some of the riffs i play go back and forth from one string to the next, and even skip strings i.e. e to d or a to g. resting my thumb on a string wouldnt work in that case. i try not to overcomplicate the riff, but the other band members like the complexity of it. i also do have a wah effect for my bass and have experimented with a delay. my guitarist keeps trying to convince me to get a bass whammy pedal, but at this point im not leaning towards it. does anyone listen to incubus? it could be debated that their bassist overcomplicates the basslines but i think it adds to the listening experience