I just bought a Bongo 4 HH and have discovered a problem: I don't have a place to rest my thumb when playing on the E-string! The humbuckers don't have an edge to rest the thumb on, so what do all you Bongo players do? My thumb slips of the humbuckers ...
Help! Thumb rest on Bongo?
- Thread starter Jornan
- Start date
PeteDuBaldo
Well-known member
Easy, buy a 5-string Bongo 
Eggman
Well-known member
I rest my thumb on the little scooped out area on the side of the neck pickup. Seems to work for me.
Other thing you could do is just use the top three strings!!!
(sorry - couldn't resist)
Other thing you could do is just use the top three strings!!!
(sorry - couldn't resist)
Caca de Kick
Well-known member
All the dual pickup basses have that scooped edge and I've always found that to be a perfectly comfy spot as a thumbrest.
Aussie Mark
Well-known member
Edge of the pickguard works too.
bassmonkeee
Well-known member
strummer
Enormous Member
Mostly I have my thumb on the neck pick up cover
koogie2k
Well-known member
I always thought the scooped area on the pup was for the thumb rest....that is what I use.
strummer
Enormous Member
So true, but the tip is then to glue it onto the pick guard instead of drilling the bass.
It's easy to change the pickguard, right? If I buy a new pickguard, then I can glue the thumb rest on that one, and I just change the pickguard to take it on and off? I have discovered that the corners on the humbuckers work, but I'd prefer a thumb rest
PeteDuBaldo
Well-known member
It's easy to change the pickguard, right? If I buy a new pickguard, then I can glue the thumb rest on that one, and I just change the pickguard to take it on and off? I have discovered that the corners on the humbuckers work, but I'd prefer a thumb rest
Yep, all you have to do is remove the screws and the pickguard can lift right off!
ronnyG
Well-known member
I remember when I first got my 90 SR4 single H I installed a thumb rest down by the bridge because I liked the "punchier", tighter sound and feel from playing in that position. I made it out of plastic and did screw it on, but I removed the pick guard and put stickers all over it (not saying you should do that lol, I was a teen), but when I eventually removed the stickers and reinstalled the pick guard you could not see the 2 tiny holes left by the thumb rest.
But I never had any problems using the edge of the pick up as a thumb rest after that.
If deciding to use a thumb rest the idea with the gluing on to the pick guard might do the trick..I would use a good 2 part epoxy. Scuff up the mating surfaces on the bottom of the thumb rest and the area where you are gluing it on the pick guard with some rough sandpaper and it will probably never come off even if you chiseled it..use a quality 2 part epoxy as that is key.
But I never had any problems using the edge of the pick up as a thumb rest after that.
If deciding to use a thumb rest the idea with the gluing on to the pick guard might do the trick..I would use a good 2 part epoxy. Scuff up the mating surfaces on the bottom of the thumb rest and the area where you are gluing it on the pick guard with some rough sandpaper and it will probably never come off even if you chiseled it..use a quality 2 part epoxy as that is key.
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syciprider
Well-known member
Learn how to float your thumb and you will never seek that crutch again.
adouglas
Well-known member
I've used the floating thumb since forever...one really big advantage to it is that once you get comfortable playing that way you can easily play all over the place and change your tone at will. If you lock yourself to one spot by relying on a thumbrest (or even the pickup edge), you're stuck with whatever tone that produces.
But everybody has his/her own preferred style. Yours is to rely on a thumbrest.
I agree about buying another pickguard and attaching the rest to that. IIRC a couple of years ago somebody did that very thing and detailed the process with photos. Dig around and you might find the thread. Or I might be crazy.
If memory serves, he drilled the pickguard and also countersunk it from behind, so he could screw the rest on (again from behind) as well as (maybe) gluing it. That struck me as a very clean, professional way to do the job.
But everybody has his/her own preferred style. Yours is to rely on a thumbrest.
I agree about buying another pickguard and attaching the rest to that. IIRC a couple of years ago somebody did that very thing and detailed the process with photos. Dig around and you might find the thread. Or I might be crazy.
If memory serves, he drilled the pickguard and also countersunk it from behind, so he could screw the rest on (again from behind) as well as (maybe) gluing it. That struck me as a very clean, professional way to do the job.
What is a floating thumb? Sorry, my English isn't good, so I don't understand everything
Anyway, I've become more used to the Bongo now, and find it OK to rest the thumb on the humbuckers even though it's not an edge there. Guess I just needed to get used to it =)
Anyway, I've become more used to the Bongo now, and find it OK to rest the thumb on the humbuckers even though it's not an edge there. Guess I just needed to get used to it =)
adouglas
Well-known member
Floating thumb means that instead of planting your thumb in one spot (like on a rest or the edge of the pickup) and leaving it there, you locate your thumb on the string below the one you're playing.
For example, if the note I'm playing is on the E string, I put my thumb on the B string, and so on. If I'm playing the B string and feel that I need a reference, I use the edge of the pickup.
For example, if the note I'm playing is on the E string, I put my thumb on the B string, and so on. If I'm playing the B string and feel that I need a reference, I use the edge of the pickup.
Spot
Active member
actually, this technique is not the floating thumb technique, i could describe it for you but my English is limited and an image is better than words (or a video in this case)
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PPVMBPmrblU"]YouTube - Todd Johnson Bass Guitar : Floating thumb technique[/ame]
this way, your thumb damper ALL the strings below the one you're playing. This is what my teacher learn me to help me eliminate the string's cross talking and its really helpful on a 6 strings
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