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Post subject: Pickup covers
Posted: Mon Mar 03, 2014 11:32 am
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I changed out all chrome hardware to gold on my "Chrome Red Mexican" and put on a black-red-black pickguard. Now i'm not sure if i like the original white pickup covers poking thru. I think I might go to black covers to complete the look but the bridge pickup is a Fender Lace Sensor and i'm not sure if the white cover can be removed. I'm hoping I won't need to buy a new pickup. Can anybody shed some light on this issue? :?


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Post subject: Re: Pickup covers
Posted: Mon Mar 03, 2014 11:48 am
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I've never seen any of Fender's accessory pickup-cover sets marked as "fits Lace Sensors" so I'm guessing that the covers on those pickups are not readily removable as with traditional single coils.

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Post subject: Re: Pickup covers
Posted: Mon Mar 03, 2014 12:04 pm
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Lace covers are not removable. The coil/magnet assembly is epoxy potted inside the cover (so the cover is glued on). Rarely, heat or impact can break the cover loose, but it's not intended to be removable and replacement covers aren't available.

Some people have reported successfully painting them (Krylon makes a paint specifically intended for plastics) but that's kind of iffy.


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Post subject: Re: Pickup covers
Posted: Mon Mar 03, 2014 3:41 pm
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strayedstrater wrote:
Lace covers are not removable. The coil/magnet assembly is epoxy potted inside the cover (so the cover is glued on). Rarely, heat or impact can break the cover loose, but it's not intended to be removable and replacement covers aren't available.


I suspected as much, SS. The SCN's are of similar construction.

Thanks for the additional clarification.

Arjay

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Post subject: Re: Pickup covers
Posted: Tue Mar 04, 2014 12:53 pm
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Thanks "Arjay" and "strayedstrater". I never heard of anyone removing them either. I suppose painting is an option as you suggested "ss" though not recommended. How do you think a black sharpie would hold up? :roll: just thinking out loud.


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Post subject: Re: Pickup covers
Posted: Tue Mar 04, 2014 3:04 pm
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Any type of surface coating (with the possible exception of plating) is likely to be dissolved by the organic acids and oils common to human skin. It wouldn't hurt to try but I have that feeling you'll be repainting over and over and over.

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Post subject: Re: Pickup covers
Posted: Tue Mar 04, 2014 8:24 pm
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When you say it's a "Fender Lace Sensor", do you mean an old one from back when Fender and Lace had a business deal (i,e. does it actually say Fender/Lace on it)?

Or is it a more recent one that just says "Lace" on it? Some people still refer to current ones as "Fender Lace" even though the companies had a falling-out years ago.

If it's an actual Fender/Lace I definitely wouldn't try painting/marking it. They don't have any particular collector's value at this point, but someday they might. And they might currently have some extra value to someone restoring an older Clapton/Beck that was modified at some point in the past.

Even if it's a current Lace, I think I'd try selling/trading it on Craigslist or something rather than risk painting/marking it. You might find someone local who's got a black one and wants a white one, or be able to buy a used black one for the same price you get selling the white one.


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Post subject: Re: Pickup covers
Posted: Tue Mar 04, 2014 10:50 pm
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strayedstrater wrote:
If it's an actual Fender/Lace I definitely wouldn't try painting/marking it. They don't have any particular collector's value at this point, but someday they might. And they might currently have some extra value to someone restoring an older Clapton/Beck that was modified at some point in the past.

Even if it's a current Lace, I think I'd try selling/trading it on Craigslist or something rather than risk painting/marking it. You might find someone local who's got a black one and wants a white one, or be able to buy a used black one for the same price you get selling the white one.


+1

Better to simply buy a replacement pickup in the desired color than to arbitrarily destroy any collectible "mojo" the original pickup might potentially have.

