RR 5 Pickups

[Pigsnatcher]

I first wanted to say how much I enjoy this forum. I’m not very guitar inclined and therefor really don’t post much but I do read the post everyday.

Ok on to the question. A few months back I got the white RR5 and was thinking of swapping the pickups. Well after playing the JB’s in it I’ve really come to like them. I like them a lot actually. There’s only one problem…..they aren’t gold. I really want to put some gold pickups in it to match all the gold it has already. Unfortunately this is strictly an aesthetic thing and maybe not worth doing if I like the JB’s. But it would look so much better. Any suggestions on pickups? Thanks.

[Sunbane]

You could probably just get a set of gold pickup covers to put on the JBs. Alternatively, you can put a special order with Seymour Duncan for JBs with gold covers already on them.

[MountainDog]

Duncan has been selling JB's (SH-4) with nickel or gold covers for a while. Here's a pic, (2nd row down, on right):

http://www.guitarpartsresource.com/pickups_sdhumsh4.htm

The duncan part number is 1110213GC

[shadowcat]

Yeah my buddy once got one of the gold covered JB's for his Epi Les Paul Custom. Sounded real good too.

[777]

And don't forget that after playing them for awhile, the gold will wear off and look like shit.........

[AlexL]

I put a Duncan Jazz in the neck of mine, and really liked it for clean passages.

Although it was black, not gold...


- E.

[TinTin8]

And don't forget that after playing them for awhile, the gold will wear off and look like shit.........

i dont think that would happen.
the covers on the Jbs are oxidized i belive; so the gold is now part of the cover( more or less)

[Pigsnatcher]

Excellent, I didn't realize that they were made in gold. Now I just have to talk the wife into letting me buy them. It kinda sucks that I have to spend $200 for something I pretty much alreaddy have. I guess thats the price you pay for beauty,lol. Thanks guys. Also I'm liking the jazz idea for the neck, I'll have to look and see if they come in gold as well. Man this thing is gonna be pretty one day!

[Noobster]

The Jazz pickup sounds great in the neck position. Well recommended. I have the jazz pickup in my ibanez and it change the value of the guitar in my heart.

P.S. I think the cover may cos some slight change in tone... not too sure on that but was told that it might make the pickup less "hot" in a way.

Also, you don't need to change the whole pickup just for the covers. I've heard that you can just buy the gold cover and mount it on to your current pickup.

[Pigsnatcher]

Ok I’m going to use someone else’s line because it describes me to a tee – I’m guitarded! At my local guitar shop I inquired about this. Now the guy does appear to be knowledgeable but I would trust anything they say there either. Anyway he was said this could NOT be done. Any idea how you’d go about it? I assume you’d solder the covers to the metal section on the side of the pick up. Does anybody have any thoughts on this?

[Carbuff]

Here you go.

http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Hardware,_parts/Electric_guitar:_Covers_plates/1/Covers_For_Humbucking_Pickups/Instructions/I-1791.html#details

[MountainDog]

Any idea how you’d go about it? I assume you’d solder the covers to the metal section on the side of the pick up. Does anybody have any thoughts on this?

Yes, that's exactly how its done. They don't use too much solder, just like a 1/4" on either side in the gap between the cover and the metal base plate. So if you found some covers, you could attach by yourself. It helps to have a high wattage soldering iron as the metal cover and metal plate tend to 'wick' away the heat from the iron.

I prefer a single coil sound in my neck position so I like to 'coil-tap' my neck humbuckers. However, quite a few of my guitars came with a metal covered pickup but only two wires (vs 4 for coil tap), so I had to remove the metal pickup cover and unwrap the tape and go in and dig around for the wire linking the two coils so I could 'coil tap' it by adding a wire from that point to ground. So I've taken off and replaced maybe 15 metal covers so far (both Gibsons and Duncans), with no problem. HINT: when removing the cover, its easiest to use a sharp exacto knife blade and just 'saw/cut' thru the solder, as when you try to heat the solder to remove, the solder just flows further into the gap between the cover and baseplate.

[MountainDog]

Here you go.

http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Hardware...1.html#details

Yep, just like that!

[Sunbane]

Wouldn't it also be possible to use some kind of glue? The old Jackson USA pups used an adhesive similar to double-sided carpet tape for their plastic covers.

[Pigsnatcher]

This great news actually. Excuse my ignorance but what about the holes? LOL. If you look at the covers there are holes. If you look at a pickup thats already installed the holes are filled with what apears to be a screw head. I know some of you must be shaking your heads right about now, lol. I know that is probably a stupid question but I just don't know. Is there a simple explination? I'm not stupid just ignorant,lmao!