Besides aesthetics, what do pickup and bridge covers do?

[thedovewarlord]

I love the way the covers look, but I find they make the bass harder to play and limit you to where you can play. Is there any advantage besides cosmetics to having them? What is their purpose?

I understand the Fender bridge cover in the early days used to have foam to help mute strings, but I use the edge of my hand palm-mute right along the bridge...

--thedove

 

[Stevorebob]

They serve as a great divide amongst bass players.

 

[sissy kathy]

They add weight to the body reducing neck dive by 80%, make the bass faster 'cause of the air scoop over the bridge, and the air foil over the pickup makes it hold the groove better. As an added bonus it looks cool and will have groupies fawning over you.

 

[Deleted member 264575]

The old Rickenbacker Horseshoe that covered the strings used to be magnetized, with the pickup coil under the strings. The tungsten they used for the horseshoe magnet became harder to get ($$$), so they moved the magnet under the strings, which made the horseshoe part redundant. It's plastic now, except for the vintage re-issues. I think the ashtrays on the old Fenders had string mutes that hung from the roof of the ashtray. I guess a lot of people like the vintage aspect or, like me, they like the feel of a steel handrest.

 

[Deleted member 264575]

FYI: The original Rickenbacker horseshoe, circa 1935.

Mine (steel, but not magnetized), with a wear mark from using it as a handrest (I use a pick).

An ashtray mute from a 1955 Fender Precision.

 

[thedovewarlord]

They add weight to the body reducing neck dive by 80%, make the bass faster 'cause of the air scoop over the bridge, and the air foil over the pickup makes it hold the groove better. As an added bonus it looks cool and will have groupies fawning over you.

Wow, great info, so I should put 3 or 4 on every bass I got, plus I noticed I can buff them up to a super sheen so when the laser light show begins I can dazzle.

Still have no idea why Fender put that over the pickup, The bridge w/foam makes sense as far as uses go.

 

[Will_White]

Wow, great info, so I should put 3 or 4 on every bass I got, plus I noticed I can buff them up to a super sheen so when the laser light show begins I can dazzle.

Still have no idea why Fender put that over the pickup, The bridge w/foam makes sense as far as uses go.

I think it was originally supposed to be for shielding, but it didn't really have any effect. They then kept it for aesthetics, and removed it as it went out of style.

This isn't what they were used for but if you ground it you can use it as a string ground if you play with tape wound strings.

 

[Pilgrim]

Will White is correct. Leo thought that the covers would improve RF shielding, but they don't.

I like them as a cosmetic touch. I use them on my Fender style basses.

 

[Bob_Ross]

they make the bass harder to play and limit you to where you can play. Is there any advantage besides cosmetics to having them?

Yes: they make the bass harder to play and limit you to where you can play.

My glass is half-full...

 

[fhm555]

I always thought it was a looks thing until i saw a vid of Will Lee talking to Roger Sadowski and he talked about it being a really solid hand rest for certain right hand techniques.

 

[5StringBlues]

I had a buddy that swore the only way to play James Jamerson's stuff correctly was to use the pickup cover as an anchor for the hand and use only the index finger for plucking.



I didn't listen.