Playing positions and pickup selection

[Prowl]

Just curious where the majority of you guys play and how it affects your tone. For example just after the fretboard, between both pickups (or bridge pickup if you have a 4000), Over the bridge pick up (if the cover is removed), or behind the bridge pickup. Just curious is all. Feel free to post any audio you may have

[rickaddict]

I mostly play right over the bridge pickup, finger style. I like the way the strings "give" there; not too tight, not too loose. I also like the articulate tone from playing there. But it all depends on what the situation calls for. More mellow and I might play softly and closer to the fretboard (sometimes over the fretboard), more aggressive and I might play closer to the bridge.

This "floating" style I've adopted, and my general preference for playing directly over the bridge pickup is why I don't like pickup covers.

[woodyng]

right ahead of the bridge,on both the cii (right over the rear pickup fingerthumpin it like a jazz pickup) and the 4000,i leave the cover on the 4000,as it makes a great handrest when i do play forward of the pickup. also the 4000 has tended to be a bit noisey,i understand keeping the cover on helps reduce that noise...i generally go for a smoother sound,but will sometimes play with a pick for a brighter,grindier sort of tone.....

[badeggs]

I play finger-style. The first time I picked up a Rick, my thumb gravitated to this spot:

...and I've never looked back. I find nothing comfortable about using the treble surround (cover on or off) for a thumbrest/handrest, and am amazed how in the minority I am...seems like in most shots of someone playing a 4001 (and the occasional 4000), their hand will be more-or-less around the treble pickup, or even way down by the tailpiece!

[jakeox]

I play finger-style. The first time I picked up a Rick, my thumb gravitated to this spot:

...and I've never looked back. I find nothing comfortable about using the treble surround (cover on or off) for a thumbrest/handrest, and am amazed how in the minority I am...seems like in most shots of someone playing a 4001 (and the occasional 4000), their hand will be more-or-less around the treble pickup, or even way down by the tailpiece!

That's where I typically anchor, too, although like Jeff I will float around as the music dictates.

[berth]

I mainly play above the fretboard with a 2 mm Jim Dunlop. When I use my fingers I pluck above the neck pickup. Favorite pickup selection is 100 % neck and 80 % bridge.

[sloop_john_b]

I keep my thumb in the same spot that Jeff and Jake do. When playing with a pick, I'll either rest my hand on the pickup cover or play on the other side of it, depending on what sound I want.

[FretlessOnly]

I'm with Jeff, Jake, and John. And I'm John. Must be something about J's...On my first Rick, an '80 4001 JG, I ended up with a considerable wear mark there. Mine's actually right in the low spot of the PG, maybe a 1/4" closer to the bridge. Hope I don't do that to my DCM 75th!

To that end, I'm curious as to why so many basses lack a thumb rest/anchor/pivot above the neck pickup akin to the old finger anchor which, while typically referred to as a finger rest, was not a "rest." It was to allow "proper" playing technique with the thumb as a pulling point for the fingers so the thumb could do the plucking. That's how playing the electric bass was first envisioned.

[shamustwin]

I'll generally pick with my hand resting on the cover. For fingering I like south side of the bridge pickup. Just very sharp and precise there.

[jps]

I am with most of the Js here (fingerstyle, mostly), but, I do not anchor my thumb. I like to float and use different areas of the strings, even going as high as the 12th fret area, or down by the bridge, it all depends on the tone needed at the time. Except for my 4005WB, all my Rick basses have either covers or horseshoes.

[Duckenbacker]

Having played a jazz far to long I became very use to playing pretty much in the middle using the "neck" pickup as a thumb rest, when i got a 3001 about 8 months ago the pickup was almost at the same spot so the transition was easy, but alas the neck needs some work.

So I got me a 4004cii a couple months back, not having ever played one I wasn't expecting the neck pickup to be so close to the neck and the bridge pickup so far the other direction, I would prefer to play some were in the middle but with out a thumb rest I tend to play over the neck pickup but this is some what uncomfortable for me and the style that I play in, so I may have to make me a thumb rest so it will fit me better...

But in all this is a great bass and am very pleased to have gotten it...

Ken

[ajish4]

90% of the time, I float around from piviting on the neck pickup and for the really mellow stuff, I play up neck as well. Most of that time I pivot my thumb on the bottom of the neck on the binding, but I too go as high up as the 12th fret.

The other 10% of the time, with a pick with my hand resting on the Horseshoe or pickup cover. I almost NEVER play behind the bridge pickup unless I'm trying to figure out some YES material.

[jps]

Let's start a 12th Fret Club!

[wints]

The irony is, that **** cover/horseshoe gets in the way of the real sweet spot.

You can go up the neck for that 60's bass sound, or towards the bridge for the treble bite, but that in between spot is where it's really at...

[Prowl]

wow such a wide variety of answers! Seems like the bulk of you guys go for that sort of vintage warm tone no?
I maybe weird for doing this but I plug my cable into my Stereo jack and use my bridge pickup only with the tone wide open. I also use a green dunlop tortex pick and play behind the bridge pickup. When I'm recording or playing live I usually have an EQ going on my bits and I get a very mellow tone from my bass. For the sexy songs I usually do the same as above but use the index and middle finger of my picking hand together, and play just in between the neck and bridge. I do that about 10% of the time. The other 90% is as above. I also run to the upper register as well.