# There's a Bottle Cap in my Bass?



## JethroTech (Dec 8, 2015)

I've had this mid-60s (1966?) Gibson EB-0 bass for a few years now and have always wondered why there is a bottle cap soldered into the control cavity. I'm pretty sure the bottle cap isn't factory and was thinking about taking it in to a repair shop to have it removed. Before I do that though, anyone know why it's there? Thanks.


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## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

Wow, there's something I haven't seen before.

Sorry I can't add anything to help, but that's wild.

Frankly, I'm not sure I would want to remove it.

There's a story there somewhere and it looks like it was well done. Why? 🤷‍♂️


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## RBlakeney (Mar 12, 2017)

I dont know why it’s there, but if it makes you feel better I have a lock of hair under the copper foil in the cavity of my Strat.


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## Latole (Aug 11, 2020)

Funny and the output jack is a stereo one, may not be original


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## Griff (Sep 7, 2016)

My first thought was grounding...?

Also, is that from a bottle of Mickeys?


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## JethroTech (Dec 8, 2015)

Griff said:


> Also, is that from a bottle of Mickeys?


No, I don't think it's from a Mickey's big mouth. Not big enough but it does like like a mini version of a Mickey's cap.


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## Latole (Aug 11, 2020)

Griff said:


> My first thought was grounding...?
> 
> Also, is that from a bottle of Mickeys?


For grounding ? Grounding what ?

There is no use for this cap , only history


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## Jkbelleau (10 mo ago)

_CAPacitor?_


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## Rollin Hand (Jul 12, 2012)

A bittle opener, I could see. A bottle cap....

Maybe some kind of reinforcement for a repair?


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## jdto (Sep 30, 2015)

It has some old wires soldered to it. Maybe it’s part of an old circuit where it was used as a ground for parts and the shielding? Who knows what experiments could have been done on it over the years?


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## Whammer Jammer (Sep 7, 2019)

Dang, Jkbelleau beat me. I was thinking _tone cap_.


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## Griff (Sep 7, 2016)

Latole said:


> Grounding what ?


🤷‍♂️


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## greco (Jul 15, 2007)

These mysteries drive me crazy for a few days! 

Whomever built it did a nice job of adding the three "terminals"


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## Paul Running (Apr 12, 2020)

A superstition of tribal Bass players?


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## Mark Brown (Jan 4, 2022)

greco said:


> These mysteries drive me crazy for a few days!
> 
> Whomever built it did a nice job of adding the three "terminals"


Those hook "terminals" make me the most curious. Maybe someone just put it there knowing years later it would drive someone mad trying to sort it out.


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## Parabola (Oct 22, 2021)

If I had to guess, I’d bank on a prank or a personal mojo addition.

For example fighter pilots and ground crews at NATO gunnery competitions back in the 60’s would do things to their aircraft on the flight line to make other competitors think it was giving them an edge, just to screw with them.

As for the mojo, maybe it’s a bottle cap with sentimental value that the original owner wanted to be part of each performance.


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## greco (Jul 15, 2007)

Mark Brown said:


> Maybe someone just put it there knowing years later it would drive *someone* mad trying to sort it out.


I am certainly that someone.


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## diyfabtone (Mar 9, 2016)

EB-0 Basses only have the two tone controls, this looks like someone tried adding another circuit component and used a bottle cap as a shield? Maybe another owner took out the components and left the shield? The 'hooks' are to ground it to the plate which is ground for the controls.


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## Paul Running (Apr 12, 2020)

I wonder where that red wire used to terminate? Return for something.


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## Vally (Aug 18, 2016)

Maybe they were a drinker, quit drinking and that was the last cap he opened.


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## jdto (Sep 30, 2015)

diyfabtone said:


> EB-0 Basses only have the two tone controls, this looks like someone tried adding another circuit component and used a bottle cap as a shield? Maybe another owner took out the components and left the shield? The 'hooks' are to ground it to the plate which is ground for the controls.


If it's soldered to the plate, why would it need the hooks to ground it to the plate? (not a sarcastic question, genuinely curious)


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## greco (Jul 15, 2007)

I'm wondering if it was an attempt at "Star Grounding" concept of some sort ...especially if a (possible) previous pickup did not have braided shield wire.

Soldering to the hooks would be easier than soldering to the plate.


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## Paul Running (Apr 12, 2020)

jdto said:


> If it's soldered to the plate, why would it need the hooks to ground it to the plate? (not a sarcastic question, genuinely curious)


I believe that the hooks are a convenient termination point for wires.


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## Paul Running (Apr 12, 2020)

It begins like this and before you know it, it's on your mind for the entire day, sometimes odd how little quirks can grab you, eh?


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## JethroTech (Dec 8, 2015)

Maybe it really does serve no other purpose than to mess with me. If so, I can appreciate that  With that, I’m putting handwritten notes inside all my guitars right now for the day I’m no longer around and my daughters inherit the collection.


