Topmusicanswers
I've noticed there is a little rust on the coils of my pickups, will this have any effect on the tone/sound? It shouldn't, no. It just adds character.
- Why are my pickups rusting?
- How do you stop pickups from rusting?
- Is rust on a guitar bad?
- How do you remove rust from Bass pickups?
Why are my pickups rusting?
With the presence of Iron, a magnet can rust due to moisture in a case, high humidity in the air and most likely the sweat coming from your hands. Moisture contacts the pole piece and can cause it to rust. Most companies do not plate the Alnico pole pieces in their pickups.
How do you stop pickups from rusting?
If your pickups are Gibson-style humbuckers with metal covers and you are afraid that your sweaty hands will cause them to rust (it can happen), you can coat the metal pickup covers with a thin coat of clear lacquer. Steal a bottle of your girlfriend's clear nail polish. It works.
Is rust on a guitar bad?
It's not like just because it's tarnished it's gone bad and you have to throw it out or something like that, the same way that you would with an old rusty piece of iron like a nail or a screw. For iron, once it really rusts, it's pretty totally useless.
How do you remove rust from Bass pickups?
A few squirts of compressed air will blow out thick dust. And a little penetrating oil will remove unwanted surface rust. A simple white vinegar soak will make the rust disappear from your pole screws. You can apply a good guitar polish for additional protection.
