It is currently Mon Mar 16, 2020 3:03 pm

All times are UTC - 7 hours



Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 31 posts ]  Go to page 1, 2, 3  Next
Go to page 1, 2, 3  Next
Author Message
Post subject: To Cover or Not to Cover
Posted: Tue Oct 23, 2012 7:04 am
Offline
Amateur
Amateur

Joined: Sun Jul 15, 2007 5:50 pm
Posts: 150
I don't like to mod my gear, but I've bought a bridge cover and thinking about putting it on my Am. Std.

I'm hesitant about doing it, but I think that cover looks great.

What do you all think?


Top
Profile
Fender Play Winter Sale 2020
Post subject: Re: To Cover or Not to Cover
Posted: Tue Oct 23, 2012 10:59 am
Offline
Rock Star
Rock Star

Joined: Fri Apr 08, 2011 5:14 pm
Posts: 3169
Location: Linningrad
No. Don't Cover. You can't play over the bridge p'up or just ahead of the saddles when it's all covered up like that. :twisted:

_________________
2012 Lefty American Standard Jazz
2017 Lefty American Professional Precision
2018 Rumble Studio 40 Combo
2016 Rumble 200 Combo
One day they shall name a GREAT city after me, and they shall call it LINNINGRAD


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: To Cover or Not to Cover
Posted: Tue Oct 23, 2012 12:30 pm
Offline
Aspiring Musician
Aspiring Musician
User avatar

Joined: Wed Jan 14, 2009 10:54 am
Posts: 438
Location: Alabama, Michigan, Florida, Wisconsin, Mississippi and Tennessee seasonally
`
`
`

Just an FYI from 49 years of bass experience... All my basses have bridge covers... not for the nostalic look, but for bridge impact protection during gigs or transport. I don't play that far down toward the bridge anyway, so it was a natural for me to think 'safety'. A colleague of mine had a Strat bridge destroyed when a roadie hit his with a mic stand.

It's completely up to you, but IF you DO add covers, please read this first:

CLICK >>> http://www.fender.com/community/forums/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=61227&hilit=+ground+bridge+cover

Make certain that you follow the instructions that BrotherDave and I posted regarding mounting AND grounding. Best of luck.
`
`
`


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: To Cover or Not to Cover
Posted: Tue Oct 23, 2012 1:30 pm
Offline
Rock Star
Rock Star
User avatar

Joined: Thu Aug 07, 2008 3:12 pm
Posts: 6355
Location: Albemarle, NC
Besides physical bridge protection, the covers can reduce RFI noise in single coil pickups, especially when the covers are grounded. Depending on what pickups you have it may provide no extra help at all. For example, if your instrument is dead quiet already then you'll get no benefit.

Another sure benefit of a bridge cover is protection of your instrument in general. If you or anyone else ever walked past your instrument and snagged a pants cuff on the bridge and it fell over then you know what I mean. I'm not a fan of drilling holes, but a bridge cover is one time it makes sense to me.

If like Linnin you play near the bridge even some of the time, then don't use one as you'll find it restrictive. If you plan to put on a big high mass bridge at some point in the future, then don't drill the holes either as the bridge cover might not fit over the aftermarket bridge and you are left with holes. Sometimes the paint will chip off around the holes when drilling. So, always mark on and drill through masking tape to minimize paint chipping.

One thing I've noticed with chrome pickup covers is that on pickguards with pre-drilled holes you often have to bend the cover a little to get the holes to line up. This is normal as the covers can get flattened in storage and shipping, plus there was a minor change in the covers also at some point after CBS took over and changed vendors so the screw spacing changed just a smidgen.

This doesn't relate to your Jazz, but I have one final thing to say about covers. I do not consider the pickup cover "optional" on any first generation Fender Precision Bass. Those exposed single coil pickups are not encased in plastic as is the 2nd Generation split coil P-Bass pickup or the Jazz Pickups. The chrome pickup cover provides vital protection on these far more fragile "51" style pickups. It is actually possible for the pickup to literally be pulled apart when using the top flatwork as a thumbrest or when a string is too aggressively tugged directly over the pickup and it catches under the top flatwork. When the top flatwork pulls up or breaks off then the four pickup poles fall out and roll across the floor. This instantly renders the instrument totally silent until the pickup is replaced. When playing one of these first generation P-Bass designs without a pickup cover, keep that in mind. Also don't loan one of these first-gen P-Basses out without a pickup cover on it or it might come back with a ruined pickup. I've actually seen that happen twice with loaned first-gen P-Basses as the borrowers were accustomed to using the pickup as a thumbrest from their experiences with a modern P-Bass. In both cases the only thing to do was replace the pickup. Using the pickup as a thumbrest is ok on a split coil modern P-Bass because of the plastic cover but a big no-no on a first-gen pickup.


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: To Cover or Not to Cover
Posted: Tue Oct 23, 2012 2:37 pm
Offline
Amateur
Amateur

Joined: Sun Jul 15, 2007 5:50 pm
Posts: 150
Thanks guys. I play at the bridge sometimes, but not that often. I've got a little experience with putting wood screws in my Les Paul, for the pickguard, so I should be able to do this if I decide to. I just got the cover in the mail today. I don't want to cover the upper pickup because I play there. Well, I've got the cover, and I can keep things as they are until I decide. No need to put in the screws yet.

Thanks for the link for the mod.


