Questions about chrome T-Bird covers and generic soapbars

[RBrownBass]

I have a set of T-Bird shaped pickups I bought off eBay a few years ago. They were advertised as new, no mention of being a takeoff from an assembled bass. They were only about $30 so I just went ahead and bought them. Probably generic Korean soaps. Anyhow, I got some T-bird style covers and rings from eBay seller philaluthiertools a while back to see what I could maybe do with them.

These covers:



Pickups shaped pretty much exactly like these:



So here's the thing: The pickups fit absolutely perfectly under the covers as they are and the holes line up perfectly. Also, any EMG35 sized pup will fit if you carefully file the corners of the sides. The pups are not here with me so I can't check hole placement on the EMG-size pups, but IIRC they matched up as well.

Much props and all to anyone who can answer the following questions.

1. Is there any reason for me to have to remove the plastic cover from the top of the pickups before I put them in the covers? I see no reason to remove any plastic from the sides because the pups fit as they are, but I'm willing to carefully sand the top if it's advisable. Will doing that make any difference in sound other than output (which I can control with my amp)?

2. If I don't have to remove any plastic from the top of the pickups, is it okay to simply use double-sided tape to fit them into the covers, or should I still use epoxy? Realistically, I probably don't have to use anything, as the mounting screws will work with the foam underneath to keep them together.

3. Is there any reason for me to choose nickel over chrome for this application? I have a set of both, so it's no issue one way or the other.

The pups in question will likely be going into an alder Warmoth body, FWIW, so there's no quest for authentic T-Bird tone going on here.

 

[ctmullins]

IMHO:

1. No
2. No need for anything
3. No

 

[RBrownBass]

IMHO:

1. No
2. No need for anything
3. No

Thanks for the quick reply! I read your build threads. Great work!

 

[ctmullins]

Thanks for the quick reply! I read your build threads. Great work!

Thanks! There are many in the LC that truly humble me. I consider myself a rank amateur compared to some of them!

 

[line6man]

The pickup covers on EMG soapbars are NOT removable. The coils are placed into the covers, and then epoxy potting is poured inside. Attempting to remove the plastic covers will damage the pickups.

 

[Toptube]

putting the metal covers over the tops of the pickups will change the magnetic field and therefore, change the sound. Additionally, different types of metal, will impart their own differences.

unaltering the plastic covers will mean a relatively larger minimum distance between the strings and the pickup sensing areas. Depending on a number of factors, this may or may not be ok. However, it will probably be ok, unless the pickups are low output, to begin with.

As you have mentioned, you may as well try it all unaltered, with some double sided tape. Only altering, if it seems needed.

carefully removing plastic from an EMG won't do any harm to the pickup itself. Harm is done when you actually contact/damage the pickup guts. I've seen people use power sanders and/or metal nippers, to successfully remove the top plastic.

 

[RBrownBass]

The pickup covers on EMG soapbars are NOT removable. The coils are placed into the covers, and then epoxy potting is poured inside. Attempting to remove the plastic covers will damage the pickups.

Oh, I wouldn't have tried to use actual EMGs in any case. The EMG35 size fits into the cover except for the corners. All you'd have to do is file the 35 corners a bit rounder like the EMG t-bird pups I showed an image of. Probably less than the actual thickness of the plastic at the corner- it's really close as it is.

 

[big_teee]

I agree with Toptube, on the space and distance between the poles, or magnets, and the top of the cover.
When building pickups, I try to keep the poles, blades or magnets used as poles, right up against the cover.
This allows for lower pickup mounting.
With the expense of the fine philadelphialuthiertools covers, I would go with new known pickups built in the covers.
Pickup Making Parts - Pickup Covers - Thunderbird Bass - Philadelphia Luthier Tools & Supplies, LLC
GL,
T

 

[RBrownBass]

With the expense of the fine philadelphialuthiertools covers, I would go with new known pickups built in the covers.
Pickup Making Parts - Pickup Covers - Thunderbird Bass - Philadelphia Luthier Tools & Supplies, LLC
GL,
T

I just want to make sure I understand the bolded correctly. Are you saying you'd go with the new pickups I now have, as they are, or are you saying that I should find some known (name) pickups that fit into the chrome covers?

 

[BlueTalon]

I would say don't sweat it. Will the metal pickup cover change the sound the pickup produces? Perhaps, but (A) if I understand you correctly, you haven't yet heard these pickups so you wouldn't know the difference, and therefore the only concern is whether you like the sound of them or not; and (B) removing or not removing the plastic covers is not going to make any difference to the sound at all. As a matter of fact, leaving the plastic in place is beneficial since it keeps the pickups centered within the metal covers.

