Playing over the neck

Bassist519 · #1 02-12-2005, 09:47 AM

I have an American P bass and I have recently tried to play over the neck like what Jone Paul Jones does. But there is one thing, my bass always seems neck heavy... is it because I have a P bass or are the tuners too heavy? It just doesnt seem balanced i can play up to liek the 5th fret then it tips.

PLEASE HELP

NoisemakerD-Lux · #2 02-13-2005, 02:41 PM

Could it be because you push down on the neck? When you play normally, you actually hold it up slightly. Try holding it gently without any downward pressure.

You are talking about reversing your hand so it's over the neck, not under, I assume.

It is not a bass issue. Billy Sheehan did that at times when he was using his P.

Also, make sure to use a wide leather strap that doesn't slide around on your shoulder.

nicoli · #3 02-13-2005, 03:48 PM

Actually, I think he's probably talking about playing with his plucking hand up near the neck joint instead of over the pickups... not that I can help the situation, I've always had problems making the low E sound right compared to the other strings when playing like that.

NoisemakerD-Lux · #4 02-13-2005, 04:15 PM

Oh, I see. Thumb resting on the side of neck while finger playing either right behind the neck or right over the top frets. I like to do that at times for the super fat sound. Again, I don't think it's a problem with his P. A good strap should help. A quality strap is often a very under-appreciated investment!