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: To Cover or Not to Cover
Posted: Tue Oct 23, 2012 3:24 pm
Offline
Rock Star
Rock Star

Joined: Fri Apr 08, 2011 5:14 pm
Posts: 3169
Location: Linningrad
I would have to put both covers on if I were to do it. I am primarily a finger plucker { :lol: } and play right between the p'ups. So I'd use the neck p'up cover as a thumb rest.

Having been a Precision player for 40 years I normally play directly over the p'up in middle between the neck and bridge. My hand just goes there. I also play with my thumb quite a bit along with index and middle fingers.

When I pick I really like to dig in between the bridge saddles and bridge pickup. I like that sound. Can't do that with a cover.

Covers make changing strings more fun too! :wink:

The lefty Sunburst American Standards with rosewood fretboards just scream classic Fender. It's just natural to want to go retro with shiney chrome covers :)

_________________
2012 Lefty American Standard Jazz
2017 Lefty American Professional Precision
2018 Rumble Studio 40 Combo
2016 Rumble 200 Combo
One day they shall name a GREAT city after me, and they shall call it LINNINGRAD


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: To Cover or Not to Cover
Posted: Tue Oct 23, 2012 5:04 pm
Offline
Aspiring Musician
Aspiring Musician

Joined: Tue Aug 07, 2012 3:08 pm
Posts: 474
I had a bridge cover on a Precision bass once. It seemed to make the bass easier to play.


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: To Cover or Not to Cover
Posted: Tue Oct 23, 2012 5:42 pm
Offline
Rock Star
Rock Star
User avatar

Joined: Sun Jul 22, 2007 6:33 am
Posts: 4583
Location: North of Pittsburgh
Cover.

Image

And you need a genuine red mock crocodile strap!

Image


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: To Cover or Not to Cover
Posted: Tue Oct 23, 2012 7:16 pm
Offline
Rock Star
Rock Star
User avatar

Joined: Thu Aug 07, 2008 3:12 pm
Posts: 6355
Location: Albemarle, NC
oxfan wrote:
...

And you need a genuine red mock crocodile strap!

Image


How far did you have to chase that pimp before you got his strap?


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: To Cover or Not to Cover
Posted: Tue Oct 23, 2012 8:44 pm
Offline
Professional Musician
Professional Musician
User avatar

Joined: Fri Mar 28, 2008 3:19 pm
Posts: 1480
Location: Vancouver, BC Canada
Nice strap!!.....it's a Levy!.... they make great straps, check out their website....they have many straps to choose from & they're Canadian !!....... (I had to throw that in there being the proud Canadian that I am).... :)


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: To Cover or Not to Cover
Posted: Wed Oct 24, 2012 5:15 am
Offline
Rock Star
Rock Star
User avatar

Joined: Sun Jul 22, 2007 6:33 am
Posts: 4583
Location: North of Pittsburgh
Well, seems that this thread has been derailed. brotherdave, don't say pimp, this is a family Forum.

This is one of three Levy's straps that I own. The black one with bats and a brown one, and of course, the red mock crocodile one, which is the most comfortable.


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: To Cover or Not to Cover
Posted: Wed Oct 24, 2012 6:57 am
Offline
Professional Musician
Professional Musician
User avatar

Joined: Fri Mar 28, 2008 3:19 pm
Posts: 1480
Location: Vancouver, BC Canada
I have 2 Levy straps, a standard black 3 1/2" wide strap & rubber one that was made from a used tire.....(it has tire treds) this was given as a gift, I recently wanted to get a second one but it's no longer available.......check Levy out at
www.levysleathers.com/home :)


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: To Cover or Not to Cover
Posted: Wed Oct 24, 2012 8:51 am
Offline
Aspiring Musician
Aspiring Musician

Joined: Fri Oct 29, 2010 10:22 am
Posts: 789
James Coderre wrote:
Nice strap!!.....it's a Levy!.... they make great straps, check out their website....they have many straps to choose from & they're Canadian !!....... (I had to throw that in there being the proud Canadian that I am).... :)


Take off hoser.

Stay Brown,
Rev J


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: To Cover or Not to Cover
Posted: Wed Oct 24, 2012 9:14 am
Offline
Professional Musician
Professional Musician
User avatar

Joined: Fri Mar 28, 2008 3:19 pm
Posts: 1480
Location: Vancouver, BC Canada
What are you trying to say AAY??..... :lol: How many people here grew up with Doug & Bob Mackenzie ? ......... The Great White North was a Hilarious SCTV skit back in the day.


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: To Cover or Not to Cover
Posted: Wed Oct 24, 2012 10:18 am
Offline
Aspiring Musician
Aspiring Musician

Joined: Fri Oct 29, 2010 10:22 am
Posts: 789
James Coderre wrote:
What are you trying to say AAY??..... :lol: How many people here grew up with Doug & Bob Mackenzie ? ......... The Great White North was a Hilarious SCTV skit back in the day.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ot70G4wSQi0

Another classic of Canadian Comedy featuring Rush:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rs4qn_bHQQ0

"It's like getting two birds stoned."

Stay Brown,
Rev J


Top
Profile
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 31 posts ]  Go to page 1, 2, 3  Next
Go to page 1, 2, 3  Next

All times are UTC - 7 hours

Fender Play Winter Sale 2020

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 1 guest


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum

Search for:
Jump to: