Why do basses use foam?

[kyral210]

This is bothering me. Guitar pickups use springs or rubber tubes in the pickup screws. Why do basses use use foam?

 

[Lammchop93]

I’ve had some basses that use springs, just not on the mounting screws like most guitars are.

 

[JKaftertwoxans]

Springs will vibrate sympathethically with the lower notes of a bass a lot easier than they will on a guitar. Foam is the cleaner solution to avoiding sound pollution.

 

[steve_rolfeca]

I blame bad parenting.

 

[jeffmensch]

Springs will vibrate sympathethically with the lower notes of a bass a lot easier than they will on a guitar. Foam is the cleaner solution to avoiding sound pollution.

Bingo! Was just typing that as you were posting.

 

[kyral210]

Springs will vibrate sympathethically with the lower notes of a bass a lot easier than they will on a guitar. Foam is the cleaner solution to avoiding sound pollution.

Wouldn’t rubber tubing on the screws work as well?

 

[adje]

If you have a four screw mount, you can do without rubber, foam or springs. Two across going under the flange, two over. Add threaded inserts and lose the wood screws.

 

[Jeff Scott]

If you have a four screw mount, you can do without rubber, foam or springs. Two across going under the flange, two over. Add threaded inserts and lose the wood screws.

Yep. I learned that from the two Alembics I had and did so on a couple of Zons, thereafter.

 

[Slater]

Guitar pickups are usually mounted to a pickguard or pickup rings. Bass pickups tend to be mounted to the body.

 

[mikeswals]

Besides Fender, who else uses foam?

All of my non Fenders use springs. Even my 78 StingRay which is a Leo product has springs.

 

[mikeswals]

Wouldn’t rubber tubing on the screws work as well?

Rubber breaks down with age. Tubing is thin walled and will eventaully split. At least with foam its a thick dense chunk.

 

[mikeswals]

Springs will vibrate sympathethically with the lower notes of a bass a lot easier than they will on a guitar. Foam is the cleaner solution to avoiding sound pollution.

Loose springs vibrate. Compressed springs dont.

 

[kyral210]

Loose springs vibrate. Compressed springs dont.

So why do people use rubber tubing over springs?

 

[Jayhawk]

Besides Fender, who else uses foam?

All of my non Fenders use springs. Even my 78 StingRay which is a Leo product has springs.

My Lakland Skyline has foam.

 

[Killing Floor]

Non issue

 

[Slater]

So why do people use rubber tubing over springs?

Tubing can be a lot easier to work with. Slide it over a screw and it stays put. Springs have to be held in place. And, sometimes the spring is longer than the screw. It can be a bit of a PITA holding a spring on a screw, keeping it compressed, and getting the screw started in the threads of a pickup mounting “ear”.

 

[Jeff Scott]

Wouldn’t rubber tubing on the screws work as well?

Rubber breaks down with age.

So does foam.

 

[Grinderman]

It's a good thing foam takes many years to break down enough to matter, it's cheap, and more foam is easy to get.

 

[Watchootognbout]

Springs will vibrate sympathethically with the lower notes of a bass a lot easier than they will on a guitar. Foam is the cleaner solution to avoiding sound pollution.

I can't say that this is true or false.But somehow it's sounds true.

 

[Zooberwerx]

Wouldn’t rubber tubing on the screws work as well?

Silicone surgical tubing (diameter?) works well and is readily available. Avoid the latex type as it deteriorates quickly. Then again, I've had no problems with higher tensioned springs. True Value / Ace hardwares have bins of the stupid things in every size imaginable.

Riis