This is a follow up post from the Basses section about adjustable neck basses. I wrote a couple of post there about my bass redo project - how I plan on redesigning the whole neck joint etc. This is a picture of my current bass a Thompson RM 200 with the addition (held on w/double sided tape) of a 3/4" piece of pine shaped w/a 45º bevel - a prototype of what I will do on my fixer upper. I made this piece of wood because I play mainly jazz pizz and I was having a hard time playing quickly or accurately on the A&E strings - my thumb resting on the sharp edge of the FB was uncomfortable. I also noticed there was very little space between my thumb and index finger which made plucking the E string more difficult. I rehearsed tonight w/this on my bass, here are my impressions. The addition of the "rest" is much more comfortable for my thumb - the thumb feels very solid and smooth. I am able to play both quicker and more accurately w/the addition of the "rest". The size, shape and contour needs refinement, I think I would prefer a curved surface as opposed to a flat bevel. I think it will take a week or more to get used to it. I'm posting this for feedback. Has anyone else tried this?
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Double Bass Fingerboard Thumb Rest
- Thread starter powerbass
- Start date
- Aug 1, 2005
- 3,546
- 1,421
- Disclosures
- Private Inventor - Bass Capos
The additional wood does have some effect on the sound, I can't tell if it is all subjective yet. The bass is not loud to begin with but it does seem a bit quieter acoustically. PLaying in thumb position the notes seem louder perhaps because the back of the fingerboard is scooped and w/the pine board it creates another mini resonating area. To properly judge this I would need to to take the board on/off and focus on these issues. It is a very different pizz playing experience, very comfortable. As for the double sided tape, this set up is a test/prototype and not a permanent fixture. EB designers/luthiers have been using pick up covers, ramps and extended thumb rests to facilitate better finger style playing. The traditional UB design evolved through arco playing and hasn't changed for hundreds of years, the design/shape of the fingerboard does not accommodate a pizz intensive technique. I encourage others to try this and see for yourself. I spent about five minutes using a handsaw and block plane. W/the use of the tape it is not a permanent modification, easily removed etc.
I removed the rest to see what effect it has on sound. It does muffle the tone somewhat. I think a better modification would be the addition of a small strip of wood applied only on the plucking hand side, for me the right. I will give this a try
- Aug 1, 2005
- 3,546
- 1,421
- Disclosures
- Private Inventor - Bass Capos
That sounds like a better option. I like the basic idea of having a larger radius on which to rest your thumb and allowing you hand to be more open. Plucking a thin board with a sharp edge is certainly no fun.
I had an 1/8"x5" strip of ebony added to my very thin board. I was experiencing thumb pain and realized my hand was in a more closed position than with my other bass. The appliance helped.
I've noticed something similar: my hand is more comfortable on my bass that has the super-fat ebony neck.
How was your strip attached? With hide glue?
It occurred to me that someone should think about making a fingerboard with "the strip" included from a solid piece of ebony.
I once owned a '40s Kay with a thin rosewood fingerboard that had never had the sharp edge rounded (until I got it)! The board was well-worn. Amazing! Maybe the only action it had seen was slap-playing. I can't imagine decades of pizzicato with that infernal sharp edge!
I don't know what kind of glue was used. With a new, thick FB, I wouldn't imagine the raised area would be necessary. It wasn't for me after I had a new board installed.
I agree. It would seem far more desirable to smooth the edge of the board and/or replace the board (if not thick enough) than to modify the instrument in this fashion. I understand that the addition works for you and hey, if you're happy, go with it. You did, however, mention that it does seem to have some ill effect on the sound. For me, such an addition would certainly mess up the technique I've been taught and that I've developed for playing the lower (and, for that matter, the upper) strings. Again, whatever floats your boat.
