I`ve bought bass: Pickup poles black in my roscoe beck v

Music_for_life · #1 08-09-2010, 05:08 PM

The only thing I wonder is why the poles of each pickup are painted of black. Other pics of roscoe I ve seen are not black
Can you guess what happened?
It is a used bass from 1997
My first impression was there was something strange with the pickups. However, after checking the magnetic poles I realized they were working.
What`s wrong?? I am a bit paranoid now (ja)
Fake pups???
It seems they blacked out with marker or paint? Likely it'll come off.
Thanks

Music_for_life · #2 08-09-2010, 05:09 PM

more..

Music_for_life · #3 08-09-2010, 10:04 PM

VinceS · #4 08-10-2010, 12:17 AM

Maybe the previous owner blacked them out for aesthetic reasons.

Music_for_life · #5 08-10-2010, 12:41 AM

I can remove that?

VinceS · #6 08-10-2010, 01:43 AM

Yes, I suppose you could remove it.

Regardless, the paint or whatever should have little/no effect on the function of the pickups, as there are actually 22 pole pieces in each pickup (two per string per pickup, located beneath the pickup cover).

David1234 · #7 08-10-2010, 02:03 AM

I'd just leave it.

SGD Lutherie · #8 08-10-2010, 06:55 AM

I'd leave it alone as well. It looks cooler that way.

Exposed poles is so 1950's...

pickles · #9 08-10-2010, 08:58 AM

Are you sure its paint? I had an RBV with corroded polepieces that looked exactly like that, and sounded perfect. Don't worry about it either way.

SGD Lutherie · #10 08-10-2010, 09:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pickles

I had an RBV with corroded polepieces...

Even more reason to paint them!

I guess they are steel poles and not alnico magnets.

BgTckt · #11 08-10-2010, 09:21 AM

I have an Am Dlx P V; it has the same pickup in the bridge position. I noticed the other day--for the first time in the ten years that I've owned it--that only one pair of pole pieces (the pair on the outside of the B string) is blacked out. Weird. Just some variance in the manufacturing process I guess... I'm thinking about taking a Sharpie and making them all black... on the split coil too.

Music_for_life · #12 08-10-2010, 11:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SGD Lutherie

I'd leave it alone as well. It looks cooler that way.

Exposed poles is so 1950's...

I think I will tell the luthier to paint them. How can I paint them professionaly?? Which paint to use?

BigOldHarry · #13 08-10-2010, 11:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Music_for_life

I think I will tell the luthier to paint them. How can I paint them professionaly?? Which paint to use?

Black sharpie. Serious - I'm not kidding. Sure, if you get up with a magnifying class, it might stress you, but who's gonna do that?

Music_for_life · #14 08-10-2010, 12:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BigOldHarry

Black sharpie. Serious - I'm not kidding. Sure, if you get up with a magnifying class, it might stress you, but who's gonna do that?

I don`t understand well. Sory English is not my nativa language, it is difficult to understand some expressions.

Alivefor5 · #15 08-10-2010, 07:20 PM

I have a Teal 97 RBV similar to yours and most of the pole pieces on the neck pup are black. I also have a 96 CAR RBV and a 98 SB RBV, both of those have no black on them.

I believe the black has to do with the sweat composition of a previous owner reacting to the metal composition of the magnets.

I have no interest in removing the black or adding to it since I feel it's part of the natural ageing of that instrument. I like it.

MarkA · #16 08-10-2010, 11:27 PM

"Sharpie" refers to a popular brand of permanent marker (like you'd write with). He's saying that it should suffice to paint the exposed poles of the pickup, and that the results should be fine unless examined very closely (i.e. w/a magnifying glass). There are also "industrial strength" permanent markers (er... "more permanent," I guess) and "paint markers" you could try if you're worried about the black chipping off (if you hit a pole with a string). Even then, though, it should be easily touched up with the same marker you used to start.

You could try it on a little piece of scrap metal first if you're worried about how it will look.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Music_for_life

I don`t understand well. Sory English is not my nativa language, it is difficult to understand some expressions.

Rano Bass · #17 08-11-2010, 03:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BigOldHarry

Black sharpie. Serious - I'm not kidding. Sure, if you get up with a magnifying class, it might stress you, but who's gonna do that?

I guess you speak spanish so.... el dijo que puedes usar un marcador negro, si lo ves muy de cerca se puede notar, pero quien hace eso?