Do you even bother with the backplate?

[Sunbane]

heh, i take those off too.

+1 :d

[guitarsjb]

I leave it on.

[RobRR]

I take em off... Ive got a pile of about 50 of em!

Aside from trem covers, I like my guitars to be 100% complete, so the truss rod covers ALWAYS stay.

[warlok]

I like the completed look so they're on. When I adjust my guitars, it's an all day ritual that I like to do so removing/installing covers is no issue. Everyone knows to stay away from me when I have my guitar setup days. That's ME TIME!!!

[Foulacy]

off 100% of the time.

[Newc]

Trussrod covers and trem cavity plates are usually always off for good once I take them off for an adjustment, unless the trussrod cover is engraved (KV Pro, etc), then I'll put it back on.

Then again, I run across my Concert V trussrod cover once in a while and think "HEY, there it is! I need to put that back on" but never do



I've had so many backplates that rattled because the screw holes were sloppy that I got to where I left them off.


Control cavity covers, though, I hate leaving those off. I end up stripping a wire off a connection otherwise

[MartinBarre]

Leave them on. I like things to look complete. I don't adjust things that much - sure it's a pain in the ass to take a cover off to retune a guitar to a different tuning, but what's an extra minutes screwing....

[jgcable]

the first thing that comes off and stays off is the back plate

[Cygnus X1]

I always put them back.
A dozen guitars...things tend to get mixed up and lost.
I actively play 7 of them at any given time and they stay on wall hangers.

[MartyFriedmanIsMaster]

Since I have to adjust the screws for the trem almost everyday, it's always off. Actually I also heard it can help improve tone by leaving it off.

[wilkinsi]

I always leave the plate on. It only comes off when I'm having pickups and/or the trem changed. This is only done to one of my two guitars, and it's got to the stage whereby the screws have been stripped.

[VitaminG]

Since I have to adjust the screws for the trem almost everyday, it's always off. Actually I also heard it can help improve tone by leaving it off.

I've heard it also improves your sustain. Something about the plate dampening the resonant frequencies of the body or something.

And I believe it also helps you play faster, since there's less wind resistance.

[Madness]

For me if the guitar is used live or If I play it in a band situation than it stays off as these guitars get more string changes. The way I've always looked at it is the fewer amount of times those screws are taken in and out the less of a chance the holes will become stripped. I do prefer the look of them on though (obviously),

[Learn Guitars]

I have yet to build or own a guitar with the trem spring cover. The guitars I use to own that weren't ones that I built, didn't have their covers long.

[slash]

I leave them off. The guitars I build for myself I dont even bother recessing for a spring plate nor do I drill holes for a plate 'cause they are never going to have a plate