Thumb rest

[nilorius]

At first if it is ne under your 1st. string it is not thumb rest, it is used to play more with your thumb. If you want to rest more thumb, use your E string for thumb on 4 string and B and E on 5 string.

 

[JoeWPgh]

Back in the earliest days of Fender, there was a virtuoso guitarist named Wes Montgomery who used his thumb instead of a pick. So it made some sense. If you do not know who he is, you're in for a treat

 

[Bill Whitehurst]

I did use my thumb when I started.
Tug bar was in the right spot for that.
It was normal then.
Very thumpy.
Worked with flat wound strings, which was a good thing before rounds were available.

 

[Flamingo21]

When I got my first bass, it had one near the E string. So it's a thumb rest, and I have always used it as one. I like it so much, I just ordered a thumb rest for my soon-to-arrive 2nd bass.

 

[redwingxix]

I just put one on my P elite last weekend. I only used the one pre existing mounting screw hole because I think I like it positioned further back so it sits on top of the pickup, and that way I can easily pivot it back to intended mounting position if I want. Plus, no extra holes.

 

[GretschWretch]

No one really knows if anybody ever played with their thumb at all. People just got used to thinking it was supposed to be there. Even 10 years later when Ric came out with their 4000, they had a plexi tug bar that existed through at least 1972.


Some of the Guilds had them on both sides.

There are ample images available on the web to confirm that people did use their thumbs to pluck with, at least back in the sixties. Not only Guild, but Gretsch and some Supros also used double tug bars.

 

[Slevage]

If by "located below the first string" you mean below the G string, then I would guess you would use it to play with your thumb. I learned using the E string as a thumb rest, so have never used wooden thumb rests of any kind.

Yes, the first string on a string instrument is the highest pitched string.

 

[squeaker]

I too used to play classical guitar, so I guess I'm used to using both thumb and fingers. The thumb gives you a very different sound, particularly when used up over the fingerboard. However, I find that fingerstyle works better on most songs, so I sort of switch back and forth depending on the sound I want. Alan Anton of Cowboy Junkies mostly seems to use his thumb.

 

[TuneIn]

Before RSI and Carpal tunnel, people had terrible technique that finally evolved into ignoring and or removing the unnecessary "plastic thingy".

 

[acroce]

The Caldwell brothers in the Marshall Tucker Band played the guitar and bass with their thumbs only!

 

[Coolhandjjl]

Okay okay.

 

[Stewie]

Two of the three Fender basses I own now came with a tug bar. I added one to my MIM Precision, because it just belongs there. I have a couple of friends who play with their thumbs, neither use the tug bar. I'm going to work on playing with my thumb, just because I oughtta.

 

[Flamingo21]

I only used the one pre existing mounting screw hole because I think I like it positioned further back so it sits on top of the pickup, and that way I can easily pivot it back to intended mounting position if I want.

But will it stay put? Doesn't it accidentally move during play?

 

[micguy]

Here's my idea of a thumb rest:

My thumb, if I'm playing the E string with my fingers, rests on the side of it. If I'm playing another string, my thumb rides on the top of it (it's about .300" tall - shorter than the typical Fender plastic tug bars), damping the E string. If I want to play double stops, I can play a higher string with a finger, and the E string with my thumb easily, as it's already there. Once I did this to one bass, and tried it, I had to make them for the other basses - it helps my technique quite a bit.

 

[Bryan R. Tyler]

I love how Brian just drops his bass on the floor.

Never trust a Bryan that spells his name with an “i.”

 

[JMarkD]

 

[redwingxix]

But will it stay put? Doesn't it accidentally move during play?

Nope. The one screw holding it on is pretty tight so it can't rotate unless I loosen it, plus the other end with the empty screw hole rests on top of the p pickup. I'll try and remember to get a pic tonight if you want to see.

 

[redwingxix]