Questions about painted pickups

[thebigz]

I have 3 quick questions about painted pickups. I'm thinking about doing a custom paint job on a guitar which, at the moment, includes painting the pickups....

So first, and please answer this in the poll and feel free to share comments, is the age old question I've seen answered both ways..... Does painting a pickup affect the sound? I've heard some say that it lessens attack a little bit, others say it makes no difference, now is the time to opine!

Second, I never like to think about how sloppy of a player I am, but I'm sure my technique is roughly the same as Freddy Kruger's would be. So, am I going to be scratching the paint off of the pickups? Like I said, I don't *think* I'm hitting the pickups with my pick, but who knows. What are the thoughts of the board?

Third, I've heard that you can paint pickups without covers - pole pieces and all. I'm sure this has no affect on the plastic, but pickups have the little holes in them and you can see the winds inside, will paint get in there and cause problems? And can you really paint the pole pieces themselves? I'd really like to put an invader in the bridge, but its almost 1 huge pole piece. So what do you say about this?

Thanks everyone!

[Matt_B]

Painting pickups, either the bobbins themselves or covers, won't affect the sound assuming you don't put 20 layers of paint on them.

Now putting covers on pickups, be they metal or plastic, does affect the sound to my ears which is why I would only paint the bobbins themselves.

[Newc]

Agree. Go thin with the paint (airbrush, not spraycan or the big spraygun).

As for scratching the paint off, an easy way to tell if you're hitting the pickups when you play is to put some double-sided tape on them where one side has either sandpaper or baby powder stuck to it.

If the pick looks chewed up or the powder's rubbed off, you're hitting it.

[wilkinsi]

I'm due to have one of my WR1's re-painted, so I'll get back to you on that when the time comes.

[ulijdavid]

A different solution is to find your local sign shop (with a vinyl cutter) and have them cut out a vinyl sticker in the color of your choice and just stick it on. You can also have them use a special "paint mask" film which is less sticky (in case you want to remove you color later on). Your biggest hurdle would be getting a vector file (eps, dxf, etc.) of the pickup for them to cut.

[Axewielder]

I do think metal pickup covers affect the tone. Maybe plastic ones would not have this effect? Allparts has them:

http://www.allparts.com/store/pickup-covers-rings-parts-pickup-covers-pc-0303-023,Product.asp

I'd think paint would adhere to them better than metal one anyways, could be wrong.

[Newc]

Any solid material cover affects the tone. The metal covers are non-ferrous - meaning they have no effect on a magnetic field other than to dampen it (like sliding a metal slug around on a sheet of paper with a magnet underneath - the thicker the paper, the slower the slug follows).

Magnetic fields cannot penetrate non-porous substances as well as porous substances. Paper is porous, which makes it easier to write on. Pickup covers (metal and plastic) are non-porous. The plastic logoed covers have to be scuffed up to accept logos (EMG, Jackson painted-logo covers, etc).

Stickers, being porous, should actually work better than covers, but it depends on the material in question. If you get the outdoor-quality stuff (for signs and whatnot that resist fading/weather), it might not be porous enough. For those, the ink is usually heat-transferred onto the material rather than direct-printed like paint.

[thebigz]

Thanks for the replies so far. Do you put clear coat over the paint when you do it? I would assume so....

[toejam]

And can you really paint the pole pieces themselves? I'd really like to put an invader in the bridge, but its almost 1 huge pole piece.

Just unscrew them and take them out if you don't want to paint them.

[ulijdavid]

Mask the pole pieces before painting.
Definitely add clear coat. The paint by itself is not very durable.
If you're lucky, Mike Learn will comment on this subject.

[Model1VH2]

IMO, you really need to use the right paint and pay special attention to your prep work.
I suggest 2-pak acrylic urethane because it dries hard, it's extremely durable, and it will provide the most professional results IMO.

I've used this paint on plastic pickgaurds and it works really, really well.
It gives the appearance of colored plastic as opposed to "paint", which is what you want.
And if you prep the surface properly, you'll never have to worry about it flaking or chipping.



The covers that Axewielder posted would work really well.
I've used similar covers (unpainted) and didn't notice any change in tone at all.
If you do decide to use metal covers, prep them good and I'd really recommend removing the pole pieces before painting them.

[AlexL]

No, I don't think painting pickup covers affects the sound.

Yes, I think putting covers on pickups that previously had no covers does affect the sound.

I think painted bobbins look lame.

- E.

[Model1VH2]

I think painted bobbins look lame.

- E.

For what it's worth, Dimarzio makes pickups with colored bobbins.
They carry just about every color imaginable.
It may save you from having to paint anything if that's the route you want to go.

[charvel750]

ABSOLUTELY NO DIFFERENCE in tone when you paint the pickups. I made damn sure of this years ago, as a slave to tone. I've had 4 guitars airbrushed after market and painted right over the pickups' pole pieces. Hell, I even had the tremolo painted. Why have stupid hardware get in the flow of a graphic.

[Model1VH2]

ABSOLUTELY NO DIFFERENCE in tone when you paint the pickups. I made damn sure of this years ago, as a slave to tone. I've had 4 guitars airbrushed after market and painted right over the pickups' pole pieces. Hell, I even had the tremolo painted. Why have stupid hardware get in the flow of a graphic.

Unlike graphics, "stupid hardware" serves a function.
I'm just say'n.