trosse wrote: - completely impossible to do with bridge guards and ashtrays and other chromy creatures like that screwed or clicked on
I could not disagree more. I have no problem palm muting with the stock Rickenbacker bridge cover on. It is most definitely possible. It is a different technique than an uncovered bridge, but it is absolutely possible.
It is of course a matter of taste and what you are getting used to. But I personally play several guitars - live and in studios - and do not switch among different palm muting techniques every time I switch a guitar - and I tune mandolins and some banjos D G H E. Neither do I change technique for string bending, chord voicings, and what ever. I believe when we reach a certain level of guitar playing skills most of us give up the idea that a guitar looks better with this or that shiny metal on on than without The sound of the notes - clear or muted -ø becomes the most important thing. BTW - I don't even know why these covers are there... what for, anyone?
If you are a golfer, a race biker, a formula 1 pilot - or another type of sportsman with clubs or frames or seats - their requisites are made to your specs... Not the other way around. You are not supposed to break arms or legs to suit your tool. When it comes to guitars you set up the guitar to your needs - not your body and techniques to the guitar (except of course if the nature of the instrument makes it necessecary like going from six to 12 strings etc.).
trosse wrote: - completely impossible to do with bridge guards and ashtrays and other chromy creatures like that screwed or clicked on
I could not disagree more. I have no problem palm muting with the stock Rickenbacker bridge cover on. It is most definitely possible. It is a different technique than an uncovered bridge, but it is absolutely possible.
It is of course a matter of taste and what you are getting used to. But I personally play several guitars - live and in studios - and do not switch among different palm muting techniques every time I switch a guitar - and I tune mandolins and some banjos D G H E. Neither do I change technique for string bending, chord voicings, and what ever. I believe when we reach a certain level of guitar playing skills most of us give up the idea that a guitar looks better with this or that shiny metal on on than without The sound of the notes - clear or muted -ø becomes the most important thing. BTW - I don't even know why these covers are there... what for, anyone?
If you are a golfer, a race biker, a formula 1 pilot - or another type of sportsman with clubs or frames or seats - their requisites are made to your specs... Not the other way around. You are not supposed to break arms or legs to suit your tool. When it comes to guitars you set up the guitar to your needs - not your body and techniques to the guitar (except of course if the nature of the instrument makes it necessecary like going from six to 12 strings etc.).
There can be no dispute with your statements about your own taste and opinions, because they are yours and thus valid. But to make a blanket statement that the particular technique of palm muting is "completely impossible to do with bridge guards and ashtrays and other chromy creatures like that screwed or clicked on" is technically completely incorrect.
...Dean
Never, ever drool on your surf shirt. It wrecks the solo.
I could not disagree more. I have no problem palm muting with the stock Rickenbacker bridge cover on. It is most definitely possible. It is a different technique than an uncovered bridge, but it is absolutely possible...
There can be no dispute with your statements about your own taste and opinions, because they are yours and thus valid. But to make a blanket statement that the particular technique of palm muting is "completely impossible to do with bridge guards and ashtrays and other chromy creatures like that screwed or clicked on" is technically completely incorrect.
Hmmm... neither is it technically completely incorrect to say that it's impossible to play your guitar placed on your head or with the pick in the left hand standing on your right leg... When I say "completely impossible" I do mean impossible in a pro playing situation... I'll suggest you try to play the old instrumental hit "Foot Tapper" - which includes some delicate fast shifts between muted notes and clear tones. Then you know what I mean. I have never personally met a professional guitarist or bass player with these things still on their instruments (at least not as far as I remember).
trosse wrote:Hmmm... neither is it technically completely incorrect to say that it's impossible to play your guitar placed on your head or with the pick in the left hand standing on your right leg... When I say "completely impossible" I do mean impossible in a pro playing situation... I'll suggest you try to play the old instrumental hit "Foot Tapper" - which includes some delicate fast shifts between muted notes and clear tones. Then you know what I mean. I have never personally met a professional guitarist or bass player with these things still on their instruments (at least not as far as I remember).
