• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join freeLog in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Adding a Bridge cover: yay or nay?

Add the bridge cover?

  • Yes

    Votes: 156 57.1%
  • No

    Votes: 117 42.9%

  • Total voters
    273
Yes.
1007151754.jpg
 
We spend a lot of energy worrying about what other people may think. In my younger playing days I had two P basses and both had the covers. (FWIW I'm talking the late sixties/early seventies.) I played with fingers and with picks at different times and found the bridge cover a plus so it stayed but the pickup cover was a minus so it came off. I got some grief for leaving that uncool cover over the bridge but I was the player so, again, the cover stayed. You should decide what you want and do that.
 
The cover gets a bit in the way but it is not as bad. I consider it to be the best way to cover a mute. Since you will be using flats on it I voted yes.


My Precision has a Badass II on it so no bridge for me.

I do vote yes though

It does fit but not with where the standard screw holes are. You would have to move the cover a bit closer to bridge. The jazz bass cover won't work with a badass bridge, because no matter how far up you take it, it won't be able to cover the bridge pickup.
 
Another pic:

I get the distinct feeling people are putting a lot of Jazz bass bridge covers on P-basses these days.

To clear this up for you:

Single-coil pbass covers:
pi_175_1079_p1000842_2.jpg


Split coil pbass covers:
Link Removed
Jazz bass covers:
Link Removed

As you can see the bridge cover on the Jazz bass is much longer and it is stamped with the F letter. It is beyond me what they were thinking with covers of the Jazz bass since they cover a very big part of the playing area. I tried putting them on my Jazz and it was the most uncomfortable experience I ever had.

The bridge cover is upside down on that one.

It indeed is. The reason for that is that those came with a piece of foam glued under the cover to mute the strings. If you flipped it the other way around the foam would not touch the string anymore.
 
Up to you. I won't be doing it any time soon myself, but I understand the appeal. For me the issues they cause with muting, string changes, and the extra weight that would have been better assigned to a high mass bridge, not to mention they don't like to fit over high mass bridges, just kills them for me.
 
Actually, the reason I want a cover is for the foam mute strip inside.

By having the foam attached I can sculpt it till I get the right sustain on each string. Then - Go from ringing to thump with two screws.

140152403403-2.jpg

And prettier than putting the foam under the strings.
Yes, that is the only real reason for adding a bridge cover. Foam under cover and pushing down on the strings is better than foam underneath.