P Bass guys, where do you place your thumb?

Holy War · #1 02-08-2009, 10:19 PM

Im normally a Jazz guy and I rest my thumb on the bridge pup, but obviously this is not possible to do on a P. So where do you guys anchor your thumbs down? The pup, the body, where?

rllefebv · #2 02-08-2009, 11:06 PM

On my regular P's, I'll use the p'up 70% of the time, float back by the bridge, or use the fingerboard...

On my '51 RI, which is my main gigging bass, I have a chrome cover over the p'up, which puts my thumb in a sweet spot, however, lately I have been having more satisfaction anchoring on the fingerboard edge when speed isn't necessary... Tone for days!!

-robert

dmusic148 · #3 02-08-2009, 11:12 PM

I hear ya. Me too. I have recently discovered the P bass and have adopted a quasi- floating thumb technique, works great for me. I usually lay the side of my thumb on the pickguard, on the narrow part directly behind the pickup. I just lay it there, no real 'anchor.' But that's only for playing the E string, and sometimes the A. For the rest of the strings I'll 'anchor' on the E and A.

slyjoe · #4 02-08-2009, 11:15 PM

It really depends on the tone you are going for.

I'm with robert on this - when using a P, 75% on the pickup, maybe 24% up near the neck (floating or anchored), and maybe 1% floating back by the bridge. To me, the bridge just isn't the P sound or what I'm using a P-bass for.

shamus63 · #5 02-08-2009, 11:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by slyjoe

It really depends on the tone you are going for.

Definitely. One spot just doesn't cut it for me.

seanm · #6 02-08-2009, 11:38 PM

I used to use thumbrests. Now I mainly anchor against the pickguard.

dmusic148 · #7 02-08-2009, 11:42 PM

I guess I should have said 'floating thumb all the way.' It's just that I find myself often doing what I described, because I like the sound. But, I do move around quite a bit, sometimes 'anchoring' on the pickup(but it sits so deep in the body it's not that useful for this). Another very popular place for me to pick is directly over the pickup-love that sound too. The P bass is very sensitive to picking position, maybe more so than even a J.
And of course right over the end of the FB sounds huge. I play with a pick too, maybe half the time, so add that to the mix and you have... no answer, sorry! Just fiddle around, you'll figure out what works for you...

DreadyDiggs · #8 02-08-2009, 11:49 PM

I just put my bridge and pickup covers back on. So I'll either play with my thumb on the neck, or floating against the pickguard. Or I rest middle, ring, and pinky on the cover and my thumb against the pickguard and play with the hook haha.

I'll get a thumbrest probably.

johnnyflats · #9 02-09-2009, 04:02 PM

When i had my other precision i used to use the pickup to rest on but since i bought the 57 reissue with chrome guards on i tend to use the floating thumb, it felt weird at first but i soon got the hang of it.

Tony-bobs · #10 02-09-2009, 04:06 PM

Finger-picking: thumb on the pup or end of the fretboard to get that low-down thump.
Pick-picking??: I rest my hand on the bridge and I get some nice attack, but mine's a PJ so things might be a little different...

**ExaltBass** · #11 02-09-2009, 04:09 PM

Mostly I float, but occasionally I rest it on the E string.

unclekebm · #12 02-09-2009, 04:42 PM

P basses are very responsive to right hand position and technique
the reason why P's are my one and only...

my thumb usually rests somewhere along the top of the pickguard,
top of the pickup, the neck, the E string,
or my fingers are resting on the body while my thumb does all the work.

It all depends on the tone i need..

cheers

Marley's Ghost · #13 02-09-2009, 05:02 PM

1) Float
2) E
3) Pup

ysand · #14 02-09-2009, 05:44 PM

Pup for me
Wish it had thumbrests closer to the bridge and the neck though..

kdiggity · #15 02-09-2009, 05:53 PM

on the B string

PauBass · #16 02-10-2009, 04:39 AM

In my case I always play fingerstyle and to get a more brigthter sound, kinda like a pick style, I tend to play closer to the bridge. What I did is to use a piece of adhesive rubber as a thumbrest between the pickups and the bridge.
When I want a more rounded sound I just play resting on the pickup or closer to the neck.

jvb · #17 02-10-2009, 04:54 AM

I mounted a thumbrest between the p/u and bridge. Ideal for me

dougjwray · #18 02-10-2009, 06:41 AM

No matter what bass I play, I don't rest, anchor or place my thumb anywhere-- I just let it hang, relaxed, next to my hand, and sometimes mute with it.

sevenyearsdown · #19 02-10-2009, 06:45 AM

I anchor on the neck side of the screw mount of the PUP 95% of the time. Sometimes go floating thumb down near the bridge for a song or two just because I like the tonal variation for those specific songs.

Phalex · #20 02-10-2009, 08:30 AM

Mostly right up by the neck like so:

If I need a more spankalicious tone, I play close to the bridge.

I for one, love the thumb rest. Uber comfy!