When did Fenders become non-smoking?

[4 Strings]

Trying to identify a Jazz bass, does anyone know when Fender stopped putting ashtrays on Jazz basses (or Precisions for that matter)?

[umcoo]

A quick Google suggests they were beginning to go by '79, and were pretty much phased out by '82 or '83.

[chris_b]

[size=4][font=arial, helvetica, sans-serif][color=#000000]Many players were taking the covers off from day 1. They were a nuisance if you wanted to play over the pickup and a pain when you were changing strings. I think they look pretty in pictures but that's all. [/color][/font][/size]

[size=4][font=arial, helvetica, sans-serif][color=#000000]The tug bar was equally useless and the strap button on the back of the head. Why they lasted so long I don’t know.[/color][/font][/size]

Edited September 24, 2011 by chris_b

[EdwardHimself]

a strap button on the back of the head? Fine for an acoustic but sounds like a recipie for buggering up your neck on a much heavier and longer necked bass.

[Jean-Luc Pickguard]

1982

[4 Strings]

Thanks all, I'll take the 1982 (ish as these things never seem finite, basses can sit in shops for a while). I thought it was later than that.

I can't play with them on but so many do/did (Jameson, Entwhistle etc). I keep the bridge one on my Precision as it looks cool but means I can't play dampened with my palm on the bridge.

I know most have been removed but there should be screw holes if fitted originally.

[Graham]

Is there any tonal benefit to the covers? I've never played a bass with them on and can't imagine it makes them more comfortable but with likes of jamerson and miller using them i can't help but think there's got to be some benefit beyond the aesthetic?

[electric nate]

Supposedly the covers have some effect on the pickups, i'm not sure if they were intended to contain or reflect the magnetic field (perhaps an attempt to improve sustain?), or if they were just supposed to reduce interference and noise. I'm sure you'll find plenty of people willing to claim they have an effect on tone, but there's no great players with great tone I can think of who left the covers on. (edit: I'm sure that'll sound like an invitation for someone to post a bunch of pics of famous players with pickup covers on and prove me wrong!)

Edited September 25, 2011 by electric nate

[Cat Burrito]

I've been playing with the covers on since the 1990s and I don't reckon there is any tonal difference to speak of. Just a question of taste. I think it looks good & I've been doing it so long that I don't feel they get in the way. And I reckon 1982 would be about right

[dlloyd]

[quote name='electric nate' timestamp='1316951963' post='1384668']
Supposedly the covers have some effect on the pickups, i'm not sure if they were intended to contain or reflect the magnetic field (perhaps an attempt to improve sustain?), or if they were just supposed to reduce interference and noise. I'm sure you'll find plenty of people willing to claim they have an effect on tone, but there's no great players with great tone I can think of who left the covers on. (edit: I'm sure that'll sound like [b]an invitation for someone to post a bunch of pics of famous players with pickup covers on[/b] and prove me wrong!)
[/quote]


Why not?