Hole Under Pickguard

[smtp4me]

Without seeing the hole you're referring to, it sounds like a guide hole used for the CNC machine cutting of the body at the factory.

^^^ This. I have two MIM Jazz basses - a Geddy Lee signature and a fretless. BOTH have this hole under the pick guard. When I first noticed, I looked it up and the consensus was a hole used or made by the CNC machine. I would keep the pick guards on mine anyway, even if the hole was not there, but I'm sure it's frustrating to someone who wants to remove the guard.

 

[jaybones]

There should have been a stack of tone wafers in there. Extremely thin (almost 1 dimensional) and completely clear, if you lost any of them you'll never find them again.

 

[Old Garage-Bander]

Otherwise... Why did you post a painting of a dog?

His dog is a finalist as a poster animal to help with the cause of not having thumbs.
They taking donations at:
WOBBLE'S SUMMER POOL PARTY

 

[Thumpin6string]

I've heard it was for hiding weed.

 

[Chrisk-K]

The hole adds a little bit of semihollowness to the tone.

 

[Wisebass]

Hole in Fender P Bass Body

has been posted before some very funny posts on this one!!!!

may the hole be with you

Wise(b)ass

 

[avvie]

I have to ask a stupid question because I know that tech has brought us some great things but I havent seen them all: is that a painting or a camera filter?
It seems like I've seen a filter that does that, and I'm torn because on the one hand I really love impressionism the most, followed closely by post-impressionism a la Van Gogh and Manet; on the other, I feel like it cheapens the style.
Regardless, it's beautiful. Hope he is comfortable.

 

[bass.slinger]

Annoying - just like the swimming pool rout Fender now uses on the front jazz bass pickup - since I like to take off the pickguard.

 

[TrustRod]

Fender has a long history of indexing holes even back in the pin router days. Look on the back of your headstock you may find a smaller plugged hole. For a while they even used nails as supports in the finishing process.

It is shocking to see it the first time.

 

[TrustRod]

just like the swimming pool rout Fender now uses on the front jazz bass pickup

SX does that too. That one I find more baffling. If you're routing one pickup tight what benefit is there in making the other sloppy?

Maybe it's to allow for slop in the pickguard so if that's off they don't have to do any touch up work.

 

[Nev375]

That's the sound hole. It projects the acoustic sound of the tonewood directly into the tort pickguard so it can resonate into the pickups better.

Those older guitars without them were manufactured before the science of tort technology was fully understood.

 

[Goingdownslow]

That 'hole' is the patented Fender Tone Chamber where the tone is installed under laboratory conditions and sealed in with the pickguard. Under no circumstances is the pickguard to be removed or the tone will be released. But you will have now found this out...

You are now the owner of a toneless bass as the tone is not user replaceable.

 

[LowActionHero]

Keep the pick guard, but cut it down til It's just big enough to cover the hole. Best of both worlds!

 

[Fxpmusic]

That's where I keep my secret weed.

 

[lug]

It's like Vegas. What happens in the hole under the pick guard STAYS in the hole under the pick guard!

 

[Joe Nerve]

Stingray HSs have a hole, and a hole nuther pickup under the pickguard.

Really!

I guess that makes them better than P basses, but we all knew that anyhow.

@gleep414 now that we understand the dog pic (which is a great one), why the poop pics?

 

[Bill Whitehurst]

If it bothers you enough, you could fill it and the PG screw holes
and paint it to end up without the PG.
You'd still need a control plate.
The other option is to find a rear routed body,
made for going without a PG.
Definatly better if you want to show off some grain.

 

[AltGrendel]

Without seeing the hole you're referring to, it sounds like a guide hole used for the CNC machine cutting of the body at the factory.

This ^^^

 

[dan1952]

Really?

 

[tbplayer59]

Secret stash, man.