Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Thinking about a vintage chrome bridge cover for my new P Bass (requires drilling 2 small holes in the body).
Thoughts? Better one? Better two?

Looks killer with the silver!

I hate covers on any bass ...

if that were my p-bass it would get a better bridge and a better pickup and a jazz pickup as well and straploks ...

LOVE the ashtrays. I'd put one over the pickup too. It was the first thing I did when I got my Jazz.

John,

Now that you mention it, I've always wondered - what is the purpose of the cover over the p/u? Strictly aesthetics?

Thanks!

Well, I DID get straploks Jeff, but other than that it's gonna stay pretty stock.


I was gonna put a cover over the p/u too, but that would get in my way even more than a 4001/3 cover. At least I can rest my picking hand on a Rick cover.

As far as I know, Mark. Same with Ricks too I think.

I used to have the front cover on my Jazz to use as a thumb rest because the pick-up edge was too small. Never could get used to having the rear one on. It was in my way.
I do like the look though!

I'm with you, Chris... cover on my 4001 but I couldn't put one on my Jazz. I never play over the bridge p/u on the Rick, but I play over the neck p/u on the Fender. It all comes down to how you use it.

I put a p/u cover on my P-bass.

Thanks!
For looks, I guess, ok. (I had forgotten that the Ric 4000ish basses had it also.)
But it seems like it would get in the way as far as resting my thumb on it. I'm very lucky that the pickups on both my electric basses are in perfect places to rest my thumb.

I'm probably out of the norm, but when I had a 4001 I rested my wrist on the back pickup cover and played with a pick. It doesn't allow for palm muting, but it was never an issue for me -- I guess I mute with my left hand fingers as well as with the tip of the pick. Seems to me I used the bridge cover on my Ripper the same way. I did take the pickup cover off my P bass but I always played fingerstyle on that. The bridge cover on a P bass can be quite useful if you leave the foam rubber mute in place.

On the original Precision Bass, there was a ground wire attached to the cover to provide shielding to the pickup.

Without, they get in the way, percussive near-bridge plucking is much harder with those things in the way on P or J basses, you lose a lot of prime tonal area. I just took the useless cover off my new 4003FL, forgot to tell them to lose it (in my case) when they put flats on it.

I would not touch that baby. Particularly if you thinking non reversible changes. She is gorgeous.

Gloves come off if she is going to work for a living. If this is your front line go to bass, then I would make any change necessary to get your sound or feel.