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## Mark Brown (Jan 4, 2022)

JethroTech said:


> Maybe it really does serve no other purpose than to mess with me. If so, I can appreciate that  With that, I’m putting handwritten notes inside all my guitars right now for the day I’m no longer around and my daughters inherit the collection.
> View attachment 409255


That's awsome!


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## jdto (Sep 30, 2015)

greco said:


> I'm wondering if it was an attempt at "Star Grounding" concept of some sort ...especially if a (possible) previous pickup did not have braided shield wire.
> 
> Soldering to the hooks would be easier than soldering to the plate.


That's my theory


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## Thunderboy1975 (Sep 12, 2013)

To conceal something. A lip balm container screwed onto that bottle cap.


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## greco (Jul 15, 2007)

Thunderboy1975 said:


> To conceal something. A lip balm container screwed onto that bottle cap.


Very original, creative and brilliant!


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## jdto (Sep 30, 2015)

Thunderboy1975 said:


> To conceal something. A lip balm container screwed onto that bottle cap.


Like the smuggler Tele!


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## Sneaky (Feb 14, 2006)

If you hooked up a battery to those terminals you could use it for smoking meth. 🤪


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## Latole (Aug 11, 2020)

This bottle caps have 3-4 hooks, like if previous owner want to stock something there with rubber band.


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## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

Unless you can track down the person who did it, this may remain one of life's little mysteries.

Honestly, I wouldn't remove it. Great source of conversation if anyone ever sees it.


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## player99 (Sep 5, 2019)

It added just enough weight to correct neck dive.


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## DavidP (Mar 7, 2006)

...and I thought I'd seen everything... I have no logical explanation for it's presence!


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## Mark Brown (Jan 4, 2022)

DavidP said:


> ...and I thought I'd seen everything... I have no logical explanation for it's presence!


No one does. That is the problem.


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## Parabola (Oct 22, 2021)

I think it’s probably for concealing someone’s stash, if it had a screw on component it would probably look like a regular volume or tone pot under the X-ray machines of the day.


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## JethroTech (Dec 8, 2015)

Parabola said:


> I think it’s probably for concealing someone’s stash, if it had a screw on component it would probably look like a regular volume or tone pot under the X-ray machines of the day.


A handful of people have suggested it may have been the attachment for a screw-on stash. I had never thought of that but it kind of makes sense. The same way it made sense for everyone's grandpa to screw a jar full of random screws to the bottom of a shelf in the garage.


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## Parabola (Oct 22, 2021)

JethroTech said:


> A handful of people have suggested it may have been the attachment for a screw-on stash. I had never thought of that but it kind of makes sense. The same way it made sense for everyone's grandpa to screw a jar full of random screws to the bottom of a shelf in the garage.


In thinking it over, if that what it is, it was a pretty good attempt. A forum full of experienced guitar folks don’t know what it is, I can’t imagine a customs or police officer looking at it as anything other than guitar guts In those days.


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## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

JethroTech said:


> A handful of people have suggested it may have been the attachment for a screw-on stash. I had never thought of that but it kind of makes sense. The same way it made sense for everyone's grandpa to screw a jar full of random screws to the bottom of a shelf in the garage.



I doubt that. I think it was some sort of weird grounding scheme. Otherwise why the hooks and why the red wire soldered there?

I just think it's weird and unexplained and a cool thing to show others.


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## Latole (Aug 11, 2020)

There is no need of this bootle caps and these hooks to have some wires solder to ground.
It is not the easiest way.

But who know what a beginner in guitare mod will do ?


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## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

Latole said:


> There is no need of this bootle caps and these hooks to have some wires solder to ground.
> It is not the easiest way.
> 
> But who know what a beginner in guitare mod will do ?


That soldering doesn't look like any beginner did it. I have no idea what it's there for, but whoever did it was pretty handy with a soldering iron IMO.


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## Latole (Aug 11, 2020)

Milkman said:


> That soldering doesn't look like any beginner did it. I have no idea what it's there for, but whoever did it was pretty handy with a soldering iron IMO.


You are right, the solder job is well done, he is not a beginner in soldering.
Beginner in ( guitars ) electronics ?


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## Paul Running (Apr 12, 2020)

Have you checked in the PU cavity?


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## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

Latole said:


> You are right, the solder job is well done, he is not a beginner in soldering.
> Beginner in ( guitars ) electronics ?


Maybe. It also seems likely that guitarists were at the time experimenting with some new tone miracle and this was some part of that.

Maybe part of an early homemade flux capacitor....


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## Latole (Aug 11, 2020)

And this guitar may have passed through the hands of several owners who used it ( the bottle cap) in different ways.

We'll never know.


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## Latole (Aug 11, 2020)

Paul Running said:


> Have you checked in the PU cavity?


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## silvertonebetty (Jan 4, 2015)

I know what it is . It’s magic because the realized tone woods is a myth!

Since they figured that out they realized they played better drunk but couldn’t afford the booze and thought “ I have this bottle cap here, hmm maybe it will make me sound better like when I am drunk”

and so that guitar has had a drunk on ever sense and hasn’t sounded better!

but in all honesty I don’t know . It could have been for mojo


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