Removing covers from HC1 HC2

[born2lift]

This is my first post here at the Anderson forum.
I recently purchased a used Anderson Bulldog. It has HC1 and HC2 pickups with the chrome covers.
Has anyone here ever removed the covers? And if so, how did it change the sound? How do the look under the covers?

[pipedwho]

(Disclaimer: I personally much prefer the tone (and look) of uncovered pickups (all types, not just the HCs), but others I know prefer the 'covered' sound, so YMMV. I also play very clean the majority of the time.)

I removed the cover from an HC2. It opened up the sound and added a tiny bit more sparkle. The tonal change is analogous to the proverbial 'taking the blanket off the speaker'. Probably not something you'd noticed once you gain up, but in the clean and verge of breakup range, it is very noticeable.

It doesn't take much work to remove the cover and clean up the wax. You just need a soldering iron and a hair dryer.

The pickup underneath is an HF2, but the edges have been chamfered so it fits all the way into the cover. After I'd done it, I decided I didn't like the appearance as it looked a little 'hacked' with the edges carved. I tried a plastic cover, but it didn't fit into the existing cavity on my guitar, as the plastic one isn't as thin as the metal cover.

It does improve the tone IMO, but it looks untidy. I ended up putting the metal cover back on and buying an HF2. Same tone as the uncovered HC2, but looks neat and tidy.

(edit: BTW, the HCs still sound VERY good - very open, but vintage sounding pickup. Kind of like a blanket taken off a good old set of PAFs. The HFs go a little bit further into that territory, but I'd still take a set of HCs over a set of actual PAFs. Tom has worked some serious magic in the HF series.)

[brokenvail]

I keep wanting to try the HF1- but can't bring my self to buy it and try to sell my HC1-. The idea of addition sparkle sounds great but I get great singing tones from my HC1- that I am afraid to mess with that guitar

[replayboy]

I keep wanting to try the HF1- but can't bring my self to buy it and try to sell my HC1-. The idea of addition sparkle sounds great but I get great singing tones from my HC1- that I am afraid to mess with that guitar

As long as your not messing around with MY COBRA !!!!:D

[GDane1]

(

The pickup underneath is an HF2, but the edges have been chamfered so it fits all the way into the cover.)



I didn't know the HC2 is an HF2

So then the HC3 is an HF3???

Cool

[brokenvail]

As long as your not messing around with MY COBRA !!!!:D

Hahaha that cobra has had enough changes for now. Showed up with HF1+/HF3+ then became PH1-/HF1+ and is now PH1-/H2

[brokenvail]

I didn't know the HC2 is an HF2

So then the HC3 is an HF3???

Cool

Yes HC=covered HF (or is it HF= uncovered HC?)