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No Chrome covered J pickups???

5fingerfrenzy

5fingerfrenzy

Jan 3, 2012
310
732
Burlington, VT
#1
I have a 5 string Marcus Miller Fender Jazz bass in Tobacco sunburst finish. Because of my playing style the chrome pickup cover had to be removed. I wasn't willing to sacrifice my playing for the vanity of my bass. That being said I feel that the bass could still use a little more chrome bling. I tried to find chrome pickup covers to replace the black
20151003_235342.jpg
stock ones, but everywhere I searched, the only thing I found was white, or cream, or black. I'm surprised that no one else has ever wanted these.. Of course I know some people will disagree with this style preference and I respect that but my question that I am really getting to is does anyone know where I could find such a thing? The only thing that has come close that I found was the Kent Armstrong J tube pickups but not the look or sound I am going for, just looking for covers. Sorry for the long winded message but hoping someone could steer me in the right direction.
 
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#3
Now that you mention it, I've never seen anything but the three colors of plastic. Fwiw, strat pickups are the same, although rio grande used to have tort and pearloid as options. Gibson humbuckers are about it for chrome covers. They do have some decent fake chrome paints, but I'd be concerned about chipping (probably better to start with white covers
 
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#4
5fingerfrenzy said:
I have a 5 string Marcus Miller Fender Jazz bass in Tobacco sunburst finish. Because of my playing style the chrome pickup cover had to be removed. I wasn't willing to sacrifice my playing for the vanity of my bass. That being said I feel that the bass could still use a little more chrome bling. I tried to find chrome pickup covers to replace the black View attachment 786216 stock ones, but everywhere I searched, the only thing I found was white, or cream, or black. I'm surprised that no one else has ever wanted these.. Of course I know some people will disagree with this style preference and I respect that but my question that I am really getting to is does anyone know where I could find such a thing? The only thing that has come close that I found was the Kent Armstrong J tube pickups but not the look or sound I am going for, just looking for covers. Sorry for the long winded message but hoping someone could steer me in the right direction.
Click to expand...

Hello. If you happen to like the sound of Lace Alumitone pickups, you could swap them in and be done.

Otherwise, I think you're looking at hiring a fabricator who can make metal pickup covers and plate them with chrome.

Good luck!
 
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#5
Chrome paint doesn't work well. I tried and it looked silver. Plus the metallic particles in the paint did something to the output. Probably changed the magnetic field. My great sounding P bass sounded like a Harmony bass from the 80s. When I put the old covers back on it sounded good again.

I would like to see more colors though.
 
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#6
MobileHolmes said:
Now that you mention it, I've never seen anything but the three colors of plastic. Fwiw, strat pickups are the same, although rio grande used to have tort and pearloid as options. Gibson humbuckers are about it for chrome covers. They do have some decent fake chrome paints, but I'd be concerned about chipping (probably better to start with white covers
Click to expand...

I never painted pickup covers but it would probably help to rough up the covers with sand paper, and thoroughly wipe off the dust, before painting them.

On a whim I googled chrome nail polish. It's alive!!!

"Hi, miss, how much to paint my bass's "nails"? A pedicure for my bass?"

MirrorNails2.jpg
 
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#8
angst178 said:
Chrome paint doesn't work well. I tried and it looked silver. Plus the metallic particles in the paint did something to the output. Probably changed the magnetic field. My great sounding P bass sounded like a Harmony bass from the 80s. When I put the old covers back on it sounded good again.

I would like to see more colors though.
Click to expand...

This is why. Unless the metal that makes up the chrome color is actually part of the pickup itself it will mess with the magnetic field. Magnetic fields are actually quite "sensitive". And when you mix magnetic fields and frequency I wouldn't stir the pot at all.

Yeah either swap out for pickups that use whatever "chrome" color is involved as part of the process or deal with another color in my view.
 
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#9
As for rehashing in the music industry, it is very easy to change the color of pickup covers using non-metallic paint. And yet you hardly ever see anyone do it. So why would industry types ever think they could turn a profit on a rainbow of color options for pickups? They are readily available for guitars and Steve Via is the only person I have ever seen with non-traditional pickups colors live.

(No, I did not say he is the only person ever to use them. I simply said after going to a hundred or more concerts he is the only one I have seen. So I do jot need a barrage of pics showing every guitarist with hot pink pickup covers, thank you.)

This is another one of those cases where companies are being blamed for not being "cool enough" to lose money on something 4 people on the planet think would be neat.
:thumbsup:
 
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#11
two fingers said:
As for rehashing in the music industry, it is very easy to change the color of pickup covers using non-metallic paint. And yet you hardly ever see anyone do it. So why would industry types ever think they could turn a profit on a rainbow of color options for pickups? They are readily available for guitars and Steve Via is the only person I have ever seen with non-traditional pickups colors live.

