Bass is too heavy, hurts my shoulder

[1stnamebassist]

I played Jerry Jones Longhorns for a number of years mainly due to a back injury from an accident. I sold the longhorns a few years back and after trying different things I settled on a Ric 4003 for about 3 years. Know due to a rotator cuff injury I had to sell the Ric because it was too heavy after a couple songs. Now i'm playing a Danelectro Longhorn which is as light as the JJ basses and plays great but is short scale. Also a Jack Casady bass which is heavier but still lighter than the Ric. Also bought a thick leather strap to help distribute the weight a bit more. Seems to work for me so far!

[endorka]

(on fitness resources on the Internet)

Originally Posted by jlepre

Really?

There is a huge amount of information on strength training out there, sifting through it and finding out what works is the problem.

I've been doing this for four years now, and have a good idea. Think I'll write another blog on the subject. I reckon it is possible for an untrained individual to build considerable strength with simple bodyweight exercises, doing about two twenty minute sessions per week.

Jennifer

[endorka]

Originally Posted by Alexander

Great blog post - as a bassist that has fought my way back from neck & back injury, I agree wholeheartedly. Stretching, good posture, exercise, accupuncture (in no particular order). Having a lighter bass with a good strap certainly helps, too. Went from a heavy Fender Jazz to a 7.45 pound Sadowsky NYC made a difference over a long night...

Glad you liked it Alexander!

I've also found taking a couple of fish oil capsules every day helps keep the joints in good order.

Jennifer

[TRichardsbass]

I am going to recommend an 1984 Guild Pilot, the ones with the pickguard. Light as heck and great necks and you can get them for under $500 right now.

[pinz]

Interesting thread.
I have been playing for 20+ years and over the last few years have developed awful shoulder pain also BUT not in my left shoulder carrying the weight of the the bass,its in my right shoulder,the one doing the string plucking.

I thought its just age and using various basses at varying strap lengths and weights makes no difference and that dispells those factors with my own issue.(

What I have discovered its all to do with my posture (as mentioned here already),the more I look at my hands the worse the pain when playing.
Must be the angle of my neck in relation to my shoulder.The pain is immense,like a knife sticking into the right shoulder blade,totally unbearable.

My own remedys so far - Keeping my back straight,be relaxed(very important),dont stoop,try not to look at my hands,especially my left hand on the fret board.
This has made a huge reduction in the pain levels,and is work in progress as Im not getting any younger sadly.


Oh and drinking copious amounts of beer also helps reduce the pain.

[rapidfirerob]

Originally Posted by MrLenny1

GRUV GEAR dual strap.
Pricey yes, but best design in years.

Do you think this would help with pain in the lower back? I don't have shoulder pain, thankfully. The pain in the back goes away in a short time after stopping playing. Thanks again.

[NYCbassist]

I Practice a couple of hours each day standing up. Never weighed my Ric but I'd guess 9 Lbs. I have been doing this for years and never have pain. I truly believe practice in the sitting position is a bad thing if you plan to gig standing up. I'm just so used to the extra weight on my shoulder that it's a non issue. If you can't build up to it with some strength training then maybe a Doctor need to check out the situation. One thing I do is hold the bass "up' with my Right hand on the neck right at the body joint. I do this any time I am not playing even the few seconds between songs.

[tabdog]

Paulownia (Chinese Mahogany) is super light
and sounds like ash. It is soft and dents easy
but bodies don't cost much. GFS sells them
fairly reasonable. If you are lucky you can find
one on GL cheap.

This one cost $50 on CL and weighs 6 lb 11 oz,







It do make a difference. Full size no compromise.

Tabdog

[rimbaud]

Originally Posted by SBsoundguy

Military press, squats, and deadlifts bro.

Been playing rugby as a hooker (first row), I'm nearly 40, I know what bodybuilding is. The fact is: this sport destroyed my back, many rugby players suffer from back and cervical vertebrae injuries EVEN when they stop and start a diet with cardio training. A back problem MAY be solved with sport of course.... but not ALWAYS

My 2 cents.....

[phillybass101]

Get yourself a nice little piece of plush carpet to stand on while you play live. I just learned this from another TBer. It won't fix, but it helps somehow. So exercise, massage, better strap, lighter bass, and carpet and you'll be in the mix. The carpet somehow lessons the impact on your lower back.

[DwaynieAD]

feel your pain. my Jazz is 12.5lbs

[jlepre]

Sorry, but YUCK!

Originally Posted by tabdog

Paulownia (Chinese Mahogany) is super light
and sounds like ash. It is soft and dents easy
but bodies don't cost much. GFS sells them
fairly reasonable. If you are lucky you can find
one on GL cheap.

This one cost $50 on CL and weighs 6 lb 11 oz,







It do make a difference. Full size no compromise.

Tabdog

[Ezmar]

Originally Posted by jlepre

Sorry, but YUCK!

I am disgusted by how AWESOME that looks.

I'll assume that's what you meant as well.

[spade2you]

Originally Posted by Ezmar

I am disgusted by how AWESOME that looks.

I'll assume that's what you meant as well.

Other than the color, I don't see what could be wrong with that one.

[jlepre]

I guess it's just the color that isn't doing it for me. I love trans finishes too. Sorry for the hijack. Back to the thread.

[marklaforest]

A lot of good points and suggestions in this thread, even if this topic has been covered already. I've broken my left shoulder and collarbone several times as a downhill mountain biker so I understand your problems. I also played a Geddy Lee for years and still play P basses. I think it's a combination of a lot of factors that will help you out - things that have been already covered. You need to find something that works for you.

Another idea that I haven't seen covered here - as I mentioned, I used to be a serious mountain biker before injuries took their toll. One thing I learnt while doing that was how to manage being on a bike for long hours without getting sore. One of the best pieces of advice I was given was to constantly adjust my position on the bike - raise and lower the seat, change the handlebar angle, etc. I've applied that to my bass playing as much as possible. It spreads the workload to different areas and of your body and different muscles. I find myself doing 3 or 4 sets a night, 3 nights a week plus rehearsals and my own practice. I have an easily adjusted strap so I can move it up and down quickly between songs. I alternate between playing with my thumb, playing with my fingers, and playing with a pick. I never spend a whole night in the exact same position. It has the added benefit of making you a more well rounded player because you get nightly practice with different techniques. I also try to alternate the basses I play, as I approach every instrument slightly differently.

Hope that helps!!!

Also:
Never thought of this, but it's an interesting idea. They make small squares for people working on concrete shop floors that you can buy at Home Depot or any other hardware store. They're specifically designed to reduce standing fatigue, which is often over looked.

http://www.homedepot.ca/product/anti...-inches/988731

Originally Posted by phillybass101

Get yourself a nice little piece of plush carpet to stand on while you play live. I just learned this from another TBer. It won't fix, but it helps somehow. So exercise, massage, better strap, lighter bass, and carpet and you'll be in the mix. The carpet somehow lessons the impact on your lower back.