The Last Bass Outpost
Gear Discussion Forums => Gibson Basses => Topic started by: Aussie Mark on September 25, 2009, 08:24:57 PM
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Not having played EB-3s much previously (my old EB-4L pup was in just the right place), I'm struggling to find an anchor point on my SG RI in the sweet spot between the pickups, so am considering a thumbrest. Anyone else gone down this road?
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I always play fingerstyle. For some ballads I use the neck pick up as rest, but mostly the bridge pick up. Because of the string tension there I get a bit tired earlier. But it's much more to the middle than a Ricky 4005 bridge p/u.
I always have a problem with my 4005. It sounds too woollly using the neck pick up as thumb rest and resting on the bridge pick up is too trebly. It sounds best played with you fingers between the pick ups, but mounting a finger rest on a 4005...
Ever thought of mounting a chrome bridge cover as rest? Let's find a pic.
(http://www.premierguitar.com/Stream/StreamImage.aspx?Image_ID=2648&type=gear&Image_Type=full)
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At least you intend to use it! Most people here just want it for looks. :rolleyes:
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Ever thought of mounting a chrome bridge cover as rest?
On my players, I take that chrome rest off, and use the same hole to fit a one-screw wooden rest just there. Makes my one-pickup '65 Newport infinitely more playable, and it's completely reversible.
I am happy to rest my thumb on the bridge pickup on my SG reissue.
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if you don't already learn to rest your thumb on the e string. you can play anywhere on anybass doing this and no more thumbrest issues. in my case it works great but your results may vary.
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if you don't already learn to rest your thumb on the e string. you can play anywhere on anybass doing this and no more thumbrest issues. in my case it works great but your results may vary.
yeah, I know people who do this, but I can't get on with it. I tend to play the E string a lot...
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+1! But the bridge p/u is okay to use.
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ah, all you do is lift your thumb to play the E. :mrgreen: the only rule is that there are no rules . to each his own.
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Anchoring on the bridge pickup for finger style is no good for me, playing the strings in that inch or so space between the bridge pickup and the bridge sounds and feels like crap. I really like the tone and string feel mid-way between the two pickups.
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What about coming up with a bit of plastic, bent to to from a 90 degree angle, that would span the gap between the two pickups? Perhaps use the the existing mounting screws to attach it? Certainly would take some experimentaion but wouldn't disfigure your new baby with extra screw holes.
Seems like Jeanine had some similar gadget he made for Darkstars.
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if you don't already learn to rest your thumb on the e string. you can play anywhere on anybass doing this and no more thumbrest issues. in my case it works great but your results may vary.
Slightly interesting, yet wholly off-topic story. The book I bought, a million years ago, to learn to play bass actually warned against this practice. Yet, I took it's warning as advice, and started that very same habit.
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If I had an SG Bass and wanted a thumbrest, I would put a one-screw thumbrest where the bass side hole would go on that chrome cover in the pic in Chris' first post above. This is what Jules is describing with his vintage players. Of course you'd have to drill, but I can't see one or two well placed screw holes devaluing the bass by much.
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I can't see one or two well placed screw holes devaluing the bass by much.
That's what I figured as well. It's the "faded" model, and I bought it on sale at a great price, so there's not much to devalue anyway :-)
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Well, I think you need to play a bass and if it plays better with an extra hole in it... I thinkt that's way more important than the value of a bass in 10, 20, 30 years? If you ever sell it?
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As long as it is a vintage Honduras mahogany thumb rest it will enhance value ...
OTOH: This whole discussion amply proves that basses were meant to be picked not fingered. Nuff said.
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In Holland calling somebody a 'plectrumbassist' is very bad.
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In Holland calling somebody a 'plectrumbassist' is very bad.
That's okay. We forgive you anyway.
We even forgive you for sending us the Van Halen brothers.
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;D
I'm not into Vanhalen, so I really can't say anything about the boys.
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Holland gave us Bert Blyleven. That makes up for sending us Eddie and Alex.
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The job is done. I took an unused thumbrest from my Tokai Hard Puncher (I use the edge of the pickguard or the pickup to anchor on P-basses) and screwed it on. Took all of 30 seconds, and works perfectly.
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Pics?
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Pics?
Will take a pic tonight if I remember
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if you don't already learn to rest your thumb on the e string. you can play anywhere on anybass doing this and no more thumbrest issues. in my case it works great but your results may vary.
You are very right. I don't need any thumbrest. Actualy I hate these. When I buy a bass with a thumbrest that is the first thing that I take of. It gets in the way with my playing style.
I play a lot on the E string but I always rest the thumb on the E string when playing on the other strings. That is also good for damping unwanted ringing from the E string, cause it will ring when playing certain tones. When playing on the E string I rest the thumb either on the pickup or on the body close to the E string. The shift goes without flaws. It gives you much more flexibility to play all over de string. Your hand is not restricted to the thumbrest area. But hey, each his own.
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(http://deayton.com/guitars/sg%20ri%20thumb%20rest.jpg)
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That finish actually looks really good...is the bass well built?
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Yep, both finish and finger rest look good!
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After this horridly invasive move, that bass' value has just been halved. Finger players can be a cruel bunch ...
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Come on, Uwe, stop pickin' holes in Mark's thread...
Bet you love Toblerone, too... ;)
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After this horridly invasive move, that bass' value has just been halved.
The faded SG RI was only half the price of the "glossy" SG RI, so it couldn't be devalued much further.
As I mentioned in another thread, this is the first brand new Gibby I've ever owned, and surprisingly the quality right out of the store is better than some of the used Gibby's I've owned that have been worn in and set up properly. For the bargain basement price I'm very impressed. It cost me less than a Mexican Fender is to buy down here.
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Uwe is ever the instigator.
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In good humor. If you need a thumb rest, put it on. Since when have I ever been value preservation concerned? If you want to preserve value of your bass, don't play it at all and leave it in the case. That can't be right. I'd be saying the same thing if Mark had added a thumb rest to a pristine 63 EB-3.
And I too think that today's Gibson models are not any worse than what they have been putting out since the fifties.
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I posted it somewhere here, but Loes' LP Jr. was great out of the box. Even the set-up! My SG RI needed a little tweeking, but that's a good instrument too.
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Does the SG reissue have more robust highs and mids than the older EB's?
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Does the SG reissue have more robust highs and mids than the older EB's?
Yes, the neck pickup is a Thunderbird style.
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I think it's a very usable bass in modern live bands, because of the TB Plus at the neck and the bridge pick up shicj is a bit more to the center. You can even get some Fender-ish sounds at the bridge pick up.
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Dare I say the dirty "v"-word? It's versatile! Nothing can ever approach the archaic might of a mudbucker, but it's an acquired taste and limited in use. Whenever I bring out a mudbucker bass, guitarists always say: "What an unbelievable amout of bass, but can you make it sound normal too?" Of course you can't.: - )
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If I bring the EB3, guitarists complain about the amount of bass too!
The SG RI can be of great use in a set with mellow ballads and heavy rockers.