I used double sided tape instead of glue. I plan on doing more tests. I'm curious to see if a smaller strip would not have a dampening effect. There is improvement (for me) in comfort and the accuracy of my pizz technique w/the addition of a wood rest. Maybe not for everyone but it seems pretty obvious that this area of UB FB construction and design has not been really looked at from an ergonomic perspective considering arco playing has been the driving factor of UB design. I would add that this is not a huge alteration in the bass - EB players have various devices to rest their thumb on. Any alteration in one's physical approach to bass playing takes time to properly evaluate and assimilate. Before anyone says Nay I suggest you try it first, for some time, then report back
Playing the E string correctly has been a problem for me as well. I seriously never considered adding a rest until I saw this post. Great idea!! I might try this.
Know that the sound of your bass may change with a new thick fingerboard. I lost some of the darkness I loved with the new one. If you don't want to take a chance on altering the sound, and your board is ok in other respects, a small appliance will have no effect soundwise.
Agreed.
Indeed, the sound may change with a new fingerboard. In fact, I suppose it likely would. Still, I'd prefer to have a "properly" thick fingerboard for a number of reasons including proper overall neck thickness, neck stiffness, and playability.
Sure, if the appliance is very small, I agree that there would be little to no change in the sound. Still, my choice would not be to alter a bass in that way. If the board was too sharp, I'd have it sanded. If it were so thin as to produce problems, then I'd likely judge it too thin and want it replaced. I'm only saying what I would prefer and not suggesting what anyone else should do.
Since the DB is so sensitive to changes in tone w/adding/subtracting mass the rest idea may need playing w/to dial it in. I am thinking a piece added only to the plucking side. This piece doesn't need to run the fully length of the available board (see my OP picture), it could be 4" long say placed in the sweet spot. A light wood like pine may be best or a small piece of ebony. It makes sense that my bass changed tone wise, the rest I made was a substantial piece of wood.
I need a thumb rest too on my EUB, but the reason is not a thin fingerboard, but one that has a higher curvature (to be able to have the same bowing angle on a five string as on a four string instrument). There is almost no height at all at the lower sides of the fingerboard. So I know that I need to change something for a thumb rest, because without any change, I always got a blister after the second heavy piece on my thumb (which don't happen with my other instruments).
The higher curvature was not my idea, I bought the instrument used. Beyond this problem the fingerboard is very good and well dressed. I'm only afraid that glueing something on one side only might fail due to the thump pressure. And since my fingerboard edge is slightly curved, I might need to fill the gap with ebony dust and epoxy or something similar.
I'm still not sure if I want an ebony or maple thumb rest. With maple the fingerboard might be less stiff than with ebony, but a longer rest makes it stiffer.
The higher curvature was not my idea, I bought the instrument used. Beyond this problem the fingerboard is very good and well dressed. I'm only afraid that glueing something on one side only might fail due to the thump pressure. And since my fingerboard edge is slightly curved, I might need to fill the gap with ebony dust and epoxy or something similar.
I'm still not sure if I want an ebony or maple thumb rest. With maple the fingerboard might be less stiff than with ebony, but a longer rest makes it stiffer.
Here is the Thumb Rest V2.0. It is 4" long 3/4" thick tapering to 1/4", it is 1" wide on the opposite side (see photo). It spans the width of the FB providing a solid attachment. I tried a small piece of wood just on one side w/double sided tape but it fell off. Glue would work but I am not going to glue anything until I am sure it really works. V2.0 is an improvement, less dampening, still solid position for the thumb. The next version will be even thinner say 1/2" thick.
Attachments
Hey, good idea to fix it over a smaller length on the opposite side. I will keep that in mind.
You can even make it thinner (half the thumb rest thickness with rounded edge) towards the opposite side. Or use a much thinner version and glue more wood on it only at the thumb rest side.
And thanks for for your experience, this will definitely influence what I will do with my instrument.
You can even make it thinner (half the thumb rest thickness with rounded edge) towards the opposite side. Or use a much thinner version and glue more wood on it only at the thumb rest side.
And thanks for for your experience, this will definitely influence what I will do with my instrument.
