Neck question

Stringsmagee · #1 10-22-2009, 12:30 PM

I learned bass back in middle and high school on an upright but have been strictly bass guitar for several years. I really want to get back into it but my main concern is the neck size. I have smaller hands so working around an upright neck is hard for me especially considering i have been spoiled on a jazz bass neck for so long. Are there any good uprights with a slimmer neck? If so what kind? and where can i find one?
Thanks

LeslieD · #2 10-22-2009, 12:53 PM

Engelhardt basses have especially thin necks. Also, most Kay basses I've played have thin necks too. I recently bought a 1950s plywood German bass with an unbelievably thin neck. At the time I thought I would like it, but after about two months I decided it wasn't what I liked afterall. It's pretty and sounds nice, but it actually feels exactly like the neck of a large bass guitar! But you might like it if that's what you're used to. ...I guess I should really just post this bass in the "For Sale" listings...

But anyway, basses with really thin necks are out there if you look hard enough... Where do you live?

mjt0229 · #3 10-22-2009, 03:49 PM

Some claims have been made on this board that a slimmer neck isn't necessarily good for one's technique. You can probably search around and find those discussions.

I have smallish hands and I learned on a bass with a slim neck (a Kay), but my current bass has a thicker one and I don't find it to be a major issue. I'll bet that having a good setup is more important.

drurb · #4 10-22-2009, 04:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stringsmagee

I learned bass back in middle and high school on an upright but have been strictly bass guitar for several years. I really want to get back into it but my main concern is the neck size. I have smaller hands so working around an upright neck is hard for me especially considering i have been spoiled on a jazz bass neck for so long. Are there any good uprights with a slimmer neck? If so what kind? and where can i find one?
Thanks

Unless you have very unusually small hands, do yourself a favor and stay away from the skinny-necked basses. Often, BG players and newbies judge thin necked-DBs to be more comfortable-- initially. Then reality sets in, which is that a thin neck often leads to left-hand fatigue and great difficulty in maintaining the left-hand "claw." Such players often collapse their left hands into the "baseball-bat hold." As also pointed out here recently, by allowing the left-hand to close down more, thin necks make it more difficult to achieve proper left-hand finger spacing. I know of what I speak. I played on a Kay for years. When I finally upgraded to a better bass with a thicker neck, I found it to be far easier to play for much longer periods.

To be fair, some players here do prefer thin neck profiles. They are a minority. A good way to help decide would be to get a good teacher. That person could also be invaluable in helping you get back up to speed efficiently, without bad habits, and in a way that would avoid injury.

LeslieD · #5 10-23-2009, 04:24 PM

+1 for everything Drurb says about staying away from really skinny necks. My fingers are probably average size for a bass player, and the really skinny necks are uncomfortable. I bought my German ply with the skinny neck only as a "beater" bass, but otherwise wouldn't have it.

Andrew McGregor · #6 10-23-2009, 06:10 PM

Think about it this way: with correct technique (disregarding thumb positions), your left thumb does nothing except give you a reference for where you are on the neck. No contribution to the stop pressure at all.

So, where does your thumb need to be in order to be pretty much completely relaxed while your arm is hanging off the neck? You'll see that it's quite some distance from your fingers.

If the neck is too thin, you have to work your thumb muscles to get contact with the neck, and that binds up the whole center of your hand; try touching your thumb and little finger together to feel what I mean.

Stringsmagee · #7 10-24-2009, 12:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LeslieD

Engelhardt basses have especially thin necks. Also, most Kay basses I've played have thin necks too. I recently bought a 1950s plywood German bass with an unbelievably thin neck. At the time I thought I would like it, but after about two months I decided it wasn't what I liked afterall. It's pretty and sounds nice, but it actually feels exactly like the neck of a large bass guitar! But you might like it if that's what you're used to. ...I guess I should really just post this bass in the "For Sale" listings...

But anyway, basses with really thin necks are out there if you look hard enough... Where do you live?

Thanks for the advice! I live in Wilmington NC. How much are you selling that upright for?

LeslieD · #8 10-25-2009, 08:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stringsmagee

Thanks for the advice! I live in Wilmington NC. How much are you selling that upright for?

Hi Strings-- I'm sure you can find a bass in your "neck of the woods" that can meet your needs. Definitely try as many as you can (with necks of all different thicknesses) before you buy!

(I'm probably not quite ready to sell the bass I've got since I have about $1500 invested in it, and have hardly yet played it as I intended--which was for outside gigs and such). If you try a zillion basses and still think you would prefer an older German ply bass w/ a super thin neck...we can talk... Well, anyway...I don't know any bassists or shops in your area...but I'm sure someone can point you in the direction of folks that can help you find a bass that meets your needs.

Best of luck!

draftsmann · #9 10-25-2009, 09:35 AM

I have small-ish hands and find a thicker neck more comfortable. IMHO looking for a DB with a BG-sized (or close to it) neck is misguided.

jtlownds · #10 10-26-2009, 09:47 AM

Yesterday, for the first time in years, I played 1 full set on a 54 Kay M1. I was surprised by how thin the neck was. I have previously owned a long line of Kays, back in the 50's and 60's, but I guess I had forgotten how thin those necks were. About half way thru the set, my left hand started to cramp up. By the end of the set, I was in pain. I have never been a big fan of Kays and Engles, and this experience didn't change myattitude. One thing that has allways puzzled me, is why hasn't Englehardt corrected this "defect" in their product line. Surely, they must be aware of it.