jenevers Posted December 20, 2013 Share Posted December 20, 2013 Erm! always wondered.......what purpose do they serve?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BetaFunk Posted December 20, 2013 Share Posted December 20, 2013 I've often found that a nice large ashtray bridge cover can be very convenient if there is no mirror to hand. I think i saw this first in Spinal Tap although i'm not sure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dom in Dorset Posted December 20, 2013 Share Posted December 20, 2013 They cover the bridge. An uncovered bridge could cause the sky to fall in or tear a whole in the space time continuum. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Telebass Posted December 20, 2013 Share Posted December 20, 2013 What Dom said The bridge cover also covered the mutes and gave some measure of shielding to the bridge pickup. The shielding idea also applies to the other cover/pickup. But mostly what Dom said... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jenevers Posted December 20, 2013 Author Share Posted December 20, 2013 The bridge cover gave some measure of shielding to the bridge pickup. The shielding idea also applies to the other cover/pickup. Shielding what?????? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Telebass Posted December 20, 2013 Share Posted December 20, 2013 Electrical shielding. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jenevers Posted December 21, 2013 Author Share Posted December 21, 2013 [quote name='Telebass' timestamp='1387553004' post='2313314'] Electrical shielding. [/quote] OK. So what's electrical shielding? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Telebass Posted December 21, 2013 Share Posted December 21, 2013 As in, the early basses had the covers earthed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DiMarco Posted December 21, 2013 Share Posted December 21, 2013 The bridge cover is what caused seventies pickup positioning so be thankful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jenevers Posted December 21, 2013 Author Share Posted December 21, 2013 [quote name='DiMarco' timestamp='1387623472' post='2313857'] The bridge cover is what caused seventies pickup positioning so be thankful. [/quote] I have no idea what that means! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HowieBass Posted December 21, 2013 Share Posted December 21, 2013 [quote name='DiMarco' timestamp='1387623472' post='2313857'] The bridge cover is what caused seventies pickup positioning so be thankful. [/quote] Meaning (I think) that the bridge pickup is pretty close to the bridge (otherwise the cover would have been awkwardly large) and that position creates a particular tone where more of the harmonics come into play (vs the tone from the neck pickup which has more of the note's fundamental in it). The ability to have two distinct sounds from one bass and to be able to blend them together is what makes the Jazz so popular. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DiMarco Posted December 21, 2013 Share Posted December 21, 2013 With the original (sixties) bridge pickup position, the bridge cover did not cover the bridge pickup. Because this was not aesthetically pleasing Fender then chose to move this pickup closer to the bridge. So indeed, it resulted in a more agressive and snappy sound originating from this bridge pickup, a tone that many people still know and love their Jazz Bass for. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jenevers Posted December 21, 2013 Author Share Posted December 21, 2013 [quote name='DiMarco' timestamp='1387637381' post='2314047'] With the original (sixties) bridge pickup position, the bridge cover did not cover the bridge pickup. Because this was not aesthetically pleasing Fender then chose to move this pickup closer to the bridge. So indeed, it resulted in a more agressive and snappy sound originating from this bridge pickup, a tone that many people still know and love their Jazz Bass for. [/quote] Yes but none of these answers are telling me what the covers achieve. Lets put it another way.....What's the difference between having the covers on or off......apart from having unlimited access to the strings with no covers? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LiamPodmore Posted December 21, 2013 Share Posted December 21, 2013 With 'em on you have less space to pluck the string, something else to catch a knuckle on, and more shiny stuff, and that's about it i think. Liam Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HowieBass Posted December 21, 2013 Share Posted December 21, 2013 The supposed shielding benefit (via the Faraday Cage effect) of the metal covers, probably not achieving much in practice, means they serve more as hand rests, or hand hindrances, depending on how you play. As pickup technology advanced (noiseless/humbuckers), pickup shields/covers became superfluous and so have been dispensed with by many builders/players. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DiMarco Posted December 21, 2013 Share Posted December 21, 2013 Or currently made of cheap plastic like the one on my Ric. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
badboy1984 Posted December 21, 2013 Share Posted December 21, 2013 They look good on photo shoot but i take them all off for playing purpose. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geek99 Posted December 22, 2013 Share Posted December 22, 2013 [quote name='jenevers' timestamp='1387547605' post='2313227'] Erm! always wondered.......what purpose do they serve?? [/quote] See here http://basschat.co.uk/topic/182008-fender-ashtray-and-neck-pickup-covers-on-a-jazz-bass/page__fromsearch__1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.