Where have all the ashtrays gone? 🤪

[Painy]

I don't find that they get in the way at all as my preferred playing position for tension and tone is between the P-pup and the bridge anyway. In fact I went to a great deal of trouble to find covers to fit my 5 string precision (purchased on ebay from a seller in China who would only post to the US. They sent it to - if I remember correctly - the New York home of the sister of helpful BCer. She then took them with her to Florida to give to said BCer who was meeting her there for a holiday. He then carried them back in his hand luggage to his home in the Republic of Ireland where he finally posted them on to me here in Norfolk).

I'm very happy with them. 🙂

 

[bassbiscuits]

44 minutes ago, Hobbayne said:

I think the original Fender Pick up covers were supposed to block interference from electric lights or summat.

The bridge ones acted as mutes or dampeners.

I craved after a pair to put on my sunburst/tort P Bass, but rapidly took them off as they did indeed get in the way.

Same here - lusted after a set to complete the vintage vibe on a p bass.

Struggled with them for a few weeks and then realised I hated them and sold them. 

[Cato]

9 hours ago, Hobbayne said:

I think the original Fender Pick up covers were supposed to block interference from electric lights or summat.

I'm fairly sure I read somewhere that Leo Fender originally put them on P basses as a purely aesthetic thing because he thought the pickup looked ugly.

I've seen claims that the covers on Rickenbacker basses are supposed to somehow enhance the pickups performance, but most people seem fairly sceptical about the science behind that and there's an alternative theory that it's a hang over from the very early Rick designs back when the 'covers' were actually an integral part of the magnetic pickup system they used on their 'frying pan' guitars.

Edited August 29, 2019 by Cato

[Guest oZZma]

Why do some people feel the need to have their basses to wear a chastity belt, is beyond me.

[Huge Hands]

I think they look amazing, but when I have tried other friend's basses with them on, the gap between the two covers is not normally big enough for my chunky mitts to fit between.

I did ask @Painy where he got his from when I was working on one of my P5 projects, but after he told me that saga, I didn't bother any further...... 

[EliasMooseblaster]

54 minutes ago, Cato said:

I've seen claims that the covers on Rickenbacker basses are supposed to somehow enhance the pickups performance, but most people seem fairly sceptical about the science behind that and there's an alternative theory that it's a hang over from the very early Rick designs back when the 'covers' were actually an integral part of the magnetic pickup system they used on their 'frying pan' guitars.

I can't find it just now, but I did read an article on Fender's website which made a similar claim about the Telecaster's bridge pickup. The writer asserted that the way the metal of the bridge extended to surround the pickup (the "other" ashtray design) did something to enhance the sound and make the pickup "snarl" more.

My own Tele does not have the extended ashtray bridge, and sounds pretty much as I expect a Tele to sound, so I remain sceptical.

[Stub Mandrel]

Cowboy boots look cool too... you have to suffer to be beautiful 🙂

[Marc S]

I've always found they get in the way. Years back, I used to play more punk-style bass, with a pick, and closer to the bridge - so the ashtray on a P bass got in the way.
Same thing with a Jazz for me now - I do like to play pizz in a few different places, depending on the individual song / vibe / feel - so sometimes the pickup cover over the neck pickup is in the way, and sometimes the ashtray over the bridge is in the way.

I got used to seeing basses without ashtrays on, so they looked "wrong" to me for years. However, lately, I've grown to like them again.... well, a little bit, and perhaps on a nice old Fender. I've got a few P's and a P/J and generally don't have ashtrays. However, the one bass I've kept them on is my pale blue CV Squier Precision - I think that one in particular looks better with...

Another memory came flooding back to me - back in the early 80's and my punk youth - I did used to break strings far more regularly than I now do. And leaving the ashtray off a P bass also saved time when changing strings. I know there are others who say they've never broken a string, but I did break quite a few, particularly the G and D strings (D more often, I seem to recall). I either must have had a stronger downstroke back then, or perhaps it was my poverty-driven need to re-use strings till they gave up the ghost?

[Stub Mandrel]

They've been found in possession of suspected chain smoker @onehandclapping on the 'How many basses do you own' thread:

 

 

 

[Guest oZZma]

11 minutes ago, Stub Mandrel said:

They've been found in possession of suspected chain smoker @onehandclapping on the 'How many basses do you own' thread:

 

 

 

Protect the world from bass nudity with Bass Underpants!! 

