The way a P bass should be

[SoulReflection]

Nice bass!

Nice carrots!

 

[J Posega]

View attachment 5245115

Then what is the purpose?

 

[Crash 56]

Then what is the purpose?

Just to cover up those ugly pickup hingies with some nice chrome....

 

[SpeakerBoxxx]

Ampeg's Isovent was the best speaker design ever and the only true way to transport your pedals is in the original boxes.

HAHA! I have one of those Isovents, heavy AF! and sounds very mediocre. Every now and then I'll plug into it and remind myself what a dud it really is.

 

[DJ Bebop]

Then what is the purpose?

At first, on the very first P basses from the 50s there was a ground wire attached to the pick up cover. Thay found it did nothing and stopped grounding the cover. Left them on more for the visual effect of hiding the pickup and bridge. Giving it a more finished look. The bridge cover also besides giving the bridge a tidy look serve as a place to mount the string mute. Plus chrome was in, in the 50s and 60s. Remember too, the second generation of P basses have a hum canceling pickup in them.

If it performed the functions people say it did. They would still be doing it.

 

[JKos]

I've never had any dead note spots anywhere with any string

That’s pretty much statistically impossible.

 

[grubdumpling]

That’s pretty much statistically impossible.

Haha, "improbable" more like it. I have seen dead spots pushed far enough up the neck to be irrelevant to my playing, but there always seems to be a dip in fundamental sustain somewhere on the G string.

Personally I still kinda envy those that either don't know about or can't identify dead spots.

 

[ebo]

I had dead spots but added a harmonic demystifier to my pedalboard and that solved it.

 

[grubdumpling]

I had dead spots but added a harmonic demystifier to my pedalboard and that solved it.

I'd never do anything to remove harmonic mist, that's where all my tone is.

 

[Dincrest]

My ideal P-Bass would have 5 strings, 24 frets, 17mm string spacing at the bridge, a 45mm wide nut, and a 15" fingerboard radius... That's what a P-Bass should be for me.

 

[Stewie]

I'd never do anything to remove harmonic mist, that's where all my tone is.

Wait! I was told repeatedly that the tone came from Jaco's fingers. Could this be false too?

 

[Pocket Dave]

And me here with not a single kernel to pop.

Here, have an M&M.

Tho' watch for the brown ones; I hear they cause stage lights to fall.

 

[Stewie]

I have three P Basses, sadly none of them meet your specific requirements

 

[Ostie]

I remember when guitar players were removing the pickup covers because it sounded better. Then vintage PAF became a thing, and every GP was looking for pickup covers.

 

[Pocket Dave]

I had dead spots but added a harmonic demystifier to my pedalboard and that solved it.

I had dead spots but called in an exorcist and that fixed it.

 

[DJ Bebop]

I remember when guitar players were removing the pickup covers because it sounded better. Then vintage PAF became a thing, and every GP was looking for pickup covers.

Less microphonic. Wax potting would cure it.

 

[grubdumpling]

Wait! I was told repeatedly that the tone came from Jaco's fingers. Could this be false too?

Jaco's tone was in his fingers, MY tone is in the mist.

 

[mrjim123]

Here's my 2013 Fender American Special P Bass. I have Rotosound Jazz 77 flats on it. I like having the covers on for several reasons: the covers add weight which means the weight distribution of the bass changes to eliminate the famous dead spots on G string, the pickup cover being made from steel helps spread the magnetic field of the pickup to even the volume and the bridge cover keeps the bridge free of dust and junk. 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. Remember the metal weight they used to sell that attached to the headstock to eliminate the dead spot? People needed that after they removed the covers! View attachment 5244871

You ARE, at least partly, trying to be funny, right?

 

[MasterMonkeyMan]

Best bass for playing cover tunes.

 

[TrustRod]

Then what is the purpose?

I will refer you to Albert Camu on that.