Chrome Cover on Treble Pickup BENEATH Hand-Rest?

[DriftSpace]

I have a kid in one of my music classes who inherited a 1973 MapleGlo 4001 from his grandfather (who is Bob Raymond from Sugarloaf), and I noticed that -- underneath the still-intact "hand-rest" -- that the treble pickup has a chrome cover on it. It looks just like a pre-adjustable-pole-piece Hi-Gain one would see in the neck position of a more modern RIC bass.

Granted, I have not seen any other RIC basses of this age with the "hand-rest" still installed, but is it normal for a treble pickup from this period to have a close-fitting cover? I would think that RIC would save themselves the material and labor involved with installing a close-fitting cover because it's all hidden beneath the "hand rest," but this instrument definitely has one.

I'll have to get a flashlight and have a better look under there, because it looks like someone just installed a neck hi-gain where the usual treble pickup goes...

(If it matters: there's a toaster in the neck position; I thought toasters were phased-out in at the beginning of the 1970's, so that's a possible indicator that this instrument had some electrical work done...)

[weemac]

Toasters were phased out in 73. If this bass has full width inlays and an aluminum tailpiece, the toaster is correct..

Eden.

[DriftSpace]

No full-width inlays and no gap-tooth/aluminum tail.

[jps]

Very likely, the bridge pickup was replaced with a hi-gain. Easy to do, I did so with my former '04 4003FL but with a toaster instead of a hi-gain (I just didn't put the cover back on), along with a few other mods.

[iiipopes]

Folks, DUH!!! - Ask the kid to ask his Grandpa Bob what he had done to the bass over the years....
(Unless I missed a fact somewhere that this would not be possible)

[DriftSpace]

I did ask, and he swears it's all original.
I'll suggest that it's had some electrical work done and see what comes from that.

[teeder]

Pictures would help.

[DriftSpace]

I'd love to take some photos; the whole instrument is in really amazing shape.
Class is Friday, so we'll see what happens then...