POLL: Ashtrays & Pickup Covers -- Do You Play With Them in Place?

One of my regular basses has them, others don't.

 

I took them both off my P almost as soon as I got it.
I think they're in a drawer somewhere.
I think......

 

Nope. Never.

All the covers that I have for the basses that came with them are neatly packed away and labeled, just in (very unlikely) case that these instruments go up for sale...

 

With my 1965 Jazz that I bought in 1966, I got it with the pickup covers in place. By the time I started touring in the early 70's I had removed the neck one and had scraped those silly open-cell foam mutes off the underside of the ashtray so I could actually get some sustain in my bass. I thought that giant F on the Ashtray looked cool.

Me in 1972 with the ashtray in place. That's my Standel amp peaking out from behind the guitar player:


Unfortunately my '65 Jazz was stolen along with all my touring gear in 1976 and it wasn't until 1985 that I found another Jazz that had the same neck profile, shape, and radius (60's slim C-shape with 7.25" radius). As soon as I played it, it felt like home.

Was working PT at a music store as I had gone back to college in 1985. A fellow brought this mint condition Olympic White, 1982 Jazz with a white bound maple-neck, in and it still had the pickup covers in their plastic bags. They had never been pulled out and mounted. The feillow traded it in towards an Aria Pro II with active electronics. The guy taking it in immediately put the covers in our accessory case for sale separately and put the bass on the wall. A few days later I tried it out and a month later it was mine.

So I've never had the pickup covers on this bass and I wouldn't put them on it. This bass also has the 70's era pickup spacing (4" center to center) and has a slightly brighter sound than my '65 did. I love being able to change the sound I get out of my bass by moving my plucking position. Up but the neck or over it gives me a very dark and warm sound. over the bridge pickup itself gives a very percussive and bright sound. If I dig into the strings over the bridge pickup, my bass will growl all day long. And I can get every sound in between those two extremes just by changing my had position. If I put covers on it, they would just get in the way. So I no longer play a bass with pickup covers and if I got another bass that had them, I would take them off.
Here's me in 2019 with my '82 Jazz that I bought in 1985:

 

If they come with them, they stay- makes no difference to me, and never get in the way no matter how I play. In fact, the pickup cover on my Rick and Jazz Bass is very handy for pick playing- rest my hand on it and anchors it quite well.
...And, for the record, I do not care whether other people use them or not- just play, baby!

 

I'm very interested in the opinions here.
I just scored a 51 reissue P and I was just about to order covers...
I can see the point of the bridge cover because I like playing with foam under the strings. But I don't know about the pickup cover. Thats a great spot to pluck that would be taken away.

 

yes and no. Some of my basses have them, others do not. What I like about them is that it forces you to attack the strings in a certain place (James Jamerson anyone?) thus producing a particular tone.

 

I like the look, but don't use them except for this bass. It's a Fender Sting Artist. I was going for a retro country look at the time, whence the covers and the aged pearloid pickguard.

 

Ashtrays are for cigarettes and I don't smoke.

 

I always have them on when playing. I typically playing wearing long sleeve shirts or a jacket that would otherwise come in contact with the strings if I did not have both covers on. I also employ some type of foam mute that fits under the ashtray. I can rest my hand on the pickup cover since I play below the neck.

The fact that Leo Fender put the covers over the pickups means he did not want you to play directly over the pickup!

 

One manufacturer produces NEW basses with these covers, and in those cases it's to replicate something they haven't done themselves for decades. Seems to me the bass buying public has spoken.

 

I like the look, but they get in the way so mine are in the parts box.

 

I love the look, but y'know, I like to have easy access to all the real estate between the neck and the bridge.

 

I specifically put them on a Fender sunburst P. It also has flats and I usually play that one with a pick. It's fun and pretty, but it's the only one I have with any type of covers. The rest of my basses came without covers and that's how they'll remain.

 

I have the bridge cover on one of nine Fender basses. I did buy both for a Jazz bass build but did not end op using them.

 

I thought this was settled in the 80s, Leo got a lot right, but this ain't it

 

I have my Jamerson Bass, P with La Bella 1954 flats, foam mute under the bridge cover, and I have the pick up cover as well. I did that to see how it was playing a bass like James did. I have run a pickup cover over the neck pickup of one jazz, like Larry and Marcus, some for hand position. The rest of my basses don't have covers.

 

There’s a reason they used to get used as ashtrays. Just sayin’.

 

TL;DR: Came for the covers. Stayed for the bass. Kept the covers. Might take off the covers. I'm sure I'll go through phases. It's all fine.

Recently got an AVRI 64 Jazz. I actually was drawn to it because of the look of the covers, but thought I'd absolutely hate playing with them on. Turns out, I just didn't really mind much. And I liked just about everything else about the bass. And so I'm keeping them on for now cause I think they're cool and idk, they add to the "vintagey-ness" or something. But I'm a mere bedroom musician so you know. YMMV. Maybe I'll eventually take them off. I'm not really worried about it either way.