Fender Precision Ash Tray

[Guitar Slinger]

Hi.

The Fender Pre CBS Tele's and Precision's had ash trays and they were supposed to lessen feedback and static.

My question is : Are the ash trays for the newer models just for appearance or do they have a purpose? Thanks!

 

[robert43]

Hi.

The Fender Pre CBS Tele's and Precision's had ash trays and they were supposed to lessen feedback and static.

My question is : Are the ash trays for the newer models just for appearance or do they have a purpose? Thanks!

I have tried them on copies of Jazz & Presion bass can see any diffrences on real for looks IMO.
From what I have been told most ash trays & covers were the 1st ting to come off & hence the name ash tray thats what they were used for :rockon:

 

[LowEndWonder]

Ash Trays

In Fenders early days, 1951 to 1972 approx. the ashtrays had mute pads in them to make the instrument sound more like an upright and it did! This is the bridge tray now, the neck one was for looks. Fender abandoned them because guitarists rigs were getting more powerful and bassists weren't cutting through with the mutes on so all the bass players were taking them off anyway. Fender kept them on a while longer throughout the 70's without the mute pads in them. When they sold to CBS, the ashtrays ceased. At the same time, during the late 60's Rotosound came out with roundwound bass strings. They were hard to come by in the States at first but in the mid 70's bass players swore by them. Many however complained that they ate your frets. I hear mixed feelings about them. I know guys who used nothing but and had no fretwear. I would suppose they are just straight up players who don't use a lot of vibrato or do bends and wiggles. Then some guys said they kill your frets!
I love the way they sound but I fear using them because I don't want my frets torn up! DR's and D'Addario ProSteels are a good alternative because both are fret friendly for a steel string. I use the ProSteels and love them. Dr's always gave me fret buzz problems especially the roundcore ones. The ProSteels being Hex core, it makes them stiffer. My one five string gets ProSteels in 35-55-75-95-125 and no buzz issues. I also use their Chromes and the XL Nickelwounds. Many players have mixed emotions when it comes to strings these days. The old heads { like myself } use either D'Addario, GHS Boomers, or Rotosounds. One thing I could say about D'Addario, they are consistant! In 10 years I caught only one bad string! I'll take a computer made string anyday over a handmade string. You may ask, Why? I'll tell you.
A handmade string or anything thats hand made is subject to human error.
A computer made string isn't. They are the same string after string.
Just my 3 cents. ancake: