what's the ashtray for??

[skidder652003]

just been changing the strings on my P and decided to put the ashtray back on, apart from looking purty, does anyone know what it's actually for? sustain? dunno!

[bertbass]

To get in the way.

[mep]

To hide the weedy bridge!

[Dad3353]

Aesthetic, like hubcaps on cars; also to help prevent bleeding of the hand when you strum whilst stoned.

Edited April 26, 2014 by Dad3353

[gjones]

Handy to whack a sponge under the bridge ashtray, to damp the strings, like James Jamerson used to do. But originally, I think they were put there for purely aesthetic reasons.

[HowieBass]

[quote name='gjones' timestamp='1398520663' post='2434931']
Handy to whack a sponge under the bridge ashtray, to damp the strings, like James Jamerson used to do. But originally, I think they were put there for purely aesthetic reasons.
[/quote]

According to Fender they were indeed something to mount the foam mute to so not entirely aesthetic...

http://www.fender.com/news/the-precision-bass-in-the-1950s/

"The first commercial unit of the Precision Bass was produced in October 1951. It had a “slab” (non-contoured) ash body with two “horns” (as opposed to the Telecaster’s one; this provided greater balance and was subsequently adapted for the Stratocaster), a one-piece 20-fret maple neck fixed to the body by four screws (despite use of the technically incorrect term “bolt-on”), a single pickup, black pickguard, Kluson tuners, treble-side thumb rest, [b]a string-through-body bridge with a cover (with a mute)[/b], and two pressed fiber bridge saddles."

[Bassassin]

Correct explanation for the bridge cover, but the pickup cover was originally intended as a hand rest - the idea being that the side of the palm lies on the cover, fingers anchor on the thumb rest (or "tug bar" in its original position) and strings are plucked with the thumb. This was because it was assumed most electric bassists would be coming from the double bass - so I wonder who originated "conventional" fingerstyle technique?

Jon.

[HowieBass]

I think they also grounded the early pickup covers to offer some electrical shielding for the original single coil design...

[Maude]

I like a bridge cover to use in a similar way to 'Bassassins' explanation of the pickup cover, when playing octaves with the forefinger and thumb for example.

[Phil Adams]

Ash

[Geek99]

[quote name='gjones' timestamp='1398520663' post='2434931']
Handy to whack a sponge under the bridge ashtray, to damp the strings, like James Jamerson used to do. But originally, I think they were put there for purely aesthetic reasons.
[/quote]
No, it was originally part of EMF shielding . 51 precisions had an earth wire that connected to the ashtray

[Dr.Dave]

All I know , from a gigging players point of view , is that with the bridge cover in place not only can you not put a new string on but you can't even get the old broken one off. So it's as much use to me as a chocolate fireguard. Binned the day after I bought the bass 35 years ago. Pickup cover was tossed the same day - got in my way , as did the thumb rest. I expect that lot from a 73 sold on ebay these days would buy me 5 pints of Beardytwats 'aud Wifebeater , Sag Gohst with extra chilli and a peshwari nan and a knee trembler round the back of a skip with a painted hussy ....but I care not a jot.

[rogerstodge]

[quote name='Phil Adams' timestamp='1398539452' post='2435113']
Ash
[/quote]ha ha ha

[TheGreek]

Can't be aesthetics...they're bloody ugly!!

[drTStingray]

Back in the olden days, they were available outside all shopping centres, in all good and bad public houses, on all trains, in all cars and in most houses to allow the smoking population, which was more of a majority than now, to put out their ciggies out.

Sorry now the more likely answer re bass guitar ashtrays. Back in the olden days, when the Precision and Jazz basses were first being invented, bass players other than orchestral ones played double basses with a rather aggressive finger pulling the strings action. Transferring this to the electric bass hitting the pick up or even crashing the string against it, if set high, is entirely possible - watch some of the 60s ex double bass playing electric players (Jamerson, Leo Lyons, not sure if he played a double bass but Duck Dunn played very aggressively also) - I suspect the covers over pick ups were to protect the pick ups - and the bridge moving parts from dust and also bass players hands from being damaged on the saddles/screws. By the 70s it was obvious they just got in the way of most bass players and most people had removed them anyway.

I did indeed use the bridge one off my Antoria Jazz copy as a real ashtray in the 70s - and a very good job it did in that role. I suspect a lot of other people did this - great when sitting around in a studio. The neck pick up one didn't work well as an ashtray as it had no sides - ok as a cigarette stubber though!!

The original tug bar position might have been to facilitate guitarists moving to bass to easily transfer a thumb and finger picking style playing to bass - I guess country players especially. Apparently Leo involved contemporary musicians in development of instruments and took a lot of notice of country players.

[Roland Rock]

[quote name='TheGreek' timestamp='1398591669' post='2435489']
Can't be aesthetics...they're bloody ugly!!
[/quote]

Says the man who likes gold hardware ;-)

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder etc. :-)