The only real difference removing the plastic would make is to allow the tops of the pickups currently within the plastic to be closer to the top of the new pickup configuration. But since one of the concerns of the new covers is how the metal might change the sound the pickup produces, it's not a bad thing to maintain a little distance that the plastic now provides. And the thickness of the metal would be the only difference in how high the pickup sits in the bass. Could it be a factor in your final setup? Perhaps, but cross that bridge when you get to it.

This is a build, right? Have fun with it. If you get it all finished and you decide you don't like the pickups, you can always change it.

 

[big_teee]

I'm not saying what you should do, I was just saying what I would do.
I'm not big on the idea, of a pickup and cover, in another cover.
If you haven't tried the pickups?
I would try them as is before I tried to fit them in another cover.
Like BlueTalon said have fun with it.
And, do what you want to!
GL,
T

 

[RBrownBass]

I'm not saying what you should do, I was just saying what I would do.
I'm not big on the idea, of a pickup and cover, in another cover.
If you haven't tried the pickups?
I would try them as is before I tried to fit them in another cover.
Like BlueTalon said have fun with it.
And, do what you want to!
GL,
T

I get the cover within cover concern, and that's why I'm willing to sand the top of the pickup down if it's necessary or if I find it might be a benefit to the sound. But the whole project is designed around the covers and rings aesthetic, so trying them as is without the covers won't really give me any help because they or something like them would have to be under the covers in any case. If I can't get a good sound out of some pickup under these covers, I'll have to look into a different configuration altogether to start with. I know TB1958 has some SCPB pups under chrome covers, so I can go that route by having a RW/RP set made.

I would say don't sweat it. Will the metal pickup cover change the sound the pickup produces? Perhaps, but (A) if I understand you correctly, you haven't yet heard these pickups so you wouldn't know the difference, and therefore the only concern is whether you like the sound of them or not; and (B) removing or not removing the plastic covers is not going to make any difference to the sound at all. As a matter of fact, leaving the plastic in place is beneficial since it keeps the pickups centered within the metal covers.

Actually, I'd have taken plastic only off the top, not the sides, so the alignment would be unaffected.

The only real difference removing the plastic would make is to allow the tops of the pickups currently within the plastic to be closer to the top of the new pickup configuration. But since one of the concerns of the new covers is how the metal might change the sound the pickup produces, it's not a bad thing to maintain a little distance that the plastic now provides. And the thickness of the metal would be the only difference in how high the pickup sits in the bass. Could it be a factor in your final setup? Perhaps, but cross that bridge when you get to it.

That's what I'm thinking. But it has its pitfalls, and the biggest of them is...

This is a build, right? Have fun with it. If you get it all finished and you decide you don't like the pickups, you can always change it.

...I'll be ordering a body pre-routed for EMG35 size soaps because that's the closest fit. I'll then have to freehand Dremel a couple millimeters away from each side for the covers to fit. The rings will hide any slight errors as long as I leave a bump where the ring mounting holes are and don't go outside the footprint of the rings themselves, which I won't. Once I do that, nothing else will fit cleanly in those cavities without major surgery and that means $$.

BTW, I have a question about the body in you avatar. I read about that build a while back (nice work, BTW), Looks like standard jazz + a jazz in the neck. Did Warmoth do that neck rout for you? I'd call them but it's Sunday and they're not in. I'd love to have a bass with three Js- one in the Ric neck spot, one in the MM sweet spot, and one in the '70s bridge spot.

 

[BlueTalon]

BTW, I have a question about the body in you avatar. I read about that build a while back (nice work, BTW), Looks like standard jazz + a jazz in the neck. Did Warmoth do that neck rout for you? I'd call them but it's Sunday and they're not in. I'd love to have a bass with three Js- one in the Ric neck spot, one in the MM sweet spot, and one in the '70s bridge spot.

What I did was have Warmoth route the bridge pickup in the normal spot (not the 70's reposition), and then had them route for two neck J pickups, positioned 2" edge to edge. I did it purely for aesthetics, since I like symmetry, and since I am one of the apparent few who do not believe specific pickup placement is really that critical or meaningful. They charged me an additional $35 or $40 (I don't remember) for the two neck routes, as those had to be done by hand.

Hope that helps.

A thought just occurred to me. If you are planning to have them do the routing for a future build, you might consider having them do the routing on this build. You could send them the pickup covers, and then you would receive a body that needs no additional routing when you get it.