Covered vs Uncovered Pickups
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- Опубликовано: 15 окт 2024
- Following some comments one the "PAF vs Bare Knuckle" video (click here: • Gibson PAF Burstbucker... ) discussing the tonal difference between covered and uncovered pickups, we have put together this A/B of just that.
Working through two tones (clean and crunch), we A/B uncovered pickups against the very same pickup with a cover. Can you hear the difference?
Throughout, the strings, amp settings and pickup height remain the same; only the covers change. There is no EQ or post-compression on the tracks, just to keep the sound as it came from the amp.
Signal Paths:
Clean: Gibson - Fender Twin - Two Notes Torpedo Live
Gain: Gibson - Orange TH100 - Two Notes Torpedo Live
Enjoy, and thanks for watching.
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The open buckers seem to sound a bit more "edgy," more rough and raw while the covered buckers seem a little cleaner and smoother.
dude uncovers pickups are the way to go if you want a clearer sound.
Uncovered=Richer harmonics, louder sound
Covered=Slightly Rounded and opaque
I think the effect is most noticeable at the middle position, but there's definitely a more balanced eq with the covers on. They seem to make the high tones less "sharp" and bring out the mids and lows for a warmer, more shimmering sound. It's true that most people wouldn't actively notice the difference, especially in a live performance setting. But you know when your tone is even subtly better by the way it cuts and blends in a mix.
It was a bit hard to tell the different at first, but I think without the covers, the sound sounds a bit clearer...
Thanks a ton! I was actually considering covering the open humbuckers on my PRS for the aesthetic. But I don't want to lose the crisp attack. You saved me the effort of learning the hard way.
Kevin Filter Glad I could help Kevin.
Kevin Filter You could cover one of the pickups. I've been thinking of only removing the neck cover but i'm not sure.
+Lamboda A lot of Gibson users take the cover off the neck pickup to brighten it up.
+Lamboda Clapton's '59 Les Paul used on the famous "Beano" John
Mayall with Eric Clapton album had the neck pickup open and the
bridge covered. With that dimed Marshall JTM45, he only got the
greatest blues/rock sound of all time ... I guess he did ok with that.
@@Urredurre vice versa. You want that crisp, bright attack in the bridge... and the warmer, rounder tones from the neck. Right?
I've always preferred covers on both my Gibsons and my Telecasters (front), and for just the reasons you display here. They take the edge off and round out the tone. It's like adding just the right capacitor to the circuit with much less work.
I actually preferred the "warm" tone with the covers. Good demo.
same for me, warmer & richer in medium range
Count me in. I've done it both ways and covers make the pickups
more transparent and more well rounded in sound.
P.S. The difference is so obvious no matter which you prefer. I don't
see how anyone can say they can't hear it. I run my computer through
a Bose Wave Radio so it always sounds good. With phones you hear
even more.
Me too
They were indeed. I simply moved the strings out of the way, and pushed the covers on. The pickup height remained consistent (I even used a ruler just to make sure), as did all amp and guitar settings.
Thanks for watching.
Yep. I ensured that everything remain constant to avoid any other factor playing influence on the change in tone.
Makes a world of difference for British blues boom type music. Really just a little personal preference for each player. For instance, Page's tendency to have the neck pickup covered and the bridge pickup bare makes a lot of sense for him. He tended to roll back the volume on his bridge pickup and keep his neck pickup cranked. Clapton's Marshall-Les Paul connection was based on contrast, using the bridge pickup with the tone dialed almost all the way back, boosting the treble with pedal, so it make's sense he preferred covers. Then of course there's guys like Joe Bonamassa, he'd prefer brighter uncovered pickup's, since he's such a technically adept player and makes no extra noise on the fret board. To each his own really, but, if you really can't hear the difference... either your hearing is garbage or your tone is garbage, or both.
For cleans, I preferred the covered pu's. Amps have so much gain and eq range that it really doesn't matter at high gain. Get the best clean tone first, that's the most difficult to achieve.
Covers protect the coils from RF, beer, and sweat.
Yes, I can hear it, the pickups sound much more pronounced while uncovered. And I hate it, because it doesn't look right when there is no cover on a HB-pickup. Thanks for posting though.
covered has more of a dark bassy tone while uncovered has brighter more lively tone
The covered neck PU sounds more jazzy but you could probably get the same sound with the uncovered PU and the tone rolled down a touch.
