Hi Folks,
Thought I'd share my process and some pics in case anyone is interested. It was awesome working with Rob on this little addition to the bass. I was on the fence on choosing the wood for the thumbrest - either matching the top (Bastogne Walnut) or the fingerboard & bridge (Macassar Ebony). The fact that Rob still had a block of the walnut that went into the top made it an easy decision. He created a 4" thumbrest and got it to me in a hurry. Typical Rob - awesome communication and advice, impeccable service, and, of course, amazing artistry with a chunk of wood in his hands. So, here goes...
Tools/Products:
Titebond II wood glue
'00' steel wool
3M blue painter's tape
Pencil w/ #3 (soft) lead
Measuring tape
Automotive quick detail/waterless cleaner (Poorboy's Spray & Wipe in my case)
Gentle microfiber polishing towels
Here's a 'before' pic:
The first part is deciding where to place the thumbrest. After experimenting a bit, I decided to match the bottom of the rest with the horizontal break line (probably not the technical term) near the top of the bridge. At this point, I also flipped the thumbrest a few times to decide which way to place it to best match the top. In terms of lateral placement, I chose to start 2" inward of the bridge. This gives me enough range to hang out near the bridge for my Jaco fix, and to get closer to the neck for more of an upright vibe....all while nurturing my OCD in having an exact distance measurement.
So, decision made, now the hard part. Measuring and lining up everything. I spent a fair amount of time on this, especially in aligning the masking tape. This would be my guide when it came time for glued wood to meet glued wood, so I didn't want to leave anything to chance. Here's a shot after the masking and a final check of the measurements:
Next is scuffing each mating surface to ensure the glue can do its thing. This is another reason I wanted to be very accurate with the masking. I chose '00' steel wool instead of '000' so I could use lighter strokes and less motion to ensure against any mistakes. In this shot you can see the dulled surface of the top, as well as quite a bit of dusting from the effort:
Time for a deep breath and a reminder why I'm glad I didn't try to become a surgeon.
The placement needed to be exact, not only for functionality and aesthetics, but also because I didn't want to be digging out any blue painter's tape residue afterward. All went well, and after applying pressure by hand for 10 minutes or so, I was happy. I cautiously removed the tape, and then gently wiped the top with a moistened microfiber towel to remove the dust. Here are some 'after' shots:
In this one you can see that there's still some dust near the bridge.
Having mostly cured overnight, I couldn't resist playing the bass a bit this morning. The thumbrest is secure, and I'm very happy with the position. I like the subtle look, but really this is all about functionality. From that perspective, I couldn't be more thrilled with the result. Not only did I get what I was after, I didn't screw up anything in the process.
And, since I had the camera out anyway, I figured I'd make an attempt at pretty shots. Thanks for your time, I hope this helped anyone considering a similar project, and I leave you with some Rob Allen goodness...
