Experiences with Pickguardian?

[jps]

You should try and ween yourself off the thumbrest. I haven't needed one for 30 years now and it has opened things up for me not being anchored to one spot.

[cassius987]

You should try and ween yourself off the thumbrest. I haven't needed one for 30 years now and it has opened things up for me not being anchored to one spot.

I have always anchored my thumb situationally and done okay. Like anybody, my right had changes position about as much as my left. I just think a thumbrest makes a good "base" to start from--or close to the neck, the neck pickup--and I'm a bit worried that I won't be able to adjust to the recess version. That's okay though--as you say they really AREN'T necessary. Perhaps I'd be better off just to ask for no amenity to it altogether regarding the recess, but I think I will still request it to see if I like it. After all, it's close enough to that pickup's chrome cover, which is one of my base anchors for "warm" stuff over the neck pickup. What works in one position could work similarly well in the other. I guess I could even take the top part off and have it be REALLY similar.

I think if anything I'd just like a thumbrest to replicate what I do with the pickup shield. I got used to it so fast and started channeling some really good tones as soon as I had my Ric, in part because it was there, offering me that unique right-hand position that sounded honky when I tried to imitate it on my Jazz Bass and (ex) MM Stingray. But don't get me wrong, Jeff. I agree with you.

The only thing I really need to ween off of in my opinion is anchoring at all. I can't really float that well. But moving the anchor point around to the point that it doesn't really matter where I am? Sure. I guess I just like to have a clear place to start from, for some reason.

EDIT: This post reminded me of something hilarious. When I was sixteen, I was picked up to be in a band called Poetica that had hopes of going on tours like Ozzfest, etc. My only bass then was that (ex) MM Stingray--good fish. Anyways, they were all my senior by an average of 10-15 years, but were very nice to me, including the fact that, when I couldn't find a good way to anchor on the Stingray and wanted a warmer sound, I actually had my thumb wrapped just over the edge of the bass's body in line with the empty pickguard space close to the neck. Chris, the main writer and a really nice gentleman who now works in Branson, said he thought it made me unique. That was the nicest thing I think anyone could have said.

[cassius987]

Mailed the stuff out yesterday. Final order:

Bridge pup surround + clear 1/4'' pup guard with recess + 3/4'' pickguard with even knob spacing, all in matching standard white.

I'm so excited!

[ben_brown]

You should try and ween yourself off the thumbrest. I haven't needed one for 30 years now and it has opened things up for me not being anchored to one spot.

+1

[cassius987]

You should try and ween yourself off the thumbrest. I haven't needed one for 30 years now and it has opened things up for me not being anchored to one spot.

+1

Just so we're clear, are you guys advocating "floating" the right hand or just letting your thumb anchor in all sorts of spots on an as-needed basis? Because I do the latter but can't hardly do the former.

[jps]

I do a combination of the two but I do try to keep my thumb either above the strings (curled under my plucking fingers) or resting on them to mute the unplayed strings.

[cheyenne]

Im a combination pick/fingerstyle player myself, about 50/50 I'd say. I have never anchored my thumb in a specific spot. I'd have to agree with Jeff on this one. "Floating" your hand , opens up some real tone options.

[cassius987]

I guess I'll have to practice this. I'm fairly new to (owning) a fretless so I might as well pick up some other things to be new at, such as floating. I hear floating is really helpful for advanced slap technique too, yes? It's either Vic Wooten or Col. Claypool (or both) that does (do) it, and back when I was transitioning from guitar to bass my guitar teacher was trying to explain it to me, but it went over my head.

Did anybody else know that Claypool plays a Ric sometimes? That surprised me quite a bit.

...No word from Tony yet, I'm waiting anxiously to hear that he received my stuff in the mail.

[jps]

Slapping would be pretty hard to do with your thumb anchored, eh?

Lots of times I will pluck the strings up the fingerboard, as high as the 12 fret position on fretless (and even fretted basses) for getting great mwah (in the case of the fretless) and warmth.

[cassius987]

Slapping would be pretty hard to do with your thumb anchored, eh?

Lots of times I will pluck the strings up the fingerboard, as high as the 12 fret position on fretless (and even fretted basses) for getting great mwah (in the case of the fretless) and warmth.

Both good points, and both things that I already do and hadn't considered!! I don't know why I got so stuck on wanting a thumbrest then, I guess just for a feeling of security ("I can always go back home...").

The fretless tone high up into the fingerboard is uber-mwah, you are right. Very lovely.

[dog]

I just received the guard I ordered from Pickguardian. It was only five business days from order to delivery. The guard is exactly as ordered, and he nailed the 1/2" spacing perfectly. I must believe that everything they make will be up to the high quality of the guard I just received.

Cheers, dog

[jps]

I must believe that everything they make will be up to the high quality of the guard I just received.

Cheers, dog

They are.

[cassius987]

He just shipped mine out today. Said it turned out really nice... I can't wait to see it (and employ it). Not having a guard on the FL will be nice.

[dog]

He just shipped mine out today. Said it turned out really nice... I can't wait to see it (and employ it). Not having a guard on the FL will be nice.

Hope to see a couple of photos.

dog

[rokkitt]

yah!


lets see it when you get it!

big al