I'd say no... I put one on my ray because I thought I would like it but it got in the way because it's thicker than the pick-up... Since I've gotten used to no anchor point and I like it
Enjoy the benefits of a premium membership!
Upgrade Account
-
TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
Join free Log in
Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.
Thumb rest? Yes or no.
- Thread starter pappabass
- Start date
Try getting a Zero Mod thumbrest. You can simply use two of your existing holes. Here's a sample pic I found on Google images
EDIT: They've got black as well, if you want it to be invisible
THAT should be a sticky...Never knew those existed until today!!
GENIUS mod!!
Doner Designs
Steve Doner
- Jun 2, 2012
- 5,784
- 6,819
- Disclosures
- Doner Designs is an alias for Steve Doner
I had to pick up a bass to see why I no longer use one. My wrist rests against the body. Thumb goes to the B/E only for muting purposes.
I don't know if that's bad. My teacher has never mentioned it.
I don't know if that's bad. My teacher has never mentioned it.
I have two basses with single pickups in the Musicman position. To me that calls for some sort of 'thumb assistance'. Here are two very different approaches. Both accomplish the same things. They provide a place to rest my thumb if needed. And they both keep my thumb from slipping under the top string if using the floating thumb technique. The one on the Kingston was made for me by Chris Stambaugh many years ago. The one on the Ken Lawrence was made for me by Ken. Most of you would call the one by Ken a ramp. Both rests were my design. Both made out of ebony.
Included is a pic of the double-sided tape that I prefer. It says permanent on the packaging but it will come loose with some vigorous wiggling. Will not come loose in normal use. It does not harm finishes. Because it's so thin your surfaces should be flat in relation to each other.
M. M.
Included is a pic of the double-sided tape that I prefer. It says permanent on the packaging but it will come loose with some vigorous wiggling. Will not come loose in normal use. It does not harm finishes. Because it's so thin your surfaces should be flat in relation to each other.
M. M.
Last edited:
I don't like them. I like to move my right hand around to change the sound, and the few times I have set up shop on a thumb rest, the knuckle on my thumb got sore from the position. Once I got my five string and had to really start focusing on the decision between floating thumb and other B string muting options, the last nail was in the coffin for thumb rests for me. I won't take them off if the bass came with one because I don't find them to be a problem, so why not leave things original, but nah. They don't fit my play.
This is where it works best for me. I will try double stick tape
No.
I use the "Floating Thumb"
If you move to a five or six string bass,muting the low B becomes paramount.
I use the "Floating Thumb"
If you move to a five or six string bass,muting the low B becomes paramount.
I play a 5 string also. I use the 5th as a thumb rest, but the pickup as a rest on my 4 string p bass. Helps me swap between the 2. That is why I want one for the ray4
Turnaround
Commercial User
Countersink some screw holes on the underside of the pickguard and screw from there into the thumbrest. If you decide you don't want it any more you won't have drilled holes into the bass, just the pickguard. Live with the holes or replace the pickguard.
Wouldn't the stress of ones thumb against a thumbrest that's mounted to the pickguard only eventually crack and break loose?
Screwed to the pickguard only can't be as strong as screwed into the bass's wood.
Last edited:
Turnaround
Commercial User
I guess it's dependent on how much force you put on your thumb. The volume control on a P-bass gets cranked quite a bit, and it is mounted to the pickguard only.
If you do all your playing from the same position you're missing out on a lot of tonal options . I find the song dictates the sound and my playing position ranges from well over the fretboard right down to the bridge .
I'm not sure if I should be using a thumbrest or anchoring my thumb on something. I typically just lay (the side of) my thumb against the E to mute it if I'm playing A or higher, or against E and A both if I'm on the D or G. If I'm playing the E, it just kind of hovers in midair, waiting to land back on the E when needed. Have I developed a bad habit? Hoping not, but I'm self "taught", so...
As long as I'm intruding on this thread, I've never understood what the "tug bar" on the treble side is for. I've seen it on plenty of used bass ads I've looked at but I can't fathom how it comes in to play, mechanically. Maybe that's a limitation of the way I employ my picking hand, though. Or maybe it's primarily for slap? Which I absolutely cannot do and really have little interest in.
As long as I'm intruding on this thread, I've never understood what the "tug bar" on the treble side is for. I've seen it on plenty of used bass ads I've looked at but I can't fathom how it comes in to play, mechanically. Maybe that's a limitation of the way I employ my picking hand, though. Or maybe it's primarily for slap? Which I absolutely cannot do and really have little interest in.
That's the floating thumb technique, you're doing nothing wrong. It'll be beneficial to you if you ever move to playing 5 or more strings
Take a look at this thread
Fender P bass thumb rests?
When the Electric bass was first designed, many people devised different ways to play (or pluck) its strings. If I remember correctly, Fender introduced the "Tug Bar" first. It was put there so a player could hold the tug with fingers, and use there Thumb to pluck strings.
Since that time, others developed differing ways to pluck strings. Seems the Upright Player's way of using fingers caught on more, with finger techniques.
But, things change. Most early players did not use picks, and slap is a more recent technique.
What is a tug bar on an electric bass? | eBass
Last edited:
