Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

It looks good from here. If possible, please send it to me so I can have a closer look. Thanks!

Anybody know where I can score one of those cool looking clear plastic thumb rests?

I was in Columbus this weekend so I took the V63 down to Tony for a new PG and vintage correct looking finger rests, for this and the 4005WB (the original went walkabout sometime in the '70s and hasn't been seen since ) and my FL.

Tony does a very nice job. Very quick shipper as well. My kids get a kick out of the fact when you Google my name, the first thing that comes up is the pic of my pickguard on his site.

I agree, Marc. Tony made the black pg I have on my JetGlo 4003. I just finished ordering the clear plastic thumbrest and while I was there I order a set of gold guards for my 620.

I feel really, really stupid asking this, but I've always wondered . . . why in the world is there a thumbrest BELOW the strings? Don't you want to rest your hand ABOVE the strings, so that you can play them with your fingers? It seems to me that the thumbrest below the strings assumes that your hand is playing upside down. I never understood how people used it when it was placed there.

Technically, it's a finger rest.

You could, I suppose, rest yer fingers on it, but the real use would be a tug bar to pull on when playing with your thumb.

The rest is chamfered at an angle away from the strings. I always used it to clinch my fingers on it. I don't believe it was ever intended for a thumb.

Tom said "You could, I suppose, rest yer fingers on it, but the real use would be a tug bar to pull on when playing with your thumb."

That is correct as far as I know. The bottom edge of the rest is angled slightly inward to facilitate a better grip. George Fullerton called them tug bars (on Fenders) but I don't know if that name (or even finger rest) was ever used by Rickenbacker. Does anyone have any old Rickenbacker liturature that mentions them by name?

A lot of players in the sixty's used there thumb[Beach Boys]Brian Wilson,also pick players anchored a finger or fingers on it.

Brian Wilson

that's the old Mel Bay method of playing ... I put old 60s style thumb rests on several of my basses ... I never use them but they look cool ...

I like the look of the tug-bar, Jeff. I thought about doing that to my v63, but decided that I'd probably find some way to accidentally bash my fingers on the thing!

I too have done this[added a finger rest] to all my v63s[two]
So everything I have except this new CS has a finger rest.I never use them.

Can you imagine playing with your thumb all night?Ouch!