What exactly is a "professional situation"? I assume you mean a gigging musician who uses his abilities as a source of income, plays in a band, and records in a studio. Personally, I don't see a distinction between a hobbyist musician and a pro musician. The professional does not have inherent skills imparted to him by gigging that make him a 'better' guitarist, a hobbiyst could easily be as good or better than the professional, and vice-versa. Saying that he's not a "pro" and implying that his opinion is some how worth less as a result is elitist. You're saying it's "impossible" to palm mute with the guard on, and several people, including myself, are saying that it is not.
trosse wrote:Hmmm... neither is it technically completely incorrect to say that it's impossible to play your guitar placed on your head or with the pick in the left hand standing on your right leg... When I say "completely impossible" I do mean impossible in a pro playing situation... I'll suggest you try to play the old instrumental hit "Foot Tapper" - which includes some delicate fast shifts between muted notes and clear tones. Then you know what I mean. I have never personally met a professional guitarist or bass player with these things still on their instruments (at least not as far as I remember).
What exactly is a "professional situation"? I assume you mean a gigging musician who uses his abilities as a source of income, plays in a band, and records in a studio. Personally, I don't see a distinction between a hobbyist musician and a pro musician. The professional does not have inherent skills imparted to him by gigging that make him a 'better' guitarist, a hobbiyst could easily be as good or better than the professional, and vice-versa. Saying that he's not a "pro" and implying that his opinion is some how worth less as a result is elitist. You're saying it's "impossible" to palm mute with the guard on, and several people, including myself, are saying that it is not.
I simply mean that when you do become a pro guitar player (which is a person who lives from playing guitar) - then sound goes before everything - also the look of the guitar - as does instruments set up for a particular technique rather than a technique "set up" for a particular instrument... BTW I've just googled som pictures of John Lennon - and (of course...) he's playin with that damned thing ON!
All that said... it's not the biggest problem in the world - as long as I can remove those things (Nobody has told me yet what they actually do...)
trosse wrote:All that said... it's not the biggest problem in the world - as long as I can remove those things (Nobody has told me yet what they actually do...)
It looks good, just like tailpieces, fancy fretboard inlays, colorful finishes, etc. I'm pretty sure some other people said that.
trosse wrote:I simply mean that when you do become a pro guitar player (which is a person who lives from playing guitar) - then sound goes before everything
Again, implying that the cover is somehow detremental to palm muting, but i'll leave the issue alone.
Again, implying that the cover is somehow detremental to palm muting, but i'll leave the issue alone.
I did not say it's impossible... you can for instance use a cloths, a a cushen or even a t-shirt In the old days Fender Jaguars and many Gretsches even had onboard muters readily available with a flick... and that was the first thing people took off - because they were way to slow in practical use. So is palmmuting (to my opinion) if the top of the bridge ain't clear so that you can rest your palm right on the bridge pieces - like you would do on any guitar. That's particular obvious when you switch among for instance three different guitars... they must me set up and adjusted for you - not opposite.
But then again - not the biggest problem on planet Earth... And once again: What do these things do??? To my opnion they are 100% useless - but due to eBay price level they cost a fortune...
trosse wrote:But then again - not the biggest problem on planet Earth... And once again: What do these things do??? To my opnion they are 100% useless - but due to eBay price level they cost a fortune...
I don't know how many more ways I can say "it's for appearances", and 20$ is hardly a fortune.
trosse wrote:But then again - not the biggest problem on planet Earth... And once again: What do these things do??? To my opnion they are 100% useless - but due to eBay price level they cost a fortune...
I don't know how many more ways I can say "it's for appearances", and 20$ is hardly a fortune.
Well... appearance is okay of course... but still playing comfort, speed and easy swapping from one brand of guitar to another has first priority (hmmm.. in case I'm the player...) And - I can tell you, that if you play a studio gig along with a 25 piece philharmonic orchestra, a well known recording artist of some sort and a huge studio set up costing all in all $30,000 per hour (including tea and central heating) - you should not take too much time to adjust your palm muting technique from say a Les Paul to a Rickenbacker... Then simply don't call you again and so much for appearance Bdeing a pro incorporates being fast as well as skilled.
