Fender ashtrays on basses - just fashion or useful?

[Joe 1956]

Originally Posted by Shakin-Slim

^ A thing of beauty. I've always wanted something similar but with no pickguard and pearl blocks on the maple neck.

I like the pickguard, but personally I wish they were more like the Precision, because I think the bare control plates look like.... oh, never mind.

But anyway, I painted it to match.

[Spleenface92]

The real question is, has anyone ever used one as an actual ashtray?

[Steveaux]

Originally Posted by Spleenface92

The real question is, has anyone ever used one as an actual ashtray?

Yup. I have.

[Shakin-Slim]

Originally Posted by Spleenface92

The real question is, has anyone ever used one as an actual ashtray?

Yep. Well... sort of. I was playing and smokin one of them funny looking cigarettes and some ash fell under the bridge cover. I can still see it in the foam. An inadvertent ashtray, I guess.

[Spleenface92]

Maybe Fender CS should include cigarette (or funny lookin cigarette) ash and burn marks on the underside of their bridge covers to make the relic basses entirely accurate.

[Nashrakh]

They are useful to me because they calm my OCD, so there.

Also sponges and thumbrest.

I feel naked without them, that gotta account for something!

[Shakin-Slim]

Yup, I got the thumb rest too. Well, tugbar I guess, as it's on the G string side.

[Shakin-Slim]

Originally Posted by Spleenface92

Maybe Fender CS should include cigarette (or funny lookin cigarette) ash and burn marks on the underside of their bridge covers to make the relic basses entirely accurate.

Good idea!

[monkeybass68]

I put one over the bridge of my P bass because I kept cutting my pinkie on the bridge when I used a pick. I like how it looks, but it does serve an actual purpose for me. The one downfall I find is that changing strings is a pain in the ass. Have to take the cover off every time I change them.

[sven kalmar]

i like them alot. use the pu cover for rest when using a pick. ive moved the thumbrest to the opposite side, and i use an ashtray. im convinced they do something to the sound, hehe

[Shakin-Slim]

Originally Posted by monkeybass68

I put one over the bridge of my P bass because I kept cutting my pinkie on the bridge when I used a pick. I like how it looks, but it does serve an actual purpose for me. The one downfall I find is that changing strings is a pain in the ass. Have to take the cover off every time I change them.

Good thing I'll only be changing mine every decade or so

[Nashrakh]

Originally Posted by Shakin-Slim

Yup, I got the thumb rest too. Well, tugbar I guess, as it's on the G string side.

Well I mean I literally use the pickup cover as a thumbrest when playing behind it closer to the bridge because obviously the pickup itself is blocked Some time ago I had a pseudo-ramp between the neck and pickup to use as a thumb rest, it looked really awkward however.

I would install the tugbar also but I have a black pickguard (on a CAR with maple neck) and thus you wouldn't see it anyway... And I won't actually use it...

[C.Linton]

There were a few practical reasons that Leo Fender included covers on his earliest instruments other than simple aesthetics (nothing wrong with that, though). As far as bridge covers, as was mentioned, they were both a place to mount mutes and to avoid scratches from the saddle screws. Leo originally thought players would play with their thumbs, resting their palms on the pickup cover and grasping the "tug bar" that was placed on the body just below the G string with their other fingers, and the cover was originally connected to ground as a partial shielding attempt.
The fact was that players indeed ended up playing with their fingers instead of their thumbs, so they would remove the covers as they were in the way, and Fender eventually decided to remove them as a cost cutting measure. Also, it was apparent that the idea of the cover as partial shielding didn't work, so they stopped that, too.
People now are putting them back on becasue they dig the vintage look, and for some small benefit like Leo had intended, depending on one's playing style, they don't always get in the way.
Hardly "crap", IMO.

[C.Linton]

Originally Posted by Spleenface92

The real question is, has anyone ever used one as an actual ashtray?

I'm pretty sure that's exactly how they got the nick-name. People would remove them, toss them in their case, and when they would play out, someone would ask for an ashtray, and the player woulld say "Here ya go, use this".

[Ozonbass]

I like the way that they look especially on this one. I don't find that they get in the way with pick or finger style...as for slap, I tend to only do that when I've had a few to many and start channeling Louis Johnson, and yet they never seem to get in the way.

[C.Linton]

Originally Posted by Spleenface92

The real question is, has anyone ever used one as an actual ashtray?

I'm pretty sure that's exactly how they got the nick-name. People would remove them, toss them in their case, and when they would play out, someone would ask for an ashtray, and the player woulld say "Here ya go, use this".

[thiocyclist]

Originally Posted by Joe 1956

Seems I've read a couple of posts where they've said the covers have helped with issues of hum?

Probably you have, but they don't really help.

[christopherogut]

I've never had pickup covers help with hum. I have one on my Jazz because I started with it and the bridge cover on... the bridge cover definitely affected my playing style and had to come off but the pickup cover didn't. In fact, I find myself resting my thumb on it for plucking and my wrist on it for slap. I never remove it for changing strings, doesn't seem necessary.

I'm toying with the idea of getting a cover for my current Precision but it'd really just be for looks.

[smoothgroove615]

I understand that some of you don't like the ashtrays on Fender style basses; I even understand that they "get in the way" while playing certain techniques on the bass. My excuse is simple, I started playing bass at a young age, and in the late 60's early 70's all Fender(and copy basses) had the covers. I learned with them on and I feel naked without them on those style basses. You also got to think, Leo put them on there for a reason! The bridges were sharp and would cut you without them. They also prevent dirt and grim getting on your pickups and helped in ground noise. Yes, we took them off and used them for an "ashtray", hence the nickname, but in my opinion, whatever Leo did he knew what he was doing. Not a debate, just my personal feeling about them from an O.G. I put them on every bass I have that is Fender style, but I understand the reason for removing them too.

[monkeybass68]

Originally Posted by Shakin-Slim

Good thing I'll only be changing mine every decade or so