Q: I’ve got a guitar with covered humbuckers and I’m not crazy about the shiny metal covers. Short of removing the covers, is there anything I can do to minimize the shine?
A: If the guitar sounds good, we’d strongly advise against removing the covers, particularly if they are wax potted. The covers are likely chrome-plated rather than nickel-plated, and chrome tends to look more new and shiny. Here’s an easy fix that most likely won’t harm the pickups. Proceed at your own risk: Any modification – even minor ones – can damage your instrument. First screw the pole pieces down flush to the covers, then take some ultra-fine steel wool and very gently buff the metal until it’s less shiny. Keep in mind you are just dulling the surface, not trying to remove the plating. You can rub in one direction or in gentle swirls depending on how dull you want the covers. Wipe the pickups with a soft, dry, lint-free cloth and see how they look. Small pieces of the steel wool will adhere to the pole pieces because they are magnetic, but wrap some masking tape around your fingers (sticky side out) and use that to pick up the excess. Then return the pole pieces to their original positions.
Of course, you could always purchase different covers and have a qualified guitar tech swap the original covers out for the replacement covers. We want to again reiterate that all repair and modification work – even something as mild as dulling the finish on the pickup covers – runs the risk of damaging the instrument and is best left to a qualified guitar professional.