What are pick-up covers for?

[Pompeii_09]

Thanks for this thread! I am a new student of the bass (<2 months) and I'm having a lot of fun and learning a lot. This is my first post here.

Thanks for this topic as I have been wanting to hear informed info about these covers. I didn't find anything on other web sites. I was searching because one of my favorite "bass things" is watching Roger Waters play Echoes on the Live at Pompeii film and the bass he plays has one of these - since mine doesn't and I really like the looks and _sound_ of his guitar I was very curious.

So maybe someday I'll be able to play Echoes and sound similar _without_ such a cover if it doesn't affect the sound? I might need a giant wall of W-E-M amp too! Right now I only practice unamplified so I guess it doesn't matter much - and I can't find correct tabulature for that song. But someday

I don't think I should add one to my bass as it might mess up my learning curve and my bass has p and j pickups....would'nt look that clean. I'm not big on appearances though.

 

[Mofo-Kang]

Personally I leave the Bridge "ash tray" on for looks (does next to nothing reducing noise) and I take the strap cover off over the neck pickup because it just plain gets in the way. If you change strings a lot, then the bridge cover gets in the way as you have to remove it to change them.

I got one of those Squier Vintage Modified P-basses (with the big mudbucker-type pickup in the extreme neck position), and put a cover on the bridge just for looks' sake. I used threaded inserts and screws to hold it in place, because you have to remove the cover to change strings (if they were through-body you might be able to get away with leaving it on...but those Squiers are not). I even posted some pics over in the Luthier's Corner. Quick and simple mod, and it'll save trouble down the road.

 

[Korladis]

For a lot of people they get in the way. I rather like them though, they're good hand rests when picking and thumb anchors when using my fingers.