PS.: I've been googling more Rickenbacker players - and also George Harrison beat his 360/12's with "appearance" on them... but why palm muting a 12 string jingle-jangler - makes no sense
PPS.: Rickenbackers are popular among conductors - probably because they thune excellently all over the finger bórard (if set up properly).
trosse wrote:Well... appearance is okay of course... but still playing comfort, speed and easy swapping from one brand of guitar to another has first priority (hmmm.. in case I'm the player...) And - I can tell you, that if you play a studio gig along with a 25 piece philharmonic orchestra, a well known recording artist of some sort and a huge studio set up costing all in all $30,000 per hour (including tea and central heating) - you should not take too much time to adjust your palm muting technique from say a Les Paul to a Rickenbacker... Then simply don't call you again and so much for appearance Bdeing a pro incorporates being fast as well as skilled.
I'm not sure who you're trying to convince. If you can't palm mute with it on, that's fine. It dosen't matter to me how you play your guitars, I only took issue with your generalized assumption. For the record, I regularly switch between a Gibson SG and the Rick for my electric needs, and I don't have to "spend time adjusting my technique". If you have problems with the cover, that's cool, take it off. In my case, the cover dosen't hamper my technique.
Okay, we know a bridge cover's aesthetic purpose, but here goes with functional reasons for its existence; not that hard really:
A bridge cover's intended functional purpose (not necessarily related to how effective the cover actually is at performing these functions):
1. protect the bridge saddles, springs and screws from corrosion from perspiration and dirt-a sort of chrome steel umbrella
2. provide place for the player to rest one's hand while playing, and by doing so, protect saddles from perspiration from one's playing hand.
3. prevent player from automatically muting/deadening strings by being able to rest the playing hands on the cover, rather than directly on the saddle, which would automatically mute the strings, whether one wanted to or not.
1) I'm not sure who you're trying to convince.
2) It dosen't matter to me how you play your guitars, I only took issue with your generalized assumption.
3) For the record, I regularly switch between a Gibson SG and the Rick for my electric needs, and I don't have to "spend time adjusting my technique".
4) If you have problems with the cover, that's cool, take it off. In my case, the cover dosen't hamper my technique.
1) Neither am I
2) Why all those posts then? (On the other hand you could probably learn a lot)
3) Great and
4) It's gone years ago - on all my guitars
...and to you Paul ... reason No. 3 seems to prove somehow what I mean: "prevent player from automatically muting/deadening strings by being able to rest the playing hands on the cover, rather than directly on the saddle, which would automatically mute the strings, whether one wanted to or not...."
Still who ever wants it are free to take the thing off... or keep in on. Which in a way answer question No. 1
trosse wrote:2) Why all those posts then? (On the other hand you could probably learn a lot)
Because... this is a message board? Posting and replying to comments is what people do. If you're going to write something online in a public place, expect people to read it and have their own opinions about it.
As stated, I take no issue with you speaking out about the possible negatives of having the bridge cover installed, if you don't like it that's fine. I like the way it looks with it on, and it dosen't affect my technique. Just stick to opinions about personal preference rather than generalized assumptions that it's a problem for all players.
trosse wrote:2) Why all those posts then? (On the other hand you could probably learn a lot)
Because... this is a message board? Posting and replying to comments is what people do. If you're going to write something online in a public place, expect people to read it and have their own opinions about it.
As stated, I take no issue with you speaking out about the possible negatives of having the bridge cover installed, if you don't like it that's fine. I like the way it looks with it on, and it dosen't affect my technique. Just stick to opinions about personal preference rather than generalized assumptions that it's a problem for all players.
Mail your address (not here of course) and I'll send you a completely original Rickenbacker bridge cover - screws included - completely free
The sound of the notes - clear or muted -ø becomes the most important thing. BTW - I don't even know why these covers are there... what for, anyone?
