Thumb Rest

[08 Ric 4003]

I got my first Ric a few months back and was wondering if 4003's ever came with thumb rests. I added one to my Fender Jazz, but was not thrilled about drilling two extra holes in a nice American Standard. I I know I can just buy another pickguard and cover it up and it will look like I never added it. I really don't want to drill into my 4003, but I really like the thumb rest on my Jazz. Does a company make thumb rests for Rics and has anyone done it?

[johnallg]

I got my first Ric a few months back and was wondering if 4003's ever came with thumb rests. I added one to my Fender Jazz, but was not thrilled about drilling two extra holes in a nice American Standard. I I know I can just buy another pickguard and cover it up and it will look like I never added it. I really don't want to drill into my 4003, but I really like the thumb rest on my Jazz. Does a company make thumb rests for Rics and has anyone done it?

No, the 4003 never did come with one. Yes, you can get then and yes a few put them on. If you really don't want to drill the body, maybe using a short flat head screw countersinking the bottom of the pickguard will hold it to the guard without drilling the body. Then cut off just a screw head and glue it into the top showing hole of the thumb rest and voila!

[jps]

.....has anyone done it?

Exhibit A:

4003JPSVP_1200_7114.jpg

Exhibit B:

4001V63-1200_9087.jpg

[cassius987]

Jeff, I think those are technically considered "tug bars" where the player grabs the rest with their fingers to pluck the strings with their thumb. I think a thumb rest is when someone takes a tug bar and sticks it on the other side of the strings... I don't think I've ever seen a manufacturer install one like that in a stock configuration, but obviously the tug bar placement has historical precedence. I actually use the treble pickup surround as a tug bar sometimes.

I would strongly, strongly encourage anyone playing any bass to just forget about thumb rests. In my opinion it's a bad habit to create a dedicated landing zone for your thumb to always go, because changing where you pluck the strings is an important part of crafting your tone within a song. I can think of at least five places I rest my thumb on a stock Ric as well as floating it. Just my opinion... obviously, if you feel you have to have a thumb rest, I cast no judgement.

[jps]

Jeff, I think those are technically considered "tug bars" where the player grabs the rest with their fingers to pluck the strings with their thumb. I think a thumb rest is when someone takes a tug bar and sticks it on the other side of the strings... I don't think I've ever seen a manufacturer install one like that in a stock configuration, but obviously the tug bar placement has historical precedence. I actually use the treble pickup surround as a tug bar sometimes.

I would strongly, strongly encourage anyone playing any bass to just forget about thumb rests. In my opinion it's a bad habit to create a dedicated landing zone for your thumb to always go, because changing where you pluck the strings is an important part of crafting your tone within a song. I can think of at least five places I rest my thumb on a stock Ric as well as floating it. Just my opinion... obviously, if you feel you have to have a thumb rest, I cast no judgement.

Fender moved their tugbars from the G side to the E side in the '70s; I never thought they looked good there, though.

I totally agree with the concept of not being glued to a thumbrest as it can block some truly creative playing, and creates tension in the plucking hand as you move across the strings. The horseshoe covers/bridge pickup cover are perfect for resting one's wrist or palm while plucking the strings towards the neck; look at folks like Marcus Miller, who keeps his neck pickup cover on his Jazz Bass, as it helps create his tone through how his hand is positioned.

[songdog]

I would strongly, strongly encourage anyone playing any bass to just forget about thumb rests... changing where you pluck the strings is an important part of crafting your tone

I'd definitely agree. I play with a pick on my 4001, but fingerstyle on my F-brand fretless, and on both basses where I pick makes a big difference in the sound.

I was watching the Rush video Beyond the Lighted Stage, which has a lot of really great shots of Geddy's technique. One thing that really struck me was that he'll move his right thumb to rest on the E, A, and maybe even D string when he's playing on higher strings. Makes sense, it's a good way to damp the strings that aren't being played (and with the way he attacks the notes, I bet he needs the damping!).

Over on another forum where people "talk bass" I've seen this described as "floating thumb" technique. I wish I had known this 30+ years ago when I was first learning... I'm trying to work it into my playing, but old habits die hard.

[pag]

The post 72 Jazz bass had a thumbrest above the strings.
Its a sure way of spotting earlier Jazz basses (or it was until the re-issue days!).

[08 Ric 4003]

Now you can just buy one and install it like I did and you have no clue what year it was from. I have one on my 95 Jazz American Standard. My bass looks like Geddy's Jazz the only difference is I put a Warmoth Neck on mine, It is maple and has black block inlays. I am thinking of putting Warmoth Necks on my Tele and Strat . They blow the stock Fender necks away.

[FretlessOnly]

I would strongly, strongly encourage anyone playing any bass to just forget about thumb rests.

And I consider a thumb rest to be one of the single most important items on any bass. Then again, I can still move my hand to any position to play, so it's by no means a hindrance, just an anchor in a sweet spot. I also use the neck pickup on my Jazz and my 'wick as a thumb rest and on all my basses I'll often anchor at the neck/body joint. Ricks are a bit problematic because I wish the pickguard were about a quarter-inch thicker to serve as a proper thumb rest, but that would be just crazy. So, I make due and eventually I'll wear away all the finish in that convex midpoint of the guard near the neck pickup. My first bass, a new 1980 4001 had a pretty bad wear spot there after 17 years...

[rickenbrother]

I agree with Joshua. I move my plucking hand to many different position to get the tones and expressions I want. The thumbrest might look cool on some vintage basses, but I don't want to be limited to a plucking area with a thumbrest. Most of the time I don't anchor my thumb at all. If I do, it's on the E string, which is a technique I've developed from playing 5 string bass guitars.

[FretlessOnly]

That's the thing, a thumb rest isn't limiting at all. It's an option one can either use or not use. I happen to like anchoring so I can pluck about an inch or three from the end of the fingerboard, but I'm still free to play anywhere else.

[cassius987]

Yeah, I don't want to say a thumb rest is limiting, but to me it would just be in the way. There is a surplus of spaces for my thumb to rest on nearly every bass I've ever played. For those who like thumb rests however, I say, play on! But as for players who have started to convince themselves maybe they need one I would really caution you to think it over before modding your bass, kind of like I have talked myself in the past into wasting money on "improved" pickups and bridges because I began to think I needed them to get "that tone". (I should have named my old Jazz Bass the "Money Pit".) Just make sure you've done your research at least and aren't talking yourself into something that, at the very least, could be a waste of your time and energy.

[coolingitdown]

When I play, I like to place my thumb on the string above the one I'm playing. When I bought a bezel for my 4003, I bought the one with the thumb rest. The rest is placed exactly where a 5th string would be, so it's perfect for when I'm playing on the E string.

That said, I prefer to control my tone with my hands, so my right hand could be anywhere between the bridge and the 20th fret at any given time, and I could be using index and middle fingers, my thumb, or a pick to pluck with.

So, for me, the thumb rest acts as sort of a home base, and i go where I need to from there.

[rickenbrother]

The reason why I said the the thumbrest would be limiting is for my own personal playing experience. The '76 Fender Precision I used to have in my early days of playing had a thumbrest, which I got into the habit of using, limiting my tonal possibilities. If it works well for someone else, terrific!

[coolhandjjl]

.....which has a lot of really great shots of Geddy's technique. One thing that really struck me was that he'll move his right thumb to rest on the E, A, and maybe even D string when he's playing on higher strings. Makes sense, it's a good way to damp the strings that aren't being played ......

I do a lot of that, never knew GL does it too!

Did the original 4000's have the tug bar stock?