, I thought this was gonna be about PUA's


Had to google it.

Two main meanings came up.

Pandemic Unemployment Assistance

Pick Up Artist. (Seems obvious now).

Sorry, that didn’t even occur to me.


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## Jackvulcan9000 (Sep 4, 2021)




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## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

Jackvulcan9000 said:


> View attachment 385862


Those look better than uncovered but I just received two nice solid covers and I hope to have them installed this evening.


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## tdotrob (Feb 24, 2019)

fogdart said:


> Dirk Wacker! Is that a real name!!??


I think he was the dude in boogie nights


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## Tone Chaser (Mar 2, 2014)

tdotrob said:


> I think he was the dude in boogie nights


I believe that was Dirk Diggler, if I am having a lucid and valid recollection.


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## tdotrob (Feb 24, 2019)

Tone Chaser said:


> I believe that was Dirk Diggler, if I am having a lucid and valid recollection.


I just wanted to see who would correct me and admit to knowing that.


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## TJSilljer (Aug 30, 2015)

Dont bother shielding anything on the pickup. I would consider potting or using silicone on the inside of the cover to reduce high frequency feedback, and solder the cover to the baseplate. You should be good to go.


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## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

Rollin Hand said:


> Another thought: I am assuming the pickups are f-spaced to match the trem...will the covers even be big enough?
> 
> Personally, I like the uncovered look. If the covers don't work, and you want to carry the gold look from the hardware to the pickups, you can paint the screws, or perhaps even contact Dimarzio for a set of gold screws.


Well, they DIDN'T fit after all. They were ok length and width-wise, but weren't quite deep enough. When pressed into place there was almost a mm gap. I'll have to live with them like this.


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

Given your history here, I'm confident there will be other guitars where they could be successfully used. Still, too bad they didn't work out this time.


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## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

mhammer said:


> Given your history here, I'm confident there will be other guitars where they could be successfully used. Still, too bad they didn't work out this time.


Yes, these things seldom go to waste. I now have a set of both Chrome and Gold. Oh well, as a trusted friend once said to me, I'd rather be looking at them, than for them.


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## copperhead (May 24, 2006)

Humbuckers usually come a few different spacings like 49.2mm,50mm,52mm,53mm .however Dimarzio has there own unique spacing which is 48.64 mm & 51.05mm for the wider F-spacing .
so whether the pickups that need covers are Dimarzio or Ibanez, Ibanez usually use 50mm for both the Neck & Bridge for their branded pickups .


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## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

copperhead said:


> Humbuckers usually come a few different spacings like 49.2mm,50mm,52mm,53mm .however Dimarzio has there own unique spacing which is 48.64 mm & 51.05mm for the wider F-spacing .
> so whether the pickups that need covers are Dimarzio or Ibanez, Ibanez usually use 50mm for both the Neck & Bridge for their branded pickups .


There's another dimension we need to consider in this context and that's the "height" of the pickup coils. That was the problem in my case. The covers fit over the pickups (length and width), but were not quite deep (tall?) enough to facilitate a good solder joint.


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## THRobinson (Jun 29, 2014)

I have a Dimarzio Super Distortion, bought it 2nd hand back in 1991 (Guelph Music... anyone remember them? ripped me off, told me is was a Screamin' Demon, then the internet came out and I could search the numbers on the bottom)... anyways... had this in a drawer collecting dust until 2yrs ago I decided to make a Boston style setup in a LP with a P90 neck and Super Distortion bridge, so it all worked out.

When I bought a cover for it though, I researched and it said that standard ones wouldn't fit, different hole size and spacing. I ended up getting a chrome cover with 2 rows of holes.

I debated to put a strip of tape down the middle and use silicone caulk to put the cover on (then solder the edge of course) but wanted to try wax potting so found the ratio of paraffin/beeswax to mix and potted it that way.

Might have been here.... I believe it was F-Spaced you have to get.









Axesrus - Humbucker Cover - 12 Hole


These are '12 hole' humbucker covers - weirdly, not as common as you'd imagine, but certainly popular among certain manufacturers. Essentially, its the same principle as a traditional humbucker cover - but designed for pickups with 2 banks of pole screws (whilst not exclusively true, think DiMarzio)




www.axesrus.co.uk


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## copperhead (May 24, 2006)

Most covers are roughly 16mm deep that is usually Based on a .125" magnet thickness .however it still has some extra height to work with a thicker magnet like a super distortion pickup which has a magnet roughly about .187" thick .


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