Screws in or out?

[MartinB]

Covers on a Precision look cool, and I never found that they got in the way - I just don't currently have a suitable bass to put them on. I can imagine the Jazz ones could be annoying due to the much larger footprint of the bridge cover though.

[chris_b]

I took  the covers off my Precision because I played right over the pickup, I didn't like the sound of the foam, it was a hassle to change the strings, and most importantly because John McVie took his off. I was easily influenced in those days!!

[Stub Mandrel]

1 hour ago, HeadlessBassist said:

 

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.

 

Bridge mutes can sound awesome for the right song.

[HeadlessBassist]

12 minutes ago, Stub Mandrel said:

 

Bridge mutes can sound awesome for the right song.

Palm muting can sound even better and more expressive.

[TimR]

2 hours 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?

 

2 hours ago, HeadlessBassist said:

 

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.

 

Aren't they foam backed and so damp the strings automatically.

 

Hence - take them off if you don't like the sound. 

[Wombat]

The foam has long since rotted and I can’t remember what it sounded like before. This bass has been in my brothers wardrobe for the last 20 odd years 😂.

And Headlessbassist made me realise that it WAS Marcus Miller that I saw resting on the pup cover! Saw him at Koko in London last month! 😂

[Stub Mandrel]

3 hours ago, HeadlessBassist said:

Palm muting can sound even better and more expressive.

 

No, it isn't the same. Fixed mutes don't kill the harmonics in the same way.

 

You can aldo combine finger/palm muting with fixed mutes and get a really wide range of sounds.

[HeadlessBassist]

Just now, Stub Mandrel said:

 

No, it isn't the same. Fixed mutes don't kill the harmonics in the same way.

 

You can aldo combine finger/palm muting with fixed mutes and get a really wide range of sounds.

 

I'll have to try that with my '95 Stingray's mutes.  

[Reggaebass]

I don’t use the covers on my P and jazz basses, but my AVRI 62P came with the bridge cover fitted so I left it on, all my the screws go in a small sealable bag and stored in the hard cases, same with the thumb/finger rests and screws 

[tauzero]

10 hours ago, Geek99 said:

Things from a bygone era 

Jack Hargreaves probably mentions them

in “out of town” at some point 

 

Is this one of these basses being played?

 

[Terry M.]

On 05/08/2025 at 22:54, 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….

I find screws in basses that aren't actually screwing anything down weird so they go in a cupboard. I've never lost one when time to sell the bass. I find the covers (for me) serve no practical use despite liking the aesthetics. I even ordered an official Fender Marcus Miller Jazz Bass V chrome cover all the way from Holland once just to install it and take it off within weeks and hide in the cupboard with the screws.