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Post subject: whats the thing over the pickups of old/vintage basses?
Posted: Tue Aug 05, 2008 5:58 pm
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im pritty dumb so does anyone now what the things over the pickups of old/vintage basses for?? :?:

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Posted: Tue Aug 05, 2008 6:49 pm
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It's just a cover for the pickup(s). IIRC in the older days to shield the hum or something. It's a good thumb or finger rest now no?

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Post subject: Bridge and Pickup Covers
Posted: Thu Aug 07, 2008 8:11 pm
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Time was that they came installed on all Fender basses.

Starting in the late 60's the first thing you did with a new bass was take them off to look "cool" however, there is more to them than the look. Motown's Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame bassist James L. Jamerson when asked about how he got his signature bass sound named the pickup cover as an important element to his sound as he thought it sounded better and that there was a reason Leo Fender put it there. Of course there were lots of other reasons his bass sounded so unique (enormous Labella 760 flats he never changed/bowed neck/neck heel carving/never cleaning it at all/the "hook") but leaving on the covers was the one he singled out. Maybe he just didn't want to give a secret away!

I also think another benefit of using a pickup cover is that prevents you from using the pickup as a thumbrest which in general is a bad habit as it can shorten pickup life, especially on a first generation P-bass. I use covers on first and second generation P-basses.

Fender basses used to all arrive with a half inch or so strip of rubber, not too different from foam weatherstripping on the underside of the bridge cover which acted as a type of string mute to kill undesirable harmonics and overtones. They experimented with adjustable individual string mutes one year on the Jazz and it was promptly abandoned as I recall. This bizarre mute setup was available recently as a reissued part.

At some point in the late 70's CBS began including them with the instruments uninstalled wrapped in a waxy paper so you could choose whether or not to install them on your instrument. This led to CBS discontinuing covers as standard issue.

Fender also used different screws to mount these covers. They were generally slotted not phillips like the pickguard screws.


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Posted: Fri Aug 08, 2008 4:20 pm
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Cool :D 8) thanks!!!!!

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