I definitely prefer the open bucker sound, but they look a lot better covered, and it keeps the dust out, cleaner look, easier to clean, slightly thinner sound! Making sacrifices either way
Sounds warmer with covers on. Plus, like others said its covered from dust and protected. I love the warm sound with covers on. Going to buy for my guitar!
i honestly cant hear the difference between the two....but i think it looks cooler when they're covered
Marcus Pintor maybe it´s too early in the morning... but i cant hear a significant difference, too. i honestly believe this is one of many big myths about the whole guitar thing. bad voodoo, man. and people will continoue doing so, because they think that makes them better than the rest. you just need a lively imagination to hear this. ;)it´s always the same. people hear what they want to hear.
Marcus Pintor you guys are a bit tone def I would say, when they're covered they actually sound a bit bassier/warmer. go back and listen to them and listen really closely. I was actually surprised in how much of a difference it made, listen closely and you can tell it takes out some of that high end brightness and the pickup ends up sounding a bit bassier. Maybe its because i'm using these big old headphones that I can tell much easier...
to most people it wont make much of a difference in the end. but to say there is no difference isn't true.
Koki Zuniga honestly, after you've said that, i kinda do hear a difference, you know about the covered being a little more bassier. maybe like if you rolled the the tone control knob i little bit
Yeah it definitely makes it sound like that ... to some people that makes a world of a difference especially if they're really specific about what they want .
Marcus Pintor If you're using 2$ earphones then you're not going to hear jack shit. Get a good pair of studio/monitoring headphones and come back.
Nice comparison. I actually could hear a major difference in your sound examples. The sound with covers is darker and boxier. :)
Dark and boxy? Sure you're not reporting what your minds'eye "sees" rather than what your ears really hear?
Covered loose a bit of volume
Yes, sounds warmer (for lack of a better term) with covers on. Thanks for the demo
As an Iommi fan (he's not my favourite, mind, but I love his tone), I prefer uncovered. However, thus was only after watching this video. So thank you for helping me decide. Cheers mate.
useful comparison.
i liked the covered pickups. it didn't change the sound in terms of quality though. it's just a little different.
I actually bought a Gibbo LP Studio for its open coil burstbuckers, immediately hated it with distortion. What I found though, was on the clean channel it’s amazing with the volume wound down a touch, I’ve started using that over Fender for that sound. I’ll stick to the Standard with PAFs for anything overdriven though. Well worth trying open coil on clean though, it’s even better in person 👍
didn't notice it when I wasn't paying attention to the video, but watched it again and there is a difference.
Placebo or not, I ALWAYS remove my bridge cover. First, I 'feel' like it slightly increases sensitivity. Increased hotness maybe? Not sure but I do it and will continue doing it. Second, I ALWAYS install a Gibson 500T ceramic in the bridge position on all my Gibsons. The ceramic is louder, snappier and crunches beautifully when needed. In combination with the neck pup(whether alnico or ceramic) produces a soft sweet tone. Roll the volume up or down for desired tone.
This was a great demo! I've been wanting to hear a simple good quality video sample. Thank you!
thanks for taking the time to make these comparisons. pickup height is a big deal too!
Isn't it just! I made sure this was factored in too, and measure the heights with and without covers to make sure it was fair. Thanks for watching.
Thank you, very usefull! I cant believe how big is sound difference between both.
Thanks for the great comparisons! It's great that someone actually tests these things in a scientific manner instead of making assumptions based on price (cough Gibson cough)
Anyway, I like the sound of the covered better for clean and the uncovered for crunch. I'd just take uncovered and roll off the tone a little for the "covered" sound. Or, honestly, I'll go with what looks best.
I really need uncover the pick ups. Thanks you so much for the video.
Two Notes Torpedo is really something for recording!
Isn't it just! Amazing bit of kit. Looking forward to the Reload too.
Thanks for the demo. Sold on the covered tone too!
Found the uncovered bridge 498T harsh, put a cover on and love it.
To me it sounds cleaner and deeper with the covers.
Nice demonstration of the different sounds between the pickups.
I have two doubts. 1) What kind of set pickups can you suggest me for a blues-rock sound (cover or uncovered)? and 2) I've seen some pickups that are fully covered (unlike the regular covered pickups of a Les Paul, for example), is there a big difference of sound useing a fully covered pickup? Thank you!
More warmer or darker with cover?. When we put cover on the pickup we are not talking only the cover, but it also has a wax covering the pole or all over the places right? Do you think the wax also make a different? Thanks.
To me, the difference is greatest in the middle position. Ill be removing the neck plate on my Gibson Sg to keep the bass in my solos but have a hotter rhythm. Thanks for the great video Richard keep'em coming
Well done! Makes it really obvious what the difference is.
