The way a P bass should be

[DJ Bebop]

There is not much difference, the difference is the Fender covers are tied to nowhere. Just do a link to the ground and make it functional as shield.

As they used to do in the 50s. They stopped doing that because they found it had little effect.

 

[catalin gramada]

Lot of good things was happen in 50's. For instance just found the tone control in the volume pot wiper is more functional and versatile than traditional tone control in parallel with volume pot. They stopped doing that as well...

 

[catalin gramada]

As they used to do in the 50s. They stopped doing that because they found it had little effect.

Hey. I just did a quick test with an unshielded bass. You statement is partial corect. The grounded pickup cover alone will not solve the noise substantially if anything else is left unshielded. You need to shield the cavity, the pickguard, and then you'll see the grounded pickup cover will do a difference. I used to use mg842ar for cavity, brass pickguard and brass pickup cover. My bass is dead silent (and meant absolute silent, zero noise) with everything maxed till one meter to cabs. Nothing else but hiss thermal noise. Without cover shielded still get some noise with treble dimmed.

 

[DJ Bebop]

Hey. I just did a quick test with an unshielded bass. You statement is partial corect. The grounded pickup cover alone will not solve the noise if anything else is left unshielded. You need to shield the cavity, the pickguard, and then you'll see the grounded pickup cover will do a difference. I used to use mg842ar for cavity, brass pickguard and brass pickup cover. My bass is dead silent (and meant absolute silent, zero noise) with everything maxed till one meter to cabs. Nothing else but hiss thermal noise. Without cover shielded still get some noise with treble dimmed.

My P bass of Doom 62 has the plate under the tort guard. I haven't had the cover on in year's. Might have to mount the cover over the pick up and see if the screw contact makes something happen.

 

[catalin gramada]

My P bass of Doom 62 has the plate under the tort guard. I haven't had the cover on in year's. Might have to mount the cover over the pick up and see if the screw contact makes something happen.

I know what you mean. The screws contact are always problems. Specially if the shield foil is aluminum and get contact to copper surfaces. I strongly suggest to bolt a screw in cavity with a crimp washer and a solder lug. Then run individual wires to ground the plates. I use to solder even the bridge plate in mine (just making a tiny hole and soldered on back -see the white sop in middle of the bridge)...

You may put a piece of stranded wire, bended underneath and to the top tghrough one of the cover hole to make sure it make contact with both surfaces.

 

[catalin gramada]

I just did a quick test with a cover made from a ferro-magnetic material (kind of permalloy sheet or some) tied to the ground. It definitely change the pickups tone. The sound lost the brightness and get stiff and dull.
In fact I.m also interested to know if cavities treated with conductive paint MG 841AR (which seems very popular on TB) noticed a efective changing in pickups tone after shielding. I just used 842AR which is silver compound. 841 is nickel- its magnetic properties should have some effect I suppose...

 

[bigswifty1]

the covers add weight

Considering the weight of a P bass the covers are negligible.

helps spread the magnetic field of the pickup to even the volume

I have a slightly used Sydney Opera House for sale if you are interested. In good condition

I have been playing since 1971 and have read many reasons why ashtray covers were installed on P basses, but now you know why they were put there in the first place. I learned it all from a bass player who had an original 1952 P bass he had purchased new.

The bridge cover was put there to hide the unsightly strip of rubber that was glued inside them as a mute.

Otherwise - nice bass. And Talkbass I love you so.

 

[catalin gramada]

To not forgot any coil mounted in proximity of metal changed the initial coil inductance...This will shift the resonant point in conjunction with other components in circuit...