Playing positions and pickup selection

[cjj]

I play finger style, using 2 and sometimes 3 fingers to pluck the strings, sometimes with my fingernails to get a real sharp attack. Mostly, I like to play right over the bridge pickup, sometimes even closer to the bridge, sometimes up towards the neck if I need a mellower tone.

On my old 4001 (long gone) I actually machined a brass thumb rest that attached to the bridge pickup surround using the screw that's right above the E string towards the bridge. I made it so that it was the same distance from the E string as the other strings are spaced and sat at the same level. Basically, it was like resting my thumb on a low B string. Man, that was nice! I'm contemplating making a few more for my 4003 and 4001, but it really won't work for the 4004. So, maybe I'll just get used to not having a rest (but I tend to find myself hooking my thumbnail on the pickup surround screw on the 4001/4003)...

[ajish4]

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

Andy, Andy, Andy......and you seem like such a NICE GUY TOO!!

[Prowl]

I play finger style, using 2 and sometimes 3 fingers to pluck the strings, sometimes with my fingernails to get a real sharp attack. Mostly, I like to play right over the bridge pickup, sometimes even closer to the bridge, sometimes up towards the neck if I need a mellower tone.

On my old 4001 (long gone) I actually machined a brass thumb rest that attached to the bridge pickup surround using the screw that's right above the E string towards the bridge. I made it so that it was the same distance from the E string as the other strings are spaced and sat at the same level. Basically, it was like resting my thumb on a low B string. Man, that was nice! I'm contemplating making a few more for my 4003 and 4001, but it really won't work for the 4004. So, maybe I'll just get used to not having a rest (but I tend to find myself hooking my thumbnail on the pickup surround screw on the 4001/4003)...

Do you have any pictures with that rest on there? I would love to see what that looked like

[jps]

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

Andy, Andy, Andy......and you seem like such a NICE GUY TOO!!

Yeah, and he's related to Jeff Thomas, to boot!

[cassius987]

I play in a different position for just about every song. That said, my personal choices (which I don't always take the liberty of choosing) for tone are these two spots: right over the 20th fret with the BRIDGE pickup soloed on a fretless, and right in front of the tailpiece with the BRIDGE pickup soloed and the cap in the circuit on a fretted. I only whip out a blend or the soloed neck pickup if a song calls for it--which is actually pretty often.

Oh yeah, usually I have the tone knobs totally rolled off all of the time. Sometimes on a fretted I'll put it at 2/3 rolled off for a little bit of crackle but I'm one of those people who doesn't like a bass to respond much above, I dunno, 10-15 kHz. Too high above that and you get into super sparkle zing sizzle pop territory and that's not where it's at for me personally. Though I do enjoy listening as some other players go there...

[incubus2432]

I used to anchor my thumb on the bridge p/u surround but when I switched to 4004s (surround-less) I struggled briefly but adapted to where I float my plucking hand now. I tend to play in the position like when I anchored my thumb still. It works out good for me since I tend to strike the strings hard.....it gives good tone, for me, without the strings striking the neck like they would if I played further from the bridge. I do roam a little for accent purposes but basically I stick pretty close to the bridge.

For p/u and tone selection I tend to have the controls maxed for my "go to" tone. Both p/us on BTW. On my LK I still use the "everything full on" for my main tone but since there are three p/u's with pretty distinct voices I find myself tweaking a bit more.

[antonius]

I play a 1975 4001 with 1" neck pickup spacing. For finger-style I have a floating thumb technique but when playing the E string my thumb lightly touches the front side of the bridge pickup surround. So my default position is to play more or less over the bridge pickup, but I move forwards towards the neck pickup if a need a more mellow sound, or back a little towards the bridge for a tighter brighter sound. It just depends on the style and feel of the music. I like the tension and feel of the strings most over and just in front of the neck pickup though. I play over the bridge pickup when using a pick too. I usually use both pickups, often with the neck pickup volume rolled back very slightly. I occasionally use just the neck pickup but rarely use only the bridge pickup.

[Prowl]

Oh yeah, usually I have the tone knobs totally rolled off all of the time. Sometimes on a fretted I'll put it at 2/3 rolled off for a little bit of crackle but I'm one of those people who doesn't like a bass to respond much above, I dunno, 10-15 kHz. Too high above that and you get into super sparkle zing sizzle pop territory and that's not where it's at for me personally. Though I do enjoy listening as some other players go there...

I know exactly what you mean here. I actually know I've not EQed my bass properly when I hear my strings go the way of a violent "BLARP!" With a sizzling snap crackle and pop in the background. When I have the EQ dialed in (which is different every song yet my tone always comes out the same as you well know Mistah Chandlah) I get a warm well rounded sound. It also helps that I pick flatly with the pick near resting on the strings with each strike.

[cjj]

I play finger style, using 2 and sometimes 3 fingers to pluck the strings, sometimes with my fingernails to get a real sharp attack. Mostly, I like to play right over the bridge pickup, sometimes even closer to the bridge, sometimes up towards the neck if I need a mellower tone.

On my old 4001 (long gone) I actually machined a brass thumb rest that attached to the bridge pickup surround using the screw that's right above the E string towards the bridge. I made it so that it was the same distance from the E string as the other strings are spaced and sat at the same level. Basically, it was like resting my thumb on a low B string. Man, that was nice! I'm contemplating making a few more for my 4003 and 4001, but it really won't work for the 4004. So, maybe I'll just get used to not having a rest (but I tend to find myself hooking my thumbnail on the pickup surround screw on the 4001/4003)...

Do you have any pictures with that rest on there? I would love to see what that looked like

I've got one picture, but it's not in digital format (it's a slide). One of these days I'll get around to digitizing it...

[badeggs]

I stand corrected - it's nice to see so many others who go for the neck pickup!

When I play I dial the volume back and play fairly aggressively to make up that volume. The strings are like rubber bands at that spot, so they're perfect for that.

[woodyng]

i find it interesting that so many of you tend to favor plucking the strings near or over the fretboard-on both my basses,when i try to play in that area,the strings tend to be "overexcited",and i get more rasp and superflous vibration than i would like. i do have both basses set up with lower gauge strings,and somewhat low action,and perceive that i have a fairly light touch,but just seem to get a (ahem) farty tone playing closer to the neck.(not that there's anything wrong with THAT!) also,i have long,gibbon-like arms,so it tends to be more comfortable for me to drop 'em straight down where they fall into the bridge area of the bass......also on my cii,now that i now have individual volume control over the 2 pickups,i tend to back the neck pickup off about 20%,and the one tone control is usually wide open to 25% rolled off......

[antipodean]

In the deep past, I played fingerstyle with my thumb resting on the bridge pickup mount inside the assembly, and with a pick just above the bridge (I would sometimes looses the mute screw with my pick hand . As my bass was a 4000, I didn't have much pickup choice. These days I play fingerstyle with my thumb anchored on the bottom of the neck and with a pick resting my hand on the treble pickup cover/horseshoe, with both pickups of my 4001 or V63 selected. I find the blended tone of the two pickups to be a sound I can't replicate with other basses.

[jakeox]

I stand corrected - it's nice to see so many others who go for the neck pickup!

When I play I dial the volume back and play fairly aggressively to make up that volume. The strings are like rubber bands at that spot, so they're perfect for that.

Once again, I agree -- I dig in pretty hard, too. I like the way the strings feel right at that spot when I dig in. Down by the bridge I can't get the same kind of attack.

[Prowl]

What about studio and live set ups? I know everything sounds different through headphones what do you guys use to keep your tone right where you like it?

[jps]

Where I like it varies considerably depending on the song, style, and what bass I am playing at the moment.