Thumb Rests

I have been thinking about thumb rests and ramps for quite some time now.  I had read about bassists using these and it always seemed to make sense to me.  After weeks of intending to build a set and try them out for awhile I finally got around to fabricating a set of thumb rests out of some scrap wood this morning.

So what is the purpose of adding a piece of wood to the top of an otherwise perfect condition bass?  For those of us who play with our fingers we frequently find ourselves anchoring our thumbs on the top side of one of the pickups.  I tend to play all over the length of the open space between the end of the fret board and the bridge of the bass.  By adding thumb rests this gives me a broader anchor point for my thumb as my right hand moves the length of the distance from the fret board to the bridge.  It will also hopefully help me establish a little more consistency of attack on my B string.  Having played for a number of years using the floating thumb technique and having established a good foundational technique I felt it would be okay to experiment with the thumb rests.

I temporarily affixed the thumb rests to the top of the bass using Command Strips so that they can be easy removed without damaging the finish on my bass.  The thumb rests bridge the space between the neck pick up and the end of the fret board and the space between the neck pickup and bridge pickup.  I used a sander to round over the top edge of each thumb rest.  Just for kicks I stained them using some leftover stain we had laying around from a previous project.

So I will try them out for the next week or so and report back on my observations.  If I find that I really like them then I will make another set out of some very old oak we discovered while renovating our drummer's garage to convert it to a rehearsal space.  I will have to give serious consideration to attaching them with stainless steel wood screws if this is the route I decide to go.