[Jus Lukin]

-

Edited March 4, 2022 by Jus Lukin

[Stub Mandrel]

45 minutes ago, oZZma said:

Protect the world from bass nudity with Bass Underpants!!  

 

5 minutes ago, Jus Lukin said:

It keeps your fingers off the bum notes. 

Not unrelated?

[Hobbayne]

I still love the look of ashtrays though. I mean, look at how cool Jet Harris looks!!

 

[Painy]

Forgot to mention that the one time the bridge cover gets in the way is if I ever need to play with a pick (can't palm mute with a bridge cover).

To get around the problem I have made my bridge cover quick release using strong magnets counter-sunk and epoxied into the body. The screws are then epoxied to the bridge cover and the screw holes drilled out very slightly larger than the thread so they work as locating pins that slot in to stop lateral movement. 

If I ever have to use a pick I can just pop the bridge cover off and then back on again when I'm done. Also makes string changes and setting intonation / action a lot less of a faff as I don't have to unscrew the cover to get to the bridge. 

[MartinB]

Ashtrays look great on a Precision. On a Jazz, less so - the bridge cover is gigantic because it has to stretch to the rear pickup. On early-model Jazzes it was also hiding an individual string muting system and a surface-mounted grounding wire between the pickup and bridge.

When I was looking a couple of years back, I couldn't find any cheap P pickup covers. Plenty of P bridge / J pickup / J bridge / J sets though! 🤷‍♂️ I ended up paying full whack for a proper Fender P set.

The P bridge cover is extremely useful for holding a piece of muting foam - great for pre-1970's sounds! Having the foam above the strings instead of below supposedly also affects the intonation less. I don't have any problem picking close enough to the bridge with the cover on, but I can see how it'd be a totally different situation on a Jazz!

I find the P pickup cover mildly irritating for fingerstyle - I miss having the pickup edge to rest my thumb on. If I had a 70's-position thumbrest I don't think it'd bother me at all. The cover makes absolutely no difference when playing with a plectrum.

 

[yorks5stringer]

Don't they all just go to basses on The Repair Shop?

[Stub Mandrel]

Any suggestions what this is? the 'folds' are placed so it is angled at about 10-15 degrees. Is it just a manufacturing defect?

[SpondonBassed]

On 28/08/2019 at 09:49, oldslapper said:

So suggestions below please: Where have all the covers gone? 🤯

Daft Punk keep them for use as cod-pieces.

[drTStingray]

11 hours ago, Hobbayne said:

I still love the look of ashtrays though. I mean, look at how cool Jet Harris looks!!

 

I don't want to worry anyone - but that photo is nearly 60 years old.... and Hank Marvin doesn't have any ash trays on his Instrument!! 

Anyway I know where all the ash trays went - I asked the guy who runs our local pub - like most telephone boxes they've chucked most of them away - those they have are in the smoking area outside - but apparently they regularly get chucked out and replaced by ones advertising new types of beer - always did - or got stolen for personal use 😬😏👍

Edited August 29, 2019 by drTStingray

[Chris2112]

I'd always thought them to be ugly, useless pieces of crap that belonged in the bin. 

[ped]

I got quite used to the neck cover on a jazz although mine was a thinner type you still see on Atelier-z and sadowsky basses. Now I don’t own a jazz so no covers either. 

 

[Stub Mandrel]

11 hours ago, drTStingray said:

I don't want to worry anyone - but that photo is nearly 60 years old.... and Hank Marvin doesn't have any ash trays on his Instrument!! 

Err... it's a strat?

[drTStingray]

9 hours ago, Stub Mandrel said:

Err... it's a strat?

Indeed it is - I was commenting on the fact that Hank B was coolest of cool (and looks it in the 60 yr old pic) - without the need for instrumental ash trays for coolness enhancement........😬👍😂

Ps - bit of nerdy info - that isn't the original Strat with maple neck imported by C Richard - it's one of the rosewood board fiesta red Strats provided by Jennings, which Hank preferred for mellower sound on the Shadows stuff. 

Edited August 30, 2019 by drTStingray

[oldslapper]

So if anyone finds a P pup cover in the garden (whilst burying the evidence), or nicks one off an art installation, please let me know. I have quinoa tokens waiting! 

[MartinB]

10 hours ago, Stub Mandrel said:

Err... it's a strat?

Fun fact: Strats, Teles, Jazzmasters and Jaguars all originally had bridge covers. They're probably even rarer than the bass ashtrays, since palm muting is so much more common on guitar.