Back pain from eggpin

[A Spotless Mind]

Hey Pat,

I recently got an eggpin to find the right angle for me before I get my bass drilled. After playing with it for awhile, I've noticed that playing in thumb position for while gives me back pain that I've never really experienced before. I know this may be hard to answer without pictures but do you have any insight to why this may be happening? I was thinking the angle or height may not be right? I seem to prefer having the pin angled towards the G string, like how Hal Robinson has his.

Any advice you could offer would be greatly appreciated!


Also another quick question unrelated to this: How exactly do you measure the angles using a protractor? Where do I line the protractor up? I've heard that having the pin straight back is 44 degrees or something? Is this true?

Thanks!

[PNeher]

Hi,
Sorry to hear about your back pain. Perhaps, and I only say perhaps because I would have to see you play to be sure, it is because you are allowing the bass to no longer contact your waist area when playing in thumb positions.. You must maintain contact with the bass at your waist at all times to control the bass. This means a straight back, yours, most if not all the time. When you bend at the upper back, like the shoulders hunching, this can stress the muscles in the lower back immensely. I would be willing to look at a video of you playing and give you my assessment. PM me for details.
Hope this helps a bit.
Patrick (not "Pat", thanks)