Height of Human, Size of Bass

SteveFreides · #1 05-06-2008, 01:18 PM

I play a 3/4 and have maybe 4-6" of peg showing. (It's a fully carved, bottom of line Roma.) I'm about 5'7" (1 m 70). I have an adult student looking to start who is about 2" shorter at 5'5" or 1 m 65. I'm thinking 3/4 is also the right size for her although when she played mine today, I had only an inch of pin showing. At what height or lack thereof does one look for a 5/8 or 1/2 size bass? Or perhaps another question is, if the pin is showing almost nothing, would one be better off with a smaller instrument?

Or is this all just ******** because 3/4 are easy to find and 5/8 are not, and we should just stick with a 3/4 for her?

Thanks in advance.

-S-

drurb · #2 05-06-2008, 01:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SteveFreides

Or is this all just ******** because 3/4 are easy to find and 5/8 are not, and we should just stick with a 3/4 for her?

Thanks in advance.

-S-

Yup.

toman · #3 05-06-2008, 01:47 PM

To me, the size of the bass doesn't matter, unless there's a physical reason why someone can't handle a bigger (than average) instrument. Just find the best bass you can afford and forget about it! I've seen some tiny people play normal basses and some big dudes play little basses; they all get along fine...

SteveFreides · #4 05-06-2008, 02:36 PM

Thanks.

-S-

namraj · #5 05-06-2008, 02:48 PM

I'm 5'8" and i often play with only 1" showing on the endpin on my 3/4 size bass.

droo · #6 05-06-2008, 03:21 PM

I find that the less endpin is sticking out, the better the sound. Don't quite know if it's subjective or if there's a real physics reason (less energy lost through the pin vibrating?), but there you go.

Anyway, personally I'd go for the largest bass I could get away with (within reasonable string scale lengths) - unfortunately I'm 6'7" so I have the opposite problem

Marcus Johnson · #7 05-06-2008, 03:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by droo

I'm 6'7"

Whoa... so that explains your avatar photo.

SteveFreides · #8 05-06-2008, 03:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by droo

IAnyway, personally I'd go for the largest bass I could get away with (within reasonable string scale lengths) - unfortunately I'm 6'7" so I have the opposite problem

Ah, but my basketball-loving 15 year old would much rather have had you for his father.

Steve "you can pick your nose but you can't pick your parents" Freides

Arduy · #9 05-06-2008, 03:49 PM

To Droo: when playing a double bass, the whole instrument vibrates, including the endpin; so a short endpin should vibrate less, and impeding the instrument's vibrations too; therefore for a louder sound the endpin should not be very short. Mine is about 25 cm on a 4/4 bass.

Sol · #10 05-07-2008, 04:19 PM

Perhaps reach of arm and distance to bridge should be considered, if playing arco.

Andrew McGregor · #11 05-08-2008, 06:46 PM

My impression is that a 3/4 bass is fine for anyone over about 5'2", and probably a bit shorter than that even, and 5/8 or 4/4 instruments are OK for someone over about 5'6". The biggest bass anyone ever had in a section I was playing in was owned by a woman, 5'3" and petite to go with it. She had lots of fun trying to carry it, but playing was a non-issue.

droo · #12 05-12-2008, 04:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SteveFreides

Ah, but my basketball-loving 15 year old would much rather have had you for his father.

Not the way I play basketball, he wouldn't

droo · #13 05-12-2008, 04:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Marcus Johnson

Whoa... so that explains your avatar photo.

Yeah most of my photos probably come out like that. It's no bad thing though!

furtom · #14 05-13-2008, 03:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SteveFreides

At what height or lack thereof does one look for a 5/8 or 1/2 size bass? Or perhaps another question is, if the pin is showing almost nothing, would one be better off with a smaller instrument?

-S-

The height is only a factor if the bass is still too tall for her with the end pin all the way in. I wouldn't worry too much about any implications of "how much" end pin is sticking out or not. There are a million obscure and mysterious things effecting the tone of a bass. The end pin is just one of them.

A much more relevant point is the string length. If, with a good hand position, she has trouble reaching the whole step comfortably in the lower positions, I would start looking for a smaller instrument. If she's a beginner, it's the instructor's job to make that determination.

anonymous12251111 · #15 05-13-2008, 10:57 AM

Hi there! I'm 5'6" and I play on a large 7/8th's orchestral bass w/ a 42 inch string length, no problem at all. It depends completely on the bass and how it's set up.

Bruce Lindfield · #16 05-13-2008, 01:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SteveFreides

I play a 3/4 and have maybe 4-6" of peg showing. (It's a fully carved, bottom of line Roma.) I'm about 5'7" (1 m 70).

Metres and stuff mean nothing to me for height - and the first few times I read this post, I was reading that last part as (I am 70) and thinking - what's your age got to do with it!!??