Was it a common mod to move the thumbrest and change pickguard?

[matti777]

I have seen numerous pics of 1969 Fender jazz basses with black pickguards and thumbrests above the E string. I am told that they were not built like this. Was it a common mod back in the day to get a black pickguard and thumbrest off of a 1974 or later jazz bass or at the local music shop? Could these basses be bought without thumbrests? Just wundering

[Caca de Kick]

Where are you finding so many pics of black guards on 60's basses? They were not built that way.
Yes it is common to find people who redrilled holes to move the rest into the thumb position, but you didn't have to change the guard to do this...you see all the time where people mounted them directly on the wood above the pickguard.
The guard was always sold separate from the finger rest.

My 69 Jazz

[matti777]

Nice 69! I have found a couple of other pics but here are 2. Perhaps this mod was popular to update your old '69 jazz back in the day

You can see the holes for the rest

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1969-FENDER-...81064870970%26

Mine of course

Another Vintage Fender Jazz ID Question

The previous owner says there are no holes for the tugbar. I will check tonight.

[affprod]

Back in the day bassists played exclusively with their thumb, so the rest, actually called a grip bar back then, was below the G so you could anchor with your fingers. As times progressed and finger play came into being, the grip bar moved up over the E as a thumb rest. Some, like my 67 Coronado II, have both.

Looking through the thumbnails of my collection, I see grip bars all the way through my 73 Tele. I have nothing between that and my 78 Musicmaster which has a thumb rest. My next bass is a 78 Bullet and it has neither, nor does any bass I own from there through today.

Hope this helps.

[affprod]

Excuse me, 82 Bullet