Leaving the spring cavity cover off

[77CUSTOM]

How many of you do this? I've been doing it for years now. It makes string changes/tuning so much easier. Not to mention the fact that if the guitar has gone a little sharp/flat you can adjust the spring claw to get the guitar closer in tune before you fine tune. Obviously, if your guitar is too far out of tune you'll still have to unclamp the nut and get it in tune but this really works well on the fly and with the cover off you do not need to worry about taking out 6 screws and losing them.

So does anyone else leave the cover off?

Also works for Fender vintage and modern trems!

[Matt_B]

I take them and leave them off. Same for the truss rod covers, at least for until the neck settles in (after I get a new guitar or after a season change). I use Tremol-nos on my trem guitars so I kinda need to leave the trem cover off.

[nhspike]

I leave it off, and agree on the spring tension tweakage being much easier that way.

[metalchurch79]

I leave mine off as well. In fact, the first thing I do when I get another guitar is to take the trem cover off and the truss cover and then I tune it 1/2 step down to Eb.
I put the screws back into the body and headstock though, so I dont lose them.

The next thing I do is rip the tone pot out of the guitar if it has one.

[Axewielder]

Never got the whole "toss the cavity cover" thing. I like things to be covered nicely as per the factory specs.

[metalchurch79]

I do it cause it lightens it up for guitar flips and Yngwie high kicks! LOL

[Matt_B]

Never got the whole "toss the cavity cover" thing. I like things to be covered nicely as per the factory specs.

Specs, shmecs. Leaving the trem cavity cover off does nothing to affect the functionality of the guitar. Besides, those "specs" were made when guitars had traditional 6 screw non-floating trems. With today's knife edge floating trems having easy access to the springs means you don't have to take off the cover to tweak the springs which in the long run, saves a little wear and tear on the guitar.

Even when I had guitars with traditional trems, I would take off the cover because the cover sometimes made it more difficult to remove strings.

[Grandturk]

This is nonsense - if you leave the cover off you're weed will fall out.

[nhspike]

this is nonsense - if you leave the cover off you're weed will fall out.

lol!

[JACKSONFREAK]

i Take the cover off so i can do the EVH spring noise with my pick.. lol k im a dork but its fun to do. and it makes people go WTF was that?
Plus when ever i get a new (used) guitar i take it all apart and clean it. If it needs it. Put new strings on it and leave the cover off to have quick access to the springs incase the tension changes on the springs. Then i either missplace the cover or i get to lazy to put it back on. Altho my high end guitars all have tem still on except for BIg Red cus its signededed.
Gil

[DonP]

Never got the whole "toss the cavity cover" thing. I like things to be covered nicely as per the factory specs.

+1

You said it bro!

[Bengal65]

+1

You said it bro!

+2. I always put the cover back on. That's why they make electric screwdrivers. For doing tasks such as this!

[77CUSTOM]

+2. I always put the cover back on. That's why they make electric screwdrivers. For doing tasks such as this!

Yeah, but when your playing out and need to tweak in between sets or songs for that matter, you don't have a lot of time to pull out your battery operated driver, pull six screws, place them somewhere they won't get lost, tweak, install cover and screws.....ect.

[Matt_B]

What I don't get is what the purpose to the trem cavity cover? Ignoring the aesthetics of it, what function does it serve? Better yet, what is detrimental about leaving it off?

Please understand I'm not trying to belittle anyone that leaves theirs on but aside from how a guitar looks with it on, what benefit is there to the cover?

[Hellbat]

It stops the springs from ripping out pubes when you do pulls ups playing naked.