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Posted

Hi,

Stupid question here....

Sometimes when I play I rest my thumb on the top of the pickup that extends up and above the E string.

I've seen a lot of Precision basses with a 'thumb rest' screwed onto the pickguard below the G string. What's the idea of this? Why would you want a thumb rest there?

See here in this image:

Posted

That's a finger-pull. The idea was that you rested the palm of your hand on the "ashtray" (the chrome pickup cover), lodged your fingers against the finger-pull, and then played with your thumb just over the end of the fretboard.

Not many people were still playing like that by the end of the 60's, so eventually Fender ditched the finger-pull and introduced the thumb-rest instead.

Posted (edited)

It's harking back to the "Olden Days" when most Bassists making the transition to Electric Bass played with their thumb, and anchored their fingers on it. ;)






(Edit-beaten to it. Damn my slow typing!) :D

Edited by BigAlonBass
Posted

[quote name='Happy Jack' timestamp='1330977795' post='1565758']
That's a finger-pull. The idea was that you rested the palm of your hand on the "ashtray" (the chrome pickup cover), lodged your fingers against the finger-pull, and then played with your thumb just over the end of the fretboard.

Not many people were still playing like that by the end of the 60's, so eventually Fender ditched the finger-pull and introduced the thumb-rest instead.
[/quote]

This

Posted

[quote name='webby' timestamp='1330979316' post='1565800']
So, it's pretty pointless then these days? It's there for authenticity's sake, especially on the Classic Vibe bass pictured, yeah?
[/quote]

Yes. I've got one on mine, but many were taken off and chucked away, along with the ashtrays (hence them being used as...)

Posted

Some Youtube clips of the tugbar in action in this thread: [url="http://basschat.co.uk/topic/165990-thumb-rest-above-or-below/page__p__1510136__hl__thumb%20rest%20above%20or%20below__fromsearch__1#entry1510136"]http://basschat.co.uk/topic/165990-thumb-rest-above-or-below/page__p__1510136__hl__thumb%20rest%20above%20or%20below__fromsearch__1#entry1510136[/url]

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