I stumbled across this video. Well it showed up on my feed. So u haven’t posted any videos in awhile. This is a great guitar. I hope u still own it. Anyway, nice and interesting demo.
Thanks @coffeewaldo. I don't own it anymore - sold it years ago! And yeah, no more demos at present. My other life making pedalboards has taken over.
Remember fellas .... if you take cover off a pickup you'll see the screwed poles are higher ... which affects tone. With no cover you can screw the poles right down on both coils. Both will give same output and you can raise pickup closer to strings, BOTH coils closer (instead of 1).
This to my ears makes the difference. If you want hi output adjust the pup as close as possible.
Def sounds better, more articulate and defined without covers, but looks prettier with them.
Even when you listen to it with your eyes closed there is a difference. It's slight but one does sound a little brighter or thinner while the other sounds Fuller.
Uncovered little brighter clear I would use in Classic Rock chording - 60,70,80's.
Covered more low end and gloss - jazz, November Rain Solo - G&R / Ozzy Zack No More Tears - Ma'ma I'm Coming Home.
I think rolling down the tone on uncovered pickups gives the same effect with good tone control and cap.
There was (strangely) a clear difference through the Orange amp, the uncovered pickups were brighter. On the clean tones there was little difference.
Hello! Nice video! I have a question. They are the same pickup? Did you you just removed the cover or you changed the pickup?
Hi Akos. I used the same pickup, but just removed the cover. The pickup heights / action were the same for both tests - I even got the ruler out to make sure.
And what you think, which is the better? With or without? :)
Eric Clapton took off his covers on the Les Paul when he was playing with the Bluesbreakers and said the difference was "incredible". Unfortunately, that guitar was stolen during the Cream rehearsals.
I prefer it with the covers. It's just a much more mellow rounded sound.
Uncovered: modern, bright and fresh sound.
Covered: classical, warm, mature sound.
As expected, the uncovered pickups sound a little brighter. However, what surprised me is that the covered pickups seem to be a little louder. Are you sure that all the settings were exactly the same?
Covered pickups for jazz guitar and uncovered for metal
Maybe its the speakers some are listening through but there is a clear high roll off and rounding of the mid and bass with covered pickups
So,choosing covered or uncovered pickups on a gibson lp is only about what fits the personal preferences of someone about the sound either warmer or brighter? Or someone can say that covered pickups on a lp are much better than the uncovered ones? (I'm just asking because i'm buying a lp with uncovered pickups and i was wondering if it would be better if i covered them)
In that case I have no idea why the covered pickups seem louder to me. Can you hear a volume difference?
So obvious there is a difference. The covers even out the tone and do not allow the pups
to sound as brash. It's personal preference which you prefer. I like the covers on and have
used both uncovered and covered pups in Les Pauls. Although it sounds as if there's more
bass with the covers, it's mainly because the mids are more out front on the uncovered
set. To me, covers make a Gibson sound more like a ...... Gibson! In the 70's and 80's un-
covered pickups were the rage but now, not so much.
Of which material are the covers made? I heard covers made of brass had a tremendous effect on treble, covers made of other materials should have sound less muffling.
Phil Linger They're both Nickel covers.
i don't know what you mean by subtle there buddy. without the covers, those pickups were hotter than all hell and as soon as the covers went on the sound was instantly warmer. night and day really
I think you're right. Must be the mids. I like that sound. :)
The covered pick ups sound warmer, and a bit louder. I like them covered. 🎸
so subjective but honestly, the covered sounded best to me.....would never have guessed that.
I think covered will goes well with palm mute technique. Am I right? Covered sounds thicker to me.
Wow, well done. The puppies with covers on were much more articulate and weren't as "muddy" in every instance. I'll be going covered henceforth.
can i put on and off the cover of a pickup? or are they diferent mics? excuse my ignorance
At loud live band level I like the covers, more balanced less high end spike, more ear friendly.
At low level with out covers does sound a little clearer overall to me, a little more bite, but turned up loud with no covers can be a little too harsh on the treble transient pings, especially to a small night clubs ears?
Thanks for sharing. Sommething I would like to know.
is it the side of the cover or its top that really matters to the sound? I mean if I had to cut the sides of the cover and still leave it on for look, would the sound still be affected? A test with a Bare knucke type open and covered could be instructive. The sound of an uncovered on the neck and covered on the bridge seems OK.
Visually I hate uncovered pickups especially when double couloured. They'd make any guitar look like sh....
nidranrebreski It's the simple fact that they're covered that affects the sound. The additional metal interferes with the magnetic field and alters the frequencies.
