Magnets on bridge plate? Bad idea?

**Matthew_84** · #1 07-14-2011, 02:23 PM

Hello all,

So I have a Fender P bass with flats, and I love the the bass and tone, but occasionally I want that old Motown thump. I know I could simply slide a spong or foam underneath the strings at the bridge, but I really like the look of a bridge cover, and would like to have one under two conditions:

1) It can be very quickly removed without any tools required.
2) I don't drill any screws into the body of this beauty.

This left me to an idea of securing magnets on the inside of the bridge cover, but then I realized that these magnets would be maybe 1/2" or less from the strings, and about 2"-3" away from the electronics. I have the feeling that either one of these conditions would likely cause some issue, but I was just wondering if anyone knew for sure.

Also, does anyone else have any other ideas on how I could achieve this? I was thinking about putting two screws in the body and then some hooks underneath the plate that slid around the screws and held the plate into place, but that would obviously break my second rule.

Any opinions or suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks,

Matt

Bread Knife · #2 07-14-2011, 02:37 PM

I'm not totally following here. You have a bridge cover on your bass already but want a quick way to attach a mute, or you want a no-screws way to attach a bridge cover and a mute together?

If you have the bridge cover on already, the foam/sponge should still be pretty easy to slide into place. Put it under the strings where they are exposed, and then push both sides of the mute back until it butts up against the bridge. Voilà.

Magnets will probably not interfere with the electronics. They will, however, pull on the strings. This can result in intonation problems and decreased sustain. It is actually a common problem for Stratocaster guitars, particularly if the neck pickup is too high. Reducing magnetic pull on the strings is ideal.

**Matthew_84** · #3 07-14-2011, 02:54 PM

Sorry about that, I do not have a bridge cover as of yet. I was thinking of buying one and gluing foam (which is set at the right height) on the inside of the cover. When the bridge cover w/ foam is on, I get a mute; when I take it off then there is none.

And yeah, I was thinking that it couldn't be good for the strings, but as long as the magnets are further away and not as powerful as my pick-up magnets then could it be okay?

FunkMetalBass · #4 07-14-2011, 02:55 PM

The bridge cover has two little wings on the side. Can you fasten the magnets there?

**Matthew_84** · #5 07-14-2011, 02:58 PM

All of the covers I've looked closely at (not many) have the wings on the outside. I was thinking of others ways to secure them to the inside, but if I could find a cover with the wings there already that would be a huge bonus

iiipopes · #6 07-14-2011, 02:59 PM

Forget the magnets. They won't do anything because the string excursion at the bridge is so little to begin with. Forget anything fancy. Counterproductive. On my custom fanned fret P-style bass, I have a standard bridge cover, and when I want foam for dub, I shove it in between the cover and the strings, and when I don't, I pull it out. Takes less than a minute either way.

**Matthew_84** · #7 07-14-2011, 03:03 PM

Yeah I could just suck it up and screw one on there permanently, but I would prefer to find a way where I wouldn't have to drill into the body.

R. Laevinus · #8 07-14-2011, 03:07 PM

If you're willing to not have a totally traditional-looking bridge cover, it should be possible to run one or two screws right through the top of it, right between the strings and intonation screws, and right through the bridge plate.

It would take a lot of careful measuring and a very steady hand on the drill, though. The advantage is that by changing the bridge (ten bucks if it's a standard bent-steel), you'd hide the body holes, and nobody would be any the wiser.

Have you considered double-sided tape under the cover wings?

96tbird · #9 07-14-2011, 03:18 PM

Idea. Use carpet tape on small neodynium magnets. Put mags on cover where desired, tape facing bass body. Place cover and press mags in place on body. Remove cover as desired.

Mags: or similar I have 3 mm square ones that would work. Search online rc hobby shops......
http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/s...idProduct=7645

**Matthew_84** · #10 07-14-2011, 04:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by R. Laevinus

If you're willing to not have a totally traditional-looking bridge cover, it should be possible to run one or two screws right through the top of it, right between the strings and intonation screws, and right through the bridge plate.

Have you considered double-sided tape under the cover wings?

Good idea, but that would require me to unscrew the screws whenever I want to take it off. I'd like to be able to remove it quickly between songs. And I thought about double-side tape, but it could lose it's stickiness and fall off and get gunk on the body.

I'm sure it's obvious now that I'm kind of O.C.D. I'd like to be able to take off the bridge cover and show no signs that it was ever there. Have a nice, clean bass, and then be able to slap it on and off whenever I want and have nothing look out of place.

Quote:

Originally Posted by 96tbird

Idea. Use carpet tape on small neodynium magnets. Put mags on cover where desired, tape facing bass body. Place cover and press mags in place on body. Remove cover as desired.

Mags: or similar I have 3 mm square ones that would work. Search online rc hobby shops......
HobbyKing Online R/C Hobby Store : Strong Rare-Earth Button Magnets (10pcs/set)

Very creative, but I don't think I'd like to look of the magnets on the body when the cover is not on. And this cover would likely only be on about 20% of the time.

