Basses Mark King is using

[haddimudd]

Willie, you wouldn't have to fear the glue. The glue would be on the inside, on your thumb, not on the outside where the strings are. Also gaffer tape is extremely strong and if you wrap a few layers around your thumb it won't wear off.
 
It is fun to try. I am sure every MK clone kiddy once tried it in their lifes. I wasn't any better. In public though you'd immediately expose yourself as a MK clone . Since he really invented or established it, it has become kind of his trademark. Still, it's fun to try it out once if you'd like to feel the acceleration on your thumb.

[willie]

I just remember anytime I used duct tape on anything the glue seemed to get on stuff and didn't want to come off. Can you actually notice a difference in thumb speed? I may have to try it just for that.
Willie

[adriaan]

My imnpression is 'thumb speed' increases when you go from long scale to medium scale. I know mine did.

[jorge_s]

Can anyone explain the concept behind the bendwell feature on the Status Kingbass?  On their website it states that it allows for bending and vibrato.  Wouldn't this be possible on a regular headless bass without this feature?

[haddimudd]

What they call the bendwell is usually the area on the headplate where the string goes from the nut to the tuners. A bass player can push down the string in this area behind the nut to bend up the tone, as Stanley Clarke is popular for and of course Mark King, who was sufficiently influenced by SC.  
 
On a regular headless this area does not exist. The strings start directly at the nut and go down to the bridge, that's where you'd have the tuners on a headless.  
 
By adding a little overlapping neck area extending beyond the nut, you'd have this little extra string extension to perform this kind of bending even on the headless neck. Just look at the headless neck area above the nut of the Status and you'll see what I mean.  
 
 
(Message edited by haddimudd on July 04, 2004)

[mattheus]

The Bendwell is a brilliant invention made bij Status. It is especially for headless basses. The trick is very simple. The neck is extended behind the nut. It is also a bit 'hollowed'. This way you can bend or add a vibrato effect to the strings you play. On a normal bass, you can do that very easily, because there is always a space between the nut and the tuners where you can fool around with the strings. Untill this feature was made by Status, that kind of tricks wouldn't work on a headless bass.  
 
Mattheus

[willie]

OK so now I know what basses he's playing & what he has on his thumb, so how about some info on his stage rig, I imagine someone here will probably know exactly what he uses. Thanks
Willie

[jazzyvee]

Re the thumb thing. I got into slapping a while ago and I know how sore my thumb got whilst doing all that stuff. Instead of the tape thing which to be honest I never tried. I went to a jewelery stand in a market and bought one of those cheap silver thumb rings and put that on the knuckle of my thumb and used that instead.  
 

 
it gave a brighter thump to the sound and a nice percussive edge and saved my thumb. I don't know about making my playing faster but it did give an interesting sound.
 
it's very clicky if you slap over the end of the neck but if like me you dont it's fine also it means you can slap close to the bridge where the strings are tighter and get a more useable sound without having to hit the strings too hard.
 
Anyway I don't get that much call for slapping that much now and certainly not Mark King Style.
 
here's a picture of the offending weapon

[thebass]

There's a guy in germany who's made a product called slapring which does exactly what you describe: http://www.slapring.com/en/productinfo/index.php