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Post subject: Thumb rest what years?
Posted: Mon May 23, 2011 6:50 am
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hi I have a precision bass think I got it about 1975/6 it has a thumb rest (above strings) rather than the finger rest (below strings) I haven't seen many like this, is there a reason why the rest was in this position and what years did it apply to. Hope someone can help me out with this. Cheers everyone :o)


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Post subject: Re: Thumb rest what years?
Posted: Mon May 23, 2011 1:24 pm
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Hi, I've got a '76 P-Bass with exactly the same thumb rest. I've had this bass since 1979 and I don't think I've ever used the thumb rest!


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Post subject: Re: Thumb rest what years?
Posted: Mon May 23, 2011 2:03 pm
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According to Black & Molinaro's The Fender Bass, an Illustrated History, the thumbrest migrated to the upper position in 1974, on both Precision and Jazz Basses.

The reason? Playing styles changed. The rest (which Leo Fender originally called a 'tug bar') was put below the strings (i.e. on the treble side) because it was envisaged that players would pluck the strings with their thumb (see Monk Montgomery's style, for an example of this technique) - but by the 70's almost everyone either used a pick or played fingerstyle, and since most fingerstyle players tended to rest their thumb on the edge of the pickup, or on the E string, it was felt that they could use something rather more substantial. Of course, as you'll have realised, it's less than perfect for this :wink: , so most people removed theirs, either leaving little holes, or replacing the screws into the holes. So common was this that the 70's Re Issue basses - I play a '70 RI P-Bass myself - were sold with the screws in place, but no rest - or chrome covers either, come to that...


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Post subject: Re: Thumb rest what years?
Posted: Tue May 24, 2011 3:14 am
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Thanks to the people who replied, it's now clearer why the rest position changed, and like you both I have also removed mine! :D


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Post subject: Re: Thumb rest what years?
Posted: Sun Jun 05, 2011 3:03 pm
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Thanks for the info. I started playing in 68 and have always played with the thumb. I also use the pick and fingers, but love the sound I get from my thumb. It is very easy to use palm muting when playing this way, and to my ears the sound is a lot richer.
I just recently got a new J Bass, and nothing I sampled felt right until I played the 62 vintage with the finger rest right where my old P bass tug bar was. Old habits die hard! I was very grateful to Fender that I could get that option.


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