(No, I did not say he is the only person ever to use them. I simply said after going to a hundred or more concerts he is the only one I have seen. So I do jot need a barrage of pics showing every guitarist with hot pink pickup covers, thank you.)

This is another one of those cases where companies are being blamed for not being "cool enough" to lose money on something 4 people on the planet think would be neat.
:thumbsup:
Click to expand...

What about Warmoth?
 
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#13
MobileHolmes said:
Now that you mention it, I've never seen anything but the three colors of plastic. Fwiw, strat pickups are the same, although rio grande used to have tort and pearloid as options. Gibson humbuckers are about it for chrome covers. They do have some decent fake chrome paints, but I'd be concerned about chipping (probably better to start with white covers
Click to expand...

I've seen covers in purple and blue for strats on Ebay, never anything for bass though...
 
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#14
5fingerfrenzy said:
I have a 5 string Marcus Miller Fender Jazz bass in Tobacco sunburst finish. Because of my playing style the chrome pickup cover had to be removed. I wasn't willing to sacrifice my playing for the vanity of my bass. That being said I feel that the bass could still use a little more chrome bling. I tried to find chrome pickup covers to replace the black View attachment 786216 stock ones, but everywhere I searched, the only thing I found was white, or cream, or black. I'm surprised that no one else has ever wanted these.. Of course I know some people will disagree with this style preference and I respect that but my question that I am really getting to is does anyone know where I could find such a thing? The only thing that has come close that I found was the Kent Armstrong J tube pickups but not the look or sound I am going for, just looking for covers. Sorry for the long winded message but hoping someone could steer me in the right direction.
Click to expand...
Lace Aluma-J pickups. Even better than simple chrome pickup housings!
It's the Jazz-y sound you want in a light-weight package. The Aluma-J is a Passive pickup with high-output gain, patented "current-driven" technology only available through Lace pickups, and the deep, clean J-bass tone that you’ve been looking for! These full-range bass pickups extend the lows and highs of your instrument, reproducing the natural tone of your bass and its strings, all with zero noise! Retrofits into any standard J routs. Simple installation, stunning looks, and incredible bass tone.
2yx0v1k.png
 
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#18
ThePresident777 said:
What about Warmoth?
Click to expand...

You ever order from Warmoth? They are a different animal altogether. They will stock the more common stuff (regular alder P bass body, standard dots maple J neck, etc.). Everything else you will have to wait for. Why? Made to order. They have zero invested in a Dragon Burst Mockingbird P/MM body because they don't make it until you pay for it.

It's a bad comparison.

Price fluorescent lamps sometime. A 2ft. lamp will cost your more than an 8ft. lamp. Why? Simple supply and demand. They have to stop making 8ft. lamps and change over the machinery to make a short rum of 2ft. lamps. So they cost more than something literally 4 times as long.

As for pickup covers, the same applies. They make black ones every day,. There is probably only one factory on Earth that makes every standard pickup cover. Possibly two. But more likely one. That factory would have to stop making black covers to mix materials and make (for instance) hot pink P bass pickup covers. If they were even able to justify it, they would cost $35 plus $24 shipping. They have to recoup that money somehow for stopping the line and retooling, remixing, cleaning afterwards, etc.

Warmoth is a bad comparison to that. They have a few guys and probably a couple really expensive CNC machines. They bring up the CAD drawing for a 5 string Gecko body, throw in a blank of whatever wood was ordered, and click "start". Couple guys in the paint shop order some Reranch paint and give it a blow. Mark up to adjust to the prices of woods and paint and gas (like everybody else). Much simpler business model. Sure I over simplified it. But it's still nothing like a true manufacturing facility (or "factory" if you will). That's a huge difference from stopping a whole line to change products.
 
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#19
jd56hawk said:
Lace Aluma-J pickups. Even better than simple chrome pickup housings!
It's the Jazz-y sound you want in a light-weight package. The Aluma-J is a Passive pickup with high-output gain, patented "current-driven" technology only available through Lace pickups, and the deep, clean J-bass tone that you’ve been looking for! These full-range bass pickups extend the lows and highs of your instrument, reproducing the natural tone of your bass and its strings, all with zero noise! Retrofits into any standard J routs. Simple installation, stunning looks, and incredible bass tone.
2yx0v1k.png
Click to expand...
Ok those are damn sexy.. Hopefully this isnt a dumb question, but being that they are passive pickups,would they work with the onboard active electronics?
 

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