Great ideas guys though, and I know my logic may seem a little nuts. But I treat my bass nice, I clean it all of the time and treat her like she's worth a million dollars and that's likely why I'm being so anal about this. Thanks for all your inputs so far!

**Matthew_84** · #11 07-14-2011, 04:14 PM

But it does seem like the magnets on the bridge plate may not be harmful to the strings or the electronics, so I may just go with my original idea.

FunkMetalBass · #12 07-14-2011, 04:33 PM

Go with your original idea and put them toward the rear of the bridge plate. It'll be fine.

96tbird · #13 07-14-2011, 07:36 PM

I suggest using neodinium mags. Very strong , yet focused field as in it weakens dramatically as you move a small distance away. Especially with small thin ones. I found this playing with them in my rc hobby. You can crazy glue them to wooden spacers on the cover so they contact the bridge.

Edit. Don't forget to put some thin leather on the cover ears so you don't scratch your baby!

darkstorm · #14 07-14-2011, 09:45 PM

You could use heavy duty double sided sticky tape for temporary try of cover on it. But I agree with the others that itd make more sense and be musically more useful to have screwed in birdge cover and removable or on/off adjustable mute. I wouldnt want to be going from bridge cover on to bridge cover off to get the diff tones of muted and not for various songs or song parts. Best mute system imo is those with lever activation. Cause that lets you switch between the two sounds on the fly with no hassles. Besides ots gonna look rather odd. Theres bass player paying muted bass, O look off comes the bridge for unmuted song, dang, whered cover go hunt hunt. put it back on for next song with muted. Ooops next song is unmuted, Ouch! dropped bridge cover on foot! Lol.

**Matthew_84** · #15 07-15-2011, 07:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 96tbird

I suggest using neodinium mags. Very strong , yet focused field as in it weakens dramatically as you move a small distance away. Especially with small thin ones. I found this playing with them in my rc hobby. You can crazy glue them to wooden spacers on the cover so they contact the bridge.

Edit. Don't forget to put some thin leather on the cover ears so you don't scratch your baby!

This is great advice. I will do everything you suggested, thanks a lot!

Quote:

Originally Posted by darkstorm

You could use heavy duty double sided sticky tape for temporary try of cover on it. But I agree with the others that itd make more sense and be musically more useful to have screwed in birdge cover and removable or on/off adjustable mute. I wouldnt want to be going from bridge cover on to bridge cover off to get the diff tones of muted and not for various songs or song parts. Best mute system imo is those with lever activation. Cause that lets you switch between the two sounds on the fly with no hassles. Besides ots gonna look rather odd. Theres bass player paying muted bass, O look off comes the bridge for unmuted song, dang, whered cover go hunt hunt. put it back on for next song with muted. Ooops next song is unmuted, Ouch! dropped bridge cover on foot! Lol.

Yeah, I do agree that musically it would be better to permanently secure the cover. I know that if I slap it on, it may not be set in the optimal position and the glued mute may also not be perfectly set. This is also something that I'm going to try and figure out, maybe put some plate down that fits perfectly around the bridge? I don't know, I'm still very much in brainstorming mode, but I do want to try this. I really don't want to have to put anymore screws in the body than there already are. If I decide I don't want it on there, those screw holes are something I'm going to have to live with, and those empty holes are a look that I'm personally not too fond of.

96tbird · #16 07-15-2011, 08:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Matthew_84

But it does seem like the magnets on the bridge plate may not be harmful to the strings or the electronics, so I may just go with my original idea.

To my dim mind, it would be little different than adding another p'up, since they mag the strings to a small extent already, dig?

mongo2 · #17 07-15-2011, 09:01 AM

I have several small neodymium disk magnets that are quite powerful. I put them on the bridge plate of my P bass and they apparently had no effect on anything.

Well maybe anything was stretching it, the space time continuum developed small tear but I can fix that with duct tape...no worries.

FunkMetalBass · #18 07-15-2011, 09:30 AM

OP, ever thought of this? It'll require some attaching to your bass, but it's a permanent on/off solution and is changeable in seconds.

The BassMute - An innovative muting device for the Bass Player

**Matthew_84** · #19 07-15-2011, 10:44 AM

Thanks for posting that. I was very interested in it until I looked at the price about $120.00 before being shipped from the Netherlands, but I'm not sure how much this little of project of mine will end up costing me anyway, so it may be a better solution once I calculate everything. Thank you.

But my idea is looking good, as long as I can do it cheaper than the The BassMute costs, I will likely get a bridge cover, fabricate some sort of bottom plate to fit perfectly around the bridge plate, with a couple neodymium magnets that attach at the back of the bridge, so I will slide the cover off and on and then use double-sided tape to attach the foam/sponge (whatever I end up using). Thanks everyone, if I decide to make this removeable bridge cover, I will post some pics in case anyone's interested in making their own.

Bread Knife · #20 07-15-2011, 01:22 PM

Sorry I forgot to follow up! Not that I'm much help anyway. I think using neo magnets to attach to the bridge sounds pretty cool, actually. If you get it to work post up some pics! I might have to try it out myself.