Screws in or out?

[Wombat]

So, most of us take the pick up covers and or bridge covers off. Various reasons but please discuss!

My question however is….

Do you put the screws back in holes in the bass (so they don’t get lost and the holes don’t get filled with crap (technical term))?, or

Do you store them carefully with the removed items (and then find you’ve lost them when you go back to having the items on the bass)?

Answers on a postcard….

[Geek99]

The former 

only crazy people would do otherwise 

[skej21]

8 minutes ago, Wombat said:

So, most of us take the pick up covers and or bridge covers off. Various reasons but please discuss!

My question however is….

Do you put the screws back in holes in the bass (so they don’t get lost and the holes don’t get filled with crap (technical term))?, or

Do you store them carefully with the removed items (and then find you’ve lost them when you go back to having the items on the bass)?

Answers on a postcard….

Personally, i take them out and use masking tape to affix them to the inside of the pickup cover, then put the covers back in the case/storage.

[Jean-Luc Pickguard]

depends on the weather

[Stub Mandrel]

15 minutes ago, Geek99 said:

The former 

 

You need help...

[Lozz196]

41 minutes ago, skej21 said:

Personally, i take them out and use masking tape to affix them to the inside of the pickup cover, then put the covers back in the case/storage.

Same

[tauzero]

53 minutes ago, Wombat said:

So, most of us take the pick up covers and or bridge covers off.

 

What are pickup covers and bridge covers?

[Geek99]

7 hours ago, tauzero said:

 

What are pickup covers and bridge covers?

Things from a bygone era 

Jack Hargreaves probably mentions them

in “out of town” at some point 

[police squad]

all bits go in the 'bits' drawer

I have all sorts in there

Vibrola from 67 SG jr

bridge saddles '62 P bass

trem spring covers from various guitars

half a '73 P bass pickup

many many pickguard screws

[MartinB]

In the bits box, screws attached with masking tape

[HeadlessBassist]

The pickup cover and bridge cover have never been attached to my American Original Jazz since new. Nor will they ever be. No unsightly holes in my bass, thank you very much.

 

One instrument I had already had the bridge cover attached by someone else (Grrr!), so I carefully replaced the screws after removing said Talent Inhibitor. I don't like unsightly holes if avoidable.

 

If I take an instrument's scratch guard off, I always lay the screws out in the exact pattern they came in, so the correct screw goes back into it's original hole.

 

Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to walk to the Post Office without walking on a single paving slab crack or join... 🤔

Edited 6 hours ago by HeadlessBassist

[Stub Mandrel]

I look forward to attaching the covers to my AVII Precision. 

 

I dream of creating the u-shaped scar on the delicate nitro finish.

[Rodders]

I've done both, most recently I put them back in as I've lost them after affixing them with masking/sellotape in the past. 

[walshy]

10 hours ago, Geek99 said:

The former 

only crazy people would do otherwise 

That is just crazy talk 🤣 tape them to the covers and put them in the case or envelope in parts drawer. 

[chris_b]

The screw pixies ran off with mine sometime in  the mid 80's.

[TimR]

If you put the screws in the holes, unless you leave them proud, the holes will be made bigger, so when you come to replace covers, the screws will have nothing to screw into. 🤷‍♂️

 

Put them in a bag with the covers. 

[mowf]

My solution is to leave the covers on the bass. And if I want to play bass.... then I pick up a different one.

[fretmeister]

Take them out. Probably saves 2-3grams in weight.

 

Then get the screws and covers and throw them into the sea.

[HeadlessBassist]

1 minute ago, mowf said:

My solution is to leave the covers on the bass. And if I want to play bass.... then I pick up a different one.

 

Excellent sub-reason to buy more basses. I agree wholeheartedly. 

[Wombat]

Thank you for your thoughts. I did think about the weight saving for the boat anchor of a P bass in question. But then decided I was a bit of a muppet thinking it would make a difference.

Any thoughts on the type of tape to use? I don’t want to ruin the chrome, but I also don’t want the tape failing over time and losing the screws 🤷‍♀️.

[Wombat]

And literally no one has said why we take them off!

Are we just sheep?

I saw someone recently rest their palm on the pup cover while they slapped. Seemed a neat way to avoid damping the strings accidentally?

[hiram.k.hackenbacker]

The ashtray doesn't bother me really. I've left it on my P.

The pickup cover I have no use for whatsoever....and as for the screws, you need a check up if you leave them in.

[HeadlessBassist]

Just now, Wombat said:

And literally no one has said why we take them off!

Are we just sheep?

I saw someone recently rest their palm on the pup cover while they slapped. Seemed a neat way to avoid damping the strings accidentally?

 

They're basically metallic talent inhibitors. We can't get to the sweet spot or move around the pickups for different sounds with them on.

 

Marcus Miller uses the neck pickup cover as a wrist rest, but I'm sure it still gets in the way.

 

I'm sure it was a great idea in the 1950s/60s to add them and have mute pads attached inside the bridge cover, but techniques have moved on in the ensuing 75 years - unless you're looking for the Laura Lee style consistency...

 

I'm sorry, I fell asleep there for a moment.

[Dad3353]

17 minutes ago, Wombat said:

...Any thoughts on the type of tape to use? I don’t want to ruin the chrome, but I also don’t want the tape failing over time and losing the screws 🤷‍♀️.

 

How about zip-lock bags (as used for food to put in the freezer...)..? Keeps everything together and dust-free. Re-usable, too, if ever you put the pieces back on the bass. 

Edited 3 hours ago by Dad3353

[fretmeister]

16 minutes ago, Wombat said:

And literally no one has said why we take them off!

Are we just sheep?

I saw someone recently rest their palm on the pup cover while they slapped. Seemed a neat way to avoid damping the strings accidentally?

 

It's also a really neat way of stopping intentional damping.