Where do I put my thumb when fingering?

[Herbie The Rad Dorklift]

I'm currently playing a Schecter Stiletto Custom 5, great bass for the money, but not mine. It has 2 pickups, and I rest my thumb on the "neck" pickup while fingering.

I'm soon to buy a Musicman Stingray 5, and don't know whether to get the extra neck pickup for £135. I won't really be using the pickup selector very much (I tend to stick to one sound), so will only really be using it for a thumb rest and aesthetical value, unless of course I decide I love the neck pickup sound.

I can't try one out because it's all bridge pickup only Stingrays near me.

Do I:

A) Get a Stingray with both.

B ) Practice fingering over the bridge pickup on my Schecter and get a 1 pickup Stingray.

C) Buy a 1 pickup Stingray and "hover" my thumb.

?

Edited July 20, 2011 by Herbie The Rad Dorklift

[bartelby]

I'm picking up a Stingray in 10 days time and currently use a Fender P. I also use my fingers to play and I use the pickup as a thumbrest.
So I guess I'm in the same position as you, but I'll just use the Stingrays pickup as a thumb rest.

You could always fit a thumbrest.

[Herbie The Rad Dorklift]

I could fit a thumb rest, but I'm useless at DIY! Would I just screw it in, or would I need to drill?

[bartelby]

[quote name='Herbie The Rad Dorklift' post='1310359' date='Jul 20 2011, 02:46 PM']I could fit a thumb rest, but I'm useless at DIY! Would I just screw it in, or would I need to drill?[/quote]


Whilst I have fitted a thumbrest by just using a very pointy sharp screw I tend to use a drill.
You could always try the no more nails tape, not sure how well that'd work though.
Still, cheaper than an unused pickup...

[Herbie The Rad Dorklift]

Perhaps I could VERY carefully superglue it on?

Or indeed trim some double sided trim tape to size (probably the safest, reversible way).

Another question; is it worth getting the extra pickup? Even just to noodle around with for different sounds? I'm buying new, so an extra £135 isn't [i]that[/i] much more...

[Thurbs]

Try the floating thumb technique, otherwise rest your thumb on the string above.

[Herbie The Rad Dorklift]

Maybe I just need to man up and finger down by the bridge? (I did plenty of that when I was younger )

[thisnameistaken]

Hey man, fingering is what you do with the other hand - stopping notes behind the frets. Picking is what you do with the hand that's down near the bridge.

As for the Stingrays... I wouldn't buy a 2-pickup bass just to have somewhere to put my thumb. I wouldn't worry about it too much - the pickup on a Stingray isn't as close to the bridge as it looks, the ovoid pickguard and 21-fret neck make it look closer to the bridge than it actually is.

[Herbie The Rad Dorklift]

Ahh it's still called picking even with fingers eh? *strokes moustache*

I'm a guitar player you see, been playing bass for about a year, but trying my best to do it "properly"

[Prime_BASS]

[quote name='thisnameistaken' post='1310412' date='Jul 20 2011, 03:16 PM']Hey man, fingering is what you do with the other hand - stopping notes behind the frets. Picking is what you do with the hand that's down near the bridge.

As for the Stingrays... I wouldn't buy a 2-pickup bass just to have somewhere to put my thumb. I wouldn't worry about it too much - the pickup on a Stingray isn't as close to the bridge as it looks, the ovoid pickguard and 21-fret neck make it look closer to the bridge than it actually is.[/quote]

+1 the "top" section is rather in the middlemore than anything, it also feelsmore natural position for the hand aswell IMO.

Failing that, try a makeshift ramp.

[Fat Rich]

I'm sure I've seen people use stick on rubber feet like these:

[url="http://shop.ebay.co.uk/i.html?_nkw=adhesive+rubber+feet"]http://shop.ebay.co.uk/i.html?_nkw=adhesive+rubber+feet[/url]

I've never tried them myself, I think I'd be worried they'd come unstuck mid gig.

No drilling involved although they might leave unsightly sticky goo when you remove them!

[mantekka]

I would recommend fingering down by the bridge, and maybe rest your thumb on her pubic bone

Seriously tho, I play a stingray 5 and rest my thumb on the bridge pickup. As it's a double, I feel there's a bit of width in it to move around. Besides it's not too close to the bridge, compared to the bridge pickup on a fender jazz.
I played a P-bass before that but wasn't long adapting to the new position. Being closer to the bridge, I felt, gave me better control and allowed me to finger a string faster and with better rhythm & accuracy.

Have you tried resting your thumb on the bridge pickup of any stingrays you've tried? Did you not like it?

[Herbie The Rad Dorklift]

It just felt a bit "tight", but maybe I'd get used to it and prefer it

I'll try getting used to playing by the bridge on my Schecter.

[cocco]

Am I the only one with a dirty mind?

[gub]

[quote name='cocco' post='1310658' date='Jul 20 2011, 06:41 PM']Am I the only one with a dirty mind?[/quote]

No!

[dmccombe7]

[quote name='cocco' post='1310658' date='Jul 20 2011, 06:41 PM']Am I the only one with a dirty mind?[/quote]

Don't think so but the rest of us are too polite to say anything

If i don't have a pick up or neck to rest my thumb on i use either the string above one I'm playing or the E (B string on a 5 or 6 string) or simply rest my arm on the top curve of the bass and adopt the floating hand technique. You will adapt very quickly once you have the new bass and no other option.

Good luck and hope you get the sound and feel you are looking for.
That is a rhetorical statement because bass players are never truly happy with what they have.
GAS is always just around the corner.

Cheers
Dave

[solo4652]

Try floating thumb technique. I used to use a thumbrest but since adopting floating thumb, string muting is so much easier. See: [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iZFSeNy_GMk"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iZFSeNy_GMk[/url]

Steve

[xgsjx]

I rest my thumb on the body or if I'm playing over the end of the neck, I sometimes rest my thumb on the edge of the neck (never noticed that until I tried just now to see where my thumb goes).

[Blademan_98]

+1 on the floating thumb.

OR just be flash and only play on the D & G strings.....

(you did say you were a guitarist )

[cocco]

I believe the technical term is "the bowling ball"

[chewrocket]

If £135 'isnt too much' to you then get the extra pickup.

Right now you might not be too fussed about the tone gained from an extra pickup but a year down the line your music tastes may have changed, you might have joined an [insert genre] band and your idea of tone might have completely changed.

When spending so much on a bass you might want to have yourself covered for a fair few years!


DONT screw a thumbrest on, this will probably devalue the bass. Possibly superglue it on but even then I'd be tempted to buy a different scratch plate and keep the original in a safe place.

[beardybass]

I had this problem with an Aria fretless with a musicman style pickup, so I blu-tacked a 2p coin to the body. Swish, no?

[Dave Vader]

[quote name='mantekka' post='1310499' date='Jul 20 2011, 04:25 PM']I would recommend fingering down by the bridge, and maybe rest your thumb on her pubic bone [/quote]

I was waiting for that.
Stick your thumb on the edge of the pickguard, or screw in a thumbrest (just watch out if you try and slap it downwards, them things hurt )

[Herbie The Rad Dorklift]

I think I'll just get the extra pup.

You never know, I may end up using it lots....

[Wil]

Up her arse?

Perhaps I should have read further than the thread title.