As for removing the sides but not the top, I don't think that's possible. The sides are soldered to the base plate of the pickup, so without them the top won't stay on. And I'd advise heavily against gluing anything directly to the bobbins.
Thanks for your answer, but just to know, could there be like window cuts on the sides, the cover will still hold. Was thinking to the rickenbacker type of openings. But as you said it's the additional metal that affects the sound.
I could, only after focusing really hard, notice the highs that were slightly rolled off in the covered.
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I'm sure they're the same pick up otherwise what would be the sense. My question is were both covered and uncovered at the same height.
Just swapped a zebra for a P95 to the neck of my SG. Sounds 50s, ES, "Lucilley" BB-tastic but its smooth and potted and doesnt match the uncovered bridge bucker. I find that bridge bucker a tad jangly ala' Rickenbacker, so I will cover it with a chrome cover I bought years ago for visual, and this demo shows a slight stripping off of higher frequency, and not the sort the tone pot does IMO.
Should kill 2 birds
I can hear it, just barely. The cover very slightly subdues the trebles and makes the tone just a tad flatter.
Somebody told me that the pick ups are out of phase, as you see a black one facing the near the neck and the other towards the bridge, is it better yo pull one off and turn it the other way?
Icon O' Clash JDG Just turning a pickup around doesn't put it out of phase. To do that, you need to either rewire the pickup, reversing the winds, or swap the lives around (this only works on multi-conductor pickups). You can buy pups already rewire for the out-of-phase sound; the Bareknuckle Pickups "PG Blues" humbuckers are replicas of Peter Greene's pickups.
Just listen and don't watching the video. Now you tell me which one is covered and uncovered. I can't hear the different.
Bridge- leave em on/ Neck take em off: for me that sounds the best
I came up in a short . I was gonna look into the whole cover thing and maybe even take them off . But I’m getting a stray so I’ll have best of both worlds
Covered pickups has a more muffled and distorted sound.
Wowww I think I'm going to cover my sh JB Seymour Duncan and my Dimarzio Air Norton! Great demo. Some people says that muy guitar is very harshy and my sound very edgy. ...
What about uncovered neck and covered bridge together?
Covered or not, WHAT A TONE!!
I can yes. I think it may be that, with the covers, the mids are more pronounced, and they have a habit of cutting through. Other than that, something about magnets....!
I prefer without covers because it sounds more open and clear
the best balance is bridge uncovered and neck covered
any thoughts on semicovered (exposed bobin tops and polepkeces, like Super 70s or some Gretsch models)?
Opps sorry didn't see your response on the height.
... from this video I can tell that pickup cover is total disaster for bass notes. Every note you are playing on A string with covered pickup are muddy and too jazzy. That's shame because I really wanted VHII set with golden covers ...
Thanks for uploading. Covered is mellower. Could also be partially due to pole pieces height...? \m/
The covered pickups attenuate the highs a little bit.
I feel like if you had uncovered you could get the covered sound by rolling the tone off a touch...
Was the string/bridge height consistent too?
More mid and crunch with covers, or am i deaf?
Covered Pickups, on a dark sounding guitar (Ex Gibson Black Beauty), is like puting a blanket on your sound. Unfortunatly I did not like the look of uncovered pickups on a Gold hardware guitar.
The difference is so small that it comes down to looks.
Pickup's were meant to be covered to protect the winding's and coils from sweat and moisture. To my ears no difference.
thats a great tone you got going there where have you set your vol and tone and what amp are you using
im afraid i can't share that information with you
He says which amps he's using, Fender Twin for clean and Orange TH100 for crunch/gain
Pickup covers sound more muffled where without sound more live and better in my opinion... Tho ask yourself why your removing the covers in the first place? Is it for sound or look? There is a reason why those pickup guards are on there! Will save from dust and other damage that can be caused thru playing! So ask yourself why first before you soldering or knife them off! And be ready to keep them clean!
dtb188 The more I re-listen to this, I have to agree. The coverless ones do have a more pronounced clarity. As for dust, if they're properly potted, that'll save some dust damage from entering the coils. If they're unpotted, then trouble could ensue.
they also seem to sound thinner without the covers
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Nickel silver or brass covers
I'm taking my covers off. I'm not going to like the way it looks though. Thank you.
Covers for my ear, definetly.😎🇺🇸🎸🤘🏻⚡️⚡️
gary moore.....uncovered:cold day in hell (live), covered still got the blues
Covered: more attack in Crunch and rounder in clean, or so do I hear... :)
\m/
More sustain with covers ?