so whats the deal with ashtray bridge covers? i wanna put one on my 2008 mim classic 50s strat, but i dont know what kind of bridge you need to use one, and to keep it in place. !!

GOOD question I have a MIM 60's and I wanna know the same thinggg

They don't make an Ash Tray cover for the MIM bridges. Although they look like the Vintage American, the American one's spacing is wider which accomodates the one and only type of Ash Tray cover Fender makes/made for Stratocasters.

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I have a couple of covers I bought for my Hwy1 Strat and for a '92 MIM Strat. The cover fits perfectly on the Highway's vintage bridge, but as noted above, it doesn't fit on the MIM despite the similar appearance. It could probably be wedged on. My MIM Strat is in storage so I can't give it a try.

What you have a strat in storage ?? hehe

I have six Strats, but I seem to play only three of them. I can't bear to part with any of them. Never had buyer's remorse with my guitars, but when I sold one I regretted it sooner or later so I don't sell them anymore.

Back on topic (sort of), I bought a bridge cover for my Jazzmaster, also. It's just like the one that came with my brand new '71 Mustang . . . that I sold.

Yeah - I bought a Reissue '75 Jazz Bass and had the shop fit both covers to it before taking it home. Never owned a bass before and it turned out to be a very stupid move: they get right in the way, especially the pickup cover. But they look too cool to remove!

Might be another reason I'm not a hot bass player...

- C

I wonder why Fender put them on to begin with? Just cosmetics?

[/quote]I wonder why Fender put them on to begin with? Just cosmetics?[/quote]

It was a combination of cosmetics and function: The cover hid the bridge itself (deemed ugly with all the screws, etc. showing), protected the bridge from dust/grit and it made the guitar sound a bit twangier.

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One last question: What is that small rectangular block on the old basses. I've heard it called a thumb rest, but I don't see how you could play the thing with your thumb resting on it. Obviously, I'm not a bassist.

Well, quite! Dunno what kind of contortionist you'd need to be to hang your thumb on there while playing. Surely it needs to be above the strings?

I've got both the covers, but luckily the shop was out of "thumb" rests at the time, so I never got that one fitted...

Cheers - C

Above the strings, it is a thumb rest; below the strings, it is for the fingers to push up on the bottom of it, thus giving more of a pinching effect when playing with the thumb.

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Another mystery solved. Thanks!

You got to go MIA to use the ashtray bridge covers. They don't make them for MIM's.

See, I keep telling you guys it's better to buy the MIA guitars but no one listens.

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I've had several strats with bridge covers. Never used them. They just get in the way. The 1st one I had I used to keep it on just because it came with the guitar. Each time I picked up the guitar I had to take it off cause it got in the way. After a few times I said F this and put the cover in the case and never even looked at it again.