Yet another P bass thread....this time about covers.

[Deleted member 365158]

Ill keep my eye on this thread out of pure curiosity.
I was looking over a friends fender that has the covers. I just don’t understand why they are there. Totally makes it uncomfortable for the way I play.
I do admit they look kinda neat though.
I did notice how much yuck was under the bridge cover.

 

[micguy]

My first bass was a Rick 4001. I didn’t get all that annoyed at the bridge pickup’s cover (I didn't know anything different), but once I got a bass without pickup covers.....no way I’ll ever buy a bass with covers again.

 

[DavidBassista]

I use the covers on my vintage bass because I wanted it to look period correct. But I also like having them on because I use the cover as a thumb rest for plucking or even an arm rest if I'm picking towards the neck (prevents my sleeve from hitting the strings). Also, the covers provide a protection to the vintage pick ups and prevent me from using them as a thumb rest which over time could damage them. I don't find the cover to be an impediment to my playing and I utilize a lot of diff playing techniques.

 

[ad9000]

I remember reading in one of the books about the history of Fender that Leo adopted the covers because he didn't like the look of the exposed pickups and bridges. I've always found the covers to be a hindrance and immediately took them off any J or P-bass that I've owned.

I know a few players that keep the pickup cover on because they like anchoring their hand on it, but for me it eliminates way too much of the right hand plucking area. I also feel like the bridge cover is an impediment to being able to easily make bridge adjustments.

The foam under the 60's/early 70's bridge covers can be effective for muting in some cases, but I much prefer putting a piece of foam under the strings near the bridge - you can tailor the amount of muting by using foam pieces with a different thickness or density, and it can be removed easily when not needed.

Having said all that I love the rubber bridge mutes on my Mustang Bass, but that's a different animal.

 

[wraub]

I play my bass to play itm and anything in my way goes away.
My covers are away.

 

[JeezyMcNuggles]

Right. I want to know how many people actually use the covers over the pickups and bridge on their P bass. Do you keep them in place, or have you retro-fitted some, and if so, why?

The reason for this post is that I'm thinking of fitting covers so that I can top-mute at the bridge and also to force me to pluck nearer the bridge - my right hand keeps slipping back towards the pickup, and over the pickup is my least favourite sound - I mean, it's a P bass, so all sounds are favourite, of course, but it's OK, it's totally valid for some sounds to be slightly less favourite.

However, as the old Turkish proverb has it, every warrior has his own way of eating yoghourt. So tell me...

My natural playing position is about an inch behind the treble side of the split. So, right on the front edge of my bridge single. I play PJs. But, I don't dig the fat, scooped tone from playing over the split. I like the more mid forward tine if right behind it. So, luckily nature's on my side for that one.

 

[Killing Floor]

Here is a 1955 Fender P bass and a 1955 Cadillac Fleetwood.
As you can easily observe, people from this era were enamored with excess non-functional metal.
If you have ever worked in an engineering or DFM capacity you'll be able to recognize that any attempt by Fender, Cadillac, or collectors/resellers to swag a legitimate statement of function on all the chrome is nothing short of spectacular BS.
It's purely aesthetic now and it was purely aesthetic then. But if some avid collector wants to say that it was for practical purpose, by all means, have at it. It doesn't reduce interference because it isn't a mesh or full enclosure, but collectors will often say that it does. In some bass models these covers have included mute assemblies. But even in that case the cover is strictly cosmetic.
But it looks cool in this context. So if you have a rockin' vintage looking bass it will gussy up nice with a little bumper chrome. Why not?

 

[Rabidhamster]

The US in the 1950's was 'chrome crazy', even kitchen appliances, much less automobiles, were dripping in it. And of course, Fender's location in Southern California may have led to the covers on the Fender basses as a design conceit (the middle of hot rod culture, car crazy), though Leo was more of a tinkering engineer than a design maven. Someone better versed in the history can straighten me out about this I'm sure.

Nonetheless, there's no 'right' answer. If you like them, keep them. If they're in your way or you don't like the look, ditch them.

Plus Fender used the popular automotive colors, and heck even a popular car name or two. Definitely done to match the style of the times, no question.

 

[iiipopes]

I have the cover on the bridge of my fanned fret P-style bass to hide how I offset the bridge. Sorry, I just can't let the world know all my secrets.

 

[Pdaddy1978]

I've yanked the covers off of every bass I've owned. Just never found a use for them, other than getting in the way.
When I got my P, the very first "mod" I did was to lose the ashtrays.
Still got em..... somewhere.

 

[JoeDaddio]

Nothing wrong with looking cool, either. I just ordered a chrome anchor from Hipshot to put yet another piece of ridiculous, functionless chrome on my bass. I'm probably the lamest person you'll see today.




joe

 

[MotorCityMinion]

The US in the 1950's was 'chrome crazy', even kitchen appliances, much less automobiles, were dripping in it.

I recall reading something similar as well. Purely cosmetic over the pick up. Held the foam over the strings on the bridge.

 

[JoeWPgh]

I can't stand pickup covers on a J or a P. I can put up with a bridge cover on a P, but not on a J, where it's just way too large

 

[EatS1stBassist]

Well, since he changed to rosewood for fretboards because he thought maple ended up looking shabby (he was right), it's entirely possible he put them there just to cover up the "unsightly" functional bits of the bass.

It was to add a car like appeal to their auto-like bass. Also to protect the pickup from pounding. Add to that the Allen screws in the saddle would poke you. So the original purpose
Was to be just that a “ guard”.

 

[Fresh Eddie]

I anchor my thumb on the pickups, so ended up taking them off both my 70s Fenders. Also they added extra weight, which those basses certainly don't need! They look awesome though.

I also anchor my thumb on pickups, so I added pickup covers to the basses where the pickups are too far into the body to anchor them on. Not ideal, but it works. I leave the bridge covers off because I am too lazy to mess with them during string changes.

 

[Stewie]

There's a reason people used to call them ashtrays. At least around me, not many still smoke. So there is no good reason to include them with every bass. If you are looking for "the look", borrow a set and drill the holes in the body, but don't bother to install them

 

[Mark 63]

Don't forget the Telecaster and Stratocaster had them also. The only Tele player I can think of who kept the ashtray on was Albert Collins.

 

[Yellow Bang66]

Well, since he changed to rosewood for fretboards because he thought maple ended up looking shabby (he was right), it's entirely possible he put them there just to cover up the "unsightly" functional bits of the bass.

Yeah I got to say the bare pups are kinda ugly in a design sense & covering up that cheap bent plate bridge is a good idea, but covers always seemed very oversized compared to what they're covering. just wondering out loud, why, no one ever redesigned them to look sleeker/smaller. since have no real function other than to cover unsightly parts on a beautiful instrument!

 

[Killing Floor]

Yeah I got to say the bare pups are kinda ugly in a design sense & covering up that cheap bent plate bridge is a good idea, but covers always seemed very oversized compared to what they're covering. just wondering out loud, why, no one ever redesigned them to look sleeker/smaller. since have no real function other than to cover unsightly parts on a beautiful instrument!

Totally agree. Gets back to the idea that it may be a car culture aesthetic?
Another idea is to make pickups look better.

 

[Andy Daventry]

One bare , two with covers , but one is a 51 reissue and I just had to put the rocket shaped covers and a tug bar on that ...

Sacred duty!