raised my strap height ..

[Thunder Lizard]

Gotta say, gotta agree with the folks that say "play where it's comfortable".... who cares how it LOOKS, if you're comfy, you play better, and that's what counts, isn't it?
When I moved to my 5er I had to raise my strap..... the new things that the new bass inspired just wouldn't work with it down where I wore my 4. I instantly found that it was easier to play the complex stuff, and more relaxed all around.... and if you are one of the MANY folks out there that, like I do, deal with the 'carpal tunnel thing', keeping things aligned and comfortable is absolutely the only way to be able to keep on playing! Not to mention avoiding the onset of tendonitis, and crap like that. Be cool if you want, but if it affects your health or your playing badly, is it still cool? Not for me.

[Ibanezzer]

does anyone find that playing while standing up with it at like medium height hurts your back or shoulder? Today I adjusted it to have it hang lower to try it out and I like how my fingering hand is not bent weird anymore but its hard to use any of the higher frets (like say 15 on up). I'm just experimenting but it seems to me that there's more weight on my left shoulder when its up higher, like at waist height. I tried it once up real high and it felt wierd.

[TheSuzie]

Originally Posted by SamJ

Your just jealous!

No way! Mine has cool looking sparkles and never goes soft at the wrong time.

[steve4765630]

Welcome to the "uncool bassist" club We're here for you through the ridicule.

[j-bass-kreep]

thanks for all the reply's

[dharma]

Originally Posted by clanner

*snip* it's more comfortable for me, I use straplocks and have it turned with the neck at about a 30-85 degree angle *snip*

Quite a range there.

[truckin88]

yeah I can not do the left inner thigh thing, just does not feel right, and I want to enjoy playing, also my thumb points to the headstock when I rest it on the top string, thumb rest or p pickup.

do whats comfortable

[redsox&bass]

Originally Posted by truckin88

do whats comfortable

best adive u could give

[markjazzbassist]

yeah man i play with my bass with the strap height maxed out. I love it. I think i can dig in more and really get down with it. When the bass is slung low, IMO i think you just look like a slouch. Ride high!!

[artistanbul]

playing comfortable would no doubt be the more logical aim. still, one may not always know how they are comfortable immediately. you change each time you come up with a problem. body resting on the right side of chest is my current way of playing. slide towards left and up, more vertical board for high heavy parts, slide towards right and down, more horizontal board for low heavy parts.

works fine for me.

[Bushfire]

Super low slung is uncomfortable for me, as is chest height, they both are too extreme for me. I now have mine slung at my gut, and that works real well for me, it's just a matter of finding what works for you.

-Bernard.

[EricF]

I got over looking cool years ago. I play bass and guitar at heights that allow me to play my best. Playing well is ALWAYS cooler than looking cooling and playing crappy.

[Pantsman]

I wear mine about Ryan from Mudvayne height, sometimes higher sometimes lower, I'm still experimenting with what feels best for me.

[K-Frog]

I've always started with what's comfortable and then adjusted very slightly up or down to see if I could improve upon the initial comfortable setting. About once every year or so, i might try a slightly different height, just to see if it shakes loose any more talent.

The descritpions are all right, but here's what comfortable looks like on me:

[Audiophage]

Bass height is basically about whats the right height for you. In my college Jazz ensemble the bass player who just graduated always played his bass almost like a necklace(a little higher than entwhistle in that pic), and watching him play just made my right hand wrist hurt.

[sedan_dad]

Originally Posted by TheSuzie

As far as all you boys who think wearing your bass down at your crotch looks cool, I can't help but disagree. IMO it looks foolish and like you all just wanna be playin with your junk instead of your bass.

Peace,
Susan

It's the same thing.I get off on both.

[BrandonBass]

wearing your bass up too high is not rock and roll at all.

high straps are for jazzers

[BurningSkies]

Originally Posted by BrandonBass

wearing your bass up too high is not rock and roll at all.

high straps are for jazzers

Corny.

[bloodfairy13]

Everybody keeps saying that they USED to be in the low slung crowd. I still am, and I intend to be for a very long time. I learned that way. My dad is a big guy, so when I started bassing on his bass, I kept the strap where it was and didn't change it, so on me, it was very low slung. When Dad gave me his bass and I bought my own strap, I had it all the way out so that it sat on me the same way his strap did. I found that, in that position on my body, I had to pull the headstock up next to my head as Fieldy does in this picture::



Then I can reach all the frets much easier and it's comfortable for me and where my bass is slung. My dad had always made comments about how if I'd stop doing that, the strap wouldn't fall off and if I played where I was SUPPOSED to, that wouldn't happen. So I decided today, while practicing, that I would play a song all the way through slung up really high. I did, but closer to the end of the 2 and a half minute song, my wrist started hurting really bad.

Moral of this story::I play the way that is most comfortable for me, that doesn't hurt, even if it is technically incorrect...

[Digo]

i had the same thumb prblem, it goes away i swear