Why do we use nickel silver baseplates?

Last Updated on October 25th, 2019

Have you noticed that the baseplates on all of our passive humbuckers are silver in color? They’re made of nickel silver—and there’s a reason.

Seth Lover used nickel-silver baseplates when he invented the humbucker in 1955. We think he did a pretty good job, and we like to respect the way he did things. We also use nickel silver because of quality, durability, and sound.

Aside from nickel silver being very hard and strong with durable threads for the height-adjustment screws, many people can hear the difference between pickups with nickel-silver baseplates and those that use softer alloys like brass or pot metal. The baseplate metal has a direct effect on a pickup’s inductance.


In the image, you will see a Seymour Duncan nickel-silver baseplate (top) and another pickup manufacturer’s brass baseplate (bottom). On the brass baseplate, note how the threads on the height-adjustment screw hole are beginning to come apart, while the more durable nickel-silver baseplate remains intact.

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