Pickup covers?

[dave64o]

I hope no one takes this question as bashing pickup covers, saying I think they're stupid, they look bad, or anything negative. I'm neither saying those things nor am I implying them.

So having said that ... what is the purpose of pickup covers? Again, I'm not bashing them, just asking the question because I don't know. I've tried a few basses that had them and personally I thought they could get in the way when playing, but I'm sure I could learn to adjust after playing for a while. And as far as looks go, I think they can look really nice. I'm just not sure of their functional role.

Anyway, just askin'.

 

[spade2you]

To keep the wires from being exposed???

I really could care less about the pickup cover being made from plastic or wood, I simply prefer mine to have a radius on them so I can use my pickups like a lot of players use ramps AND still have the open space between pickups when I want to use it (basically don't need to remove a ramp).

 

[doctorjazz]

Really just cosmetic. The only practical use for one I can think of is for a player who uses his pickup as a thumbrest.

 

[Slax]

My Rickenbacker has one. I use it for a thumb rest sometimes while playing on the E string or just float my hand.

I did notice that when I took it off to raise the pickup underneath it that the pickup was grounded to the cover. When there's a magnet or something near it that causes that annoying "hum" I can make a solid ground by placing my hand on the cover.

Perhaps it's also used as a noise shield?

 

[doctorjazz]

Wait, so is the OP talking about the standard run-of-the-mill pickup housings that come from the factory on most pups, the fancy wood covers, or the metal over-the-string covers like you see on Ricks and old Jazzes?

 

[UncleBalsamic]

I think he's talking of the ones that cover the strings, in which case it depends where they are but I'd rather not have them.

 

[doctorjazz]

Yeah, those seem to be more of a finger rest than anything but I'd rather just pass altogether.