What's the importance of a thumb rest/finger rest on a bass?

[JakeK]

I've noticed the Ric basses up to 1973, and the vintage Fender basses have a bar on the side of them. I've heard it called a thumb rest, and also called a finger rest. What's the importance of them, and why don't standard Fender basses and all Ric basses not have them anymore?

[lennon211]

Jake, if I'm not mistaken, these became a standard feature to make it easier for bassists making the transition from upright to electric. It provided an anchoring point for many who used the side of the neck on their upright as such. As of the 70's, it became more of an anachronism and was dropped as a feature. I have one on my RI '62 Jazz Bass and never use it at all. Instead, being from a guitar background before I started on bass, I use the included pickup cover as a handrest...same thing with my 4003, for when I'm using a pick.

[dean712]

The top edge of the pickguard on a 4003 provides the perfect thumbrest for me.

[sloop_john_b]

The top edge of the pickguard on a 4003 provides the perfect thumbrest for me.

+1, but the clear rest on a 4001/1999 isn't for one's thumb. If you're plucking with your thumb, the idea is to tug on it with the rest of your fingers. I like using it.

[antipodean]

The top edge of the pickguard on a 4003 provides the perfect thumbrest for me.

+1, but the clear rest on a 4001/1999 isn't for one's thumb. If you're plucking with your thumb, the idea is to tug on it with the rest of your fingers. I like using it.

Yes indeed - the original P-Bass had a finger rest on the treble side of the strings to enable a player to anchor their fingers whilst plucking the strings with their thumb - if you ever find footage of Monk Montgomery playing his P-bass, you'll get the idea. This stayed as a fixture on Fenders until the early-mid 70s, when they transfered the rest to the bass side as a thumb rest. They also appeared on the treble side of Gibsons (Thunderbird and EB0/3) in the '60s.

Some basses had rests on both sides of the neck (Gretsch "Country Gentleman", Guild Starfire, Fender Coronado), to giove one a choice of playing styles. The worst of both worlds in my opinion.

[firstbassman]

I always rest my thumb on something while playing. Either on the top of the neck pickup or on the E string. My hand is not going to be floating in space while playing.

I sometimes play with my thumb but the underside (treble side) rest never made any sense to me.

[teeder]

It's there because it looks cool!

[lennon211]

I don't use the rest on my Fender '62 Jazz RI. Instead, I had the pickup cover for the neck pickup installed and I use that for my handrest. Same thing with my 4003 where I use the pickup cover for my rest.