Precision bridge cover...mistake?

[mousepad1123]

Alright, so my new ashtray came in the mail today. I was excited to get it on, so I went ahead and put it on right away. Drilled pilot holes, took it slow, made sure it was straight...the whole 9 yards. It wasn't until now that I decided to hit the web to read up on the subject

The cover is currently resting up against the bridge piece (that made the most sense to me...for it would guarantee a straight install.) Everyone here on TB said to make sure it does just the opposite...why is that? I've come to terms with my mistake and really am okay with it. Now I'm just wondering if I should bother filling in the holes and redrilling it, or just letting it be.

Input?

 

[ma4rk]

You're as bad as me - get excited, do impulse modification/build & then research!

If you've come to terms with it then I'm happy for you & say you leave it. I installed mine the same way on a P-bass before there was anything online about it & had no troubles.

 

[mousepad1123]

That's what i was thinking....if there are no issues that could arise from it, why waste the time/resources? I figured it would be fine....just had to come here to TB for some encouragement

 

[ma4rk]

Who cares as long as you're satisfied. I'd imagine there's a ton of basses out there with the holes in the 'wrong' spot due to the instructions on how to install not being readily available because it was pre-internet.

 

[Oren Hudson]

I've installed several ashtrays and did exactly as you did. After many years, not a problem with any of them.

 

[atomicdog]

I like the looks of the ashtray, but people often point out that it inhibits palm muting. Is that a problem for you?

 

[ma4rk]

In MY circumstances - yes it does inhibit palm muting. With the bridge ashtray only on you can palm mute but the picking would be done over the pickup. If you have the pickup & bridge ashtrays on you're pretty much picking over the neck.

FWIW after I took them off I learned that they're not very good for ashing cigarettes

 

[mousepad1123]

After tooling around with it on all day (that lovely feeling of trying new gear...you know it) I can say that palm muting is different, but not impossible. I didn't like the looks of the standard ashtrays, but the prospect of putting a black one on my bass...that excited me. And it looks absolutely killer.

 

[ma4rk]

Yeah it's do-able.

Show us a pic Mousepad1134!

 

[96tbird]

I think the idea of the Ashtray not contacting the bridge is only to avoid mechanical buzzing of the two against each other while playing. If that's not the case for you, don't worry about it.

 

[darkstorm]

That std insatll posirtion is to far in front of the bridge for me if I was going to have a bridge cover. Id put it a little further back as I think your describing.

 

[Batmensch]

I think the idea of the Ashtray not contacting the bridge is only to avoid mechanical buzzing of the two against each other while playing. If that's not the case for you, don't worry about it.

Funny enough , I installed the bridge cover on my VM P bass with it touching the back edge of the bridge plate, and when I touch the cover, I get a slight buzzing noise, like there's a grounding problem (it's definitely not a mechanical buzz, it's for sure electrical in nature). Funny thing is, when I don't have the cover on and I touch the bridge I get no noise whatsoever. At some point I will move the cover back about an eighth of an inch so it's not touching the bridge and see what happens. (The cover is removed for now)

 

[mousepad1123]

Funny enough , I installed the bridge cover on my VM P bass with it touching the back edge of the bridge plate, and when I touch the cover, I get a slight buzzing noise, like there's a grounding problem (it's definitely not a mechanical buzz, it's for sure electrical in nature). Funny thing is, when I don't have the cover on and I touch the bridge I get no noise whatsoever. At some point I will move the cover back about an eighth of an inch so it's not touching the bridge and see what happens. (The cover is removed for now)

Sounds like you hit your ground wire with the screw for the bridge cover. You might want to go in there and check it out.

 

[walterw]

the metal cover probably should be grounded!

any metal on the bass that isn't grounded becomes an antenna, adding noise.

 

[mousepad1123]

the metal cover probably should be grounded!

any metal on the bass that isn't grounded becomes an antenna, adding noise.

I've never heard anything of the sort before...That's like saying your strap buttons need to be grounded. I don't see any other reason for a bridge cover buzzing like that than the screws for it clipping the bridge ground.

 

[Batmensch]

Sounds like you hit your ground wire with the screw for the bridge cover. You might want to go in there and check it out.

Hm. I suppose that's possible. But I had the same thing happen on my VM Jazz, and I doubt the ground wire is in the same position. I will check it out, though.

 

[walterw]

I've never heard anything of the sort before...That's like saying your strap buttons need to be grounded. I don't see any other reason for a bridge cover buzzing like that than the screws for it clipping the bridge ground.

strap buttons would be an extreme example, too small and far away to be significant; anything metal that's bigger and closer to the electronics should indeed be grounded.