I see the "ash tray" bridge covers and thought they looked nice. I don't see them too often on guitars being played.
Are they made for the standard MIM bridge?
Do any of you see a performance benefit in having one?
My other guitar is an SG. I do a lot of palm muting. Would I have to move my hand too far forward to get my palm on the strings?
Please share your thoughts.
Play with your hands and your heart!
There is a lot of subtlety to palm muting. An ashtray kills that.
They only fit on the older style bridges, with the "lip" on the sides. This is what it latches on to when it's slid on.
Further to that, it might only be Fender vintage-style bridges it works on. I emailed Callaham a while back asking whether the ashtray would fit on one of their bridges, they said it wouldn't without modification.
Palm muting would be difficult if not impossible, I think; to get a good palm mute you have to have your hand close to the bridge (the end of the string, so you're just damping the vibrations and not stopping them completely).
As far as I know, they were originally made just to make the bridge end of the guitar look a bit tidier. There may have been something else about covering the magnetic pickup to shield it, but the practical advantages are outweighed by the disadvantages IMHO (no palm muting, cutting off a lot of the pickable string range).
That said, they look cool and retro as hell.
i bet this really annoy's you if your a grammar freak.
What GuitarMC and Power said are absolutely correct. It's simple economics. You have to give up something to get something else. In other words, you get the sexy bridge cover, but you give up palm muting.
Also, I don't think it will fit your bridge. Does it have 4 screws attaching it to the body?
5 minutes on the forum and I have all the answers I need....
1. No
2. Not if you like to palm mute.
Anybody want to offer the other side?
Play with your hands and your heart!
Here's a plus side: It's removable
Nice!
Play with your hands and your heart!
Does your bridge have 4 screws attaching it to the body?
Yeah, isn't that why they put the pickup cover on the Precision Basses?Originally Posted by Power_13
I can't count the screws. The guitar is on the left. If you squint, you can tell it is a Telecaster....thats about it. When I get home tonight I can check but I think I already have concluded to save my $25 dollars / L12.76 Cheers!
Play with your hands and your heart!
I'm half certain the ashtray fits by the bottom of it being curled slightly, and this little "ridge" from the curl goes just under the bridge. Vintage style bridges have lips on the side and "curve" into the bottom end that is screwed to the guitar. Standard MIM bridges are flat on the body, so there'd be nothing for it to grip.
It's probably the same reason why Callaham bridges won't work with the ashtray.
I think so. I can't see it offering much shielding anyway, unless someone put copper tape on the inside of the ashtray.Yeah, isn't that why they put the pickup cover on the Precision Basses?
i bet this really annoy's you if your a grammar freak.
I was just gonna say that you may be able to find a vintage bridge w/ashtray that would fit on ebay with the four screw bridge. I'm pretty sure all the new bridges on MIM Teles are 4 screw.
So I go through the process of bidding, winning, and installing an American bridge to fit the ashtray that I keep in my case because I don't like playing with it on.
Is that where I'm going with this?
Play with your hands and your heart!
Stranger things have happened in the world of GAS.
"I haven't slept for ten days...because that would be too long." -- Mitch Hedberg
Albert Collins was the only player I've seen play with the cover on.
Hey guys.
Why do you think it is referred to as an ashtray??
99% of peole playing teles play without the BRIDGE COVER, and most of them that smoke use it as an ..............ASHTRAY!!
You don't say!
It's also a handy place to put the screws when you're changing pickguards. So they don't roll off the table, you know.
"I haven't slept for ten days...because that would be too long." -- Mitch Hedberg
And more important...I know why you each have 3 billion posts on this forum. This is like text mgs for big Kids!
Play with your hands and your heart!
"visual aid"
^ Love the rosewood board.
Your guitar is why I asked the question. It looks great. Too bad the ashtray creates other issues. I'm not ready to switch out bridges.
Play with your hands and your heart!
That shows the only real use for an ashtray - looks really cool when taking a picture of the guitar.
Reason they are called ashtrays probabally is the use I found for mine when I liked to smoke cigarettes and other things while playing (I have now matured somewhat) - I would put the thing on for 2 minutes, it would end up on top of my amp and I would use it to put out the cigarettes and Bob Marley spliffs......
"Sorry" - John Belushi as he smashed a guitar in Animal House
This arrived from the Fender custom shop this morning.
It is a reproduction of the telestrat that Eric Clapton used at the Blind Faith conceret in Hyde part.
Now as it is a bit of a hybrid I didnt know where to post it, but hell - it has an ashtray................
[
[IMG][/IMG]
With or without the ashtray, that is a bee - u - tee - full guitar!
Play with your hands and your heart!
Caleb,
Nice very nice indeed! Enjoy!!
D'mule, Your looks killer as well... Gawd I love Teles
Caleb - how can that be a reproduction of a guitar from that era? It's got 22 frets!
s'all goof.
Its just not as much fun playing with the ashtray on.
True, but it's necessary if you're going to practice safe picking.
"I haven't slept for ten days...because that would be too long." -- Mitch Hedberg
As long as you use lots of Finger Ease you can still enjoy it.
Play with your hands and your heart!
It's a replica of the telestrat that Eric used in the Blind Faith concert.
I asked the custom shop to make on and this is what they sent me, complete with the "EC" signature on the headstock.
Back of the headstock has the custom shop logo and COA also included.
Amazing!
I'll have to go looking at some pics of EC's guitar. I had no idea that Fender made 22 fret Strat necks that long ago.
s'all goof.
They also didn't do satin finishes on necks in '69.
You could say it's a hybrid in many ways then.
I hope they didn't charge too much for "authenticity."
"Well, I used to be disgusted, now I try to be amused..."
Elvis Costello
Authenticity was very expensive at $12.50 ! !
That's cool!This arrived from the Fender custom shop this morning.
It is a reproduction of the telestrat that Eric Clapton used at the Blind Faith conceret in Hyde part.
Now as it is a bit of a hybrid I didnt know where to post it, but hell - it has an ashtray................
[
[IMG]
Well, I guess you can't beat that... not even with a period correct neck!Authenticity was very expensive at $12.50 ! !
So, let's hear it.
Custom Shop Claptele?
$12.50?
There has to be a story.
There ought to be a rule requiring you to start a thread about this type thing.
"Well, I used to be disgusted, now I try to be amused..."
Elvis Costello
It was $12.50 for the Authenticity. The rest of guitar was $3K !!!
Play with your hands and your heart!
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