Where do you pluck?

[el murdoque]

I rarely go further south than the neck pickup.

 

[marchone]

Near the bridge is for plectrum strumming for me.

Finger style has my thumb planted on the neck pup on a Jazz bass or on the neck itself as common for many players.

 

[rashrader]

I position my hand where I feel the desired tone is best achieved for the song.

 

[climber]

wherever it sounds best in the context of the song of course...

 

[220_Hz]

So - no "fretboard tappers" here? GOOD

I use my fingers like piano hammers over the top of the fingerboard for the percussiveness. Also will pluck over the fretboard for a darker, rounder sound

 

[Mike Mulligan]

Anywhere between the bridge and the 10th fret...

Depends on desired tone, etc...

 

[Turnaround]

With my right hand, anywhere from the upper fretboard to the bridge. With the left hand, near where I'm fretting. For harmonics - wherever needed to produce the harmonic.

 

[Watchootognbout]

 

[RGerhart]

It really depends on the song, and if we're talking about using a one- or two-pick up bass configuration. Generally speaking:

P bass: usually right over the pickup, thumb resting on E string
J bass: usually right between the pickups, maybe slightly closer to bridge pickup
MM bass (single H): about 2" from pick up, resting thumb on E string

 

[jnewmark]

I voted on varies with the tone I want, but most of the time its over what is called the " neck " pickup on my Jazz, although it isn't exactly that close to the neck.

 

[Thumpin6string]

Over the pickups or near or over the heel of the neck. I've never been a fan of the tone when plucking near the bridge.

 

[Stewie]

Sometimes I find myself plucking softly. Just below my left hand on the neck. This gives a soft sound with nearly no treble. Great for quiet passages when a guitar player is doing a beautiful moody solo. On my P basses, I usually start over the pickup. On the upright, within a few inches of the end of the fingerboard. (loudest clearest sound)

 

[Grinderman]

Everywhere between the bridge and the 20th fret but mostly over the neck pickup or near the 20th fret or in between those.

 

[wiscoaster]

Kind of depends on the guitar - where the neck (or single) pickup is, if there's a multi-ply pickguard - wherever I can get a thumb rest for plucking the E string.

 

[Pyrat]

Right where I need to!

 

[smtp4me]

On fretted I normally play over the bridge pickup, unless I want a different tone - which is rarely. On fretless, I play all over depending on if I want more or less mwah.

 

[Mike Vee]

MOST of the time:

- Stingray: always over the pickup
- Jazz Bass: Almost always over the bridge pickup with all knobs open
- Precision: just behind the pickups, sometimes towards the bridge

 

[sotua]

depends on what I'm going for, but default is between the two pickups on a JBass (over the neck side of the pickup on a MM?)

 

[rtslinger]

same as nearly everyone else who has voted
varies depending on the tone I want

 

[Cleezmo]

All of my basses are two-pickup basses. I rest my thumb on the neck pickup, or the E or B string in the same spot, probably 80%-90% of the time. I will occasionally go a little towards the bridge pickup if the tune requires it (say, Rio or something), or maybe pluck directly over the neck pickup for something, but the vast majority of the time I'm right between the pickups....I stopped the 'moving hand position and changing EQ settings for each song in a cover band' a few years ago, and now just get my tone dialed for that gig and don't change much during the set(s).