Arjay

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Post subject: Re: Pickup covers
Posted: Wed Mar 05, 2014 6:36 am
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Thanks again guys. It is an actual Fender-Lace Sensor. I had no idea that it may be a collectible at some point. I will google it to see what I can find out on the breakup. Can you elaborate a little on the history and subsequent problem between the two? Also, you mentioned Clapton and Beck which I presume used this type pickup in the past. It's all very interesting. 8)


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Post subject: Re: Pickup covers
Posted: Wed Mar 05, 2014 8:05 am
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I don't know the deep details of Fender's and Lace"s relationship. Shortly after Lace started selling pickups in the mid/late '80s, Fender entered into some sort of co-branding situation and installed them in some Fender guitars. The Clapton and Beck signature Strats originally had Laces, and IIRC so did the Strat Ultra and Elite models. During that period, the pickups installed in Fenders said "Fender/Lace Sensor" on them while the pickups Lace sold as aftermarket replacements simply said "Lace Sensor".

During that time Fender didn't make any noiseless/low-noise Strat/Tele pickups of their own. But then in the mid/late '90s Fender developed their "Vintage Noiseless" and "Hot Noiseless" stacked-coil Strat and Tele pickups and began installing those in some of their guitars. At some point both Clapton and Beck let Fender switch their signature models over to the Fender Noiseless pickups. At that point Fender stopped buying "Fender/Lace" branded pickups and now the only Laces available are the ones that just say "Lace" on them.

In later years Fender also developed noiseless SCN pickups in collaboration with Bill Lawrence, and then dropped those and replaced them with Fender-designed N3 noiseless pickups.

Fender still makes and sells Vintage Noiseless, Hot Noiseless, and N3 pickups.

In general, like most big guitar companies, Fender prefers to use pickups that they design and make themselves, and only buy pickups from other companies or use pickups designed by outsiders if they fill a niche that Fender hasn't yet filled themselves. So once Fender had their own noiseless designs they didn't need Lace anymore.

I get the impression that Lace wasn't happy with being dropped. Besides the loss of contract sales to Fender, there's some cachet and marketing advantage to being endorsed/approved/co-branded with an icon like Fender. They were more than just an aftermarket replacement company, they were part of the Fender family.

But it's certainly understandable that Fender would favor Fender products.


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Post subject: Re: Pickup covers
Posted: Thu Mar 06, 2014 9:23 am
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strayedstrater wrote:
I don't know the deep details of Fender's and Lace"s relationship. Shortly after Lace started selling pickups in the mid/late '80s, Fender entered into some sort of co-branding situation and installed them in some Fender guitars. The Clapton and Beck signature Strats originally had Laces, and IIRC so did the Strat Ultra and Elite models. During that period, the pickups installed in Fenders said "Fender/Lace Sensor" on them while the pickups Lace sold as aftermarket replacements simply said "Lace Sensor".

During that time Fender didn't make any noiseless/low-noise Strat/Tele pickups of their own. But then in the mid/late '90s Fender developed their "Vintage Noiseless" and "Hot Noiseless" stacked-coil Strat and Tele pickups and began installing those in some of their guitars. At some point both Clapton and Beck let Fender switch their signature models over to the Fender Noiseless pickups. At that point Fender stopped buying "Fender/Lace" branded pickups and now the only Laces available are the ones that just say "Lace" on them.

In later years Fender also developed noiseless SCN pickups in collaboration with Bill Lawrence, and then dropped those and replaced them with Fender-designed N3 noiseless pickups.

Fender still makes and sells Vintage Noiseless, Hot Noiseless, and N3 pickups.

In general, like most big guitar companies, Fender prefers to use pickups that they design and make themselves, and only buy pickups from other companies or use pickups designed by outsiders if they fill a niche that Fender hasn't yet filled themselves. So once Fender had their own noiseless designs they didn't need Lace anymore.

I get the impression that Lace wasn't happy with being dropped. Besides the loss of contract sales to Fender, there's some cachet and marketing advantage to being endorsed/approved/co-branded with an icon like Fender. They were more than just an aftermarket replacement company, they were part of the Fender family.

But it's certainly understandable that Fender would favor Fender products.


Good stuff :) Thanks for the history lesson. 8)


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