bassses that are easy to play?

[Rockin Mike]

The median nerve runs right up the center of your palm. You could be having some kind of Carpal Tunnel thing. You should see a doctor before it gets worse.

I'm not a doctor but I believe you will hear things like, overuse injuries are solved by rest. Stop playing for a few days/weeks/months, whatever it takes.

Change to whatever bass you need to stop the pain. Ibanez necks are great. The Ibanez Mikro series is short-scale also.

See a doctor or quit playing for a while. You gotta respect the pain.

[Rockin Mike]

Originally Posted by dogenzenjisamsa

thank you all so much- i really appreciate all of your replies.

my last question would be, are rickenbackers hard to play? its always been my dream to play a rick, but are they tough on the hands

Rick neck profiles have changed a lot over the years. Best bet is to try each one out in person.

[GM60466]

German Hofner Beatle basses.

[stepswork4me]

Originally Posted by dogenzenjisamsa

are they quality basses though? i always heard they were for beginners

The neck is the signature of the SR. It's thin and has tighter string spacing. A very comfortable bass. As has been stated. They run from lower quality inexpensive basses to top shelf.

[RxFunk]

Originally Posted by Rockin Mike

Ibanez SR series runs from the cheap beginner basses to the Premium series which are over $1000. They make some nice stuff.

+1 SR series basses are awesome. Really versatile basses and quite durable too. Starting at the SR500 model and up, the come standard with Bartolini pickups.

[QweziRider]

An Ibanez SR305 was my backup once and became one of my primary basses because of its ease of playing and surprisingly good sound.

I also use a Heartfield DR with light gauge strings (Webstrings) that is tremendously easy to play. They come up from time to time on Ebay.

[unclejane]

Originally Posted by dogenzenjisamsa

thank you all so much- i really appreciate all of your replies.

my last question would be, are rickenbackers hard to play? its always been my dream to play a rick, but are they tough on the hands

The Rick 4001/3 has definite ergonomic issues, the main one being bad neck dive. The other is not a lot of taper in the width of the neck and the 4003 is rather fat at the nut (how much varies from year to year).

So, unless you have pretty big hands, the Rick might not be a good choice, especially since you're already having pain. You can try one, but don't feel disappointed if you hate it.

Fretless is another option since the missing frets actually makes a significant difference in the thickness of the neck. That could be just enough to make it more ergonomic, plus or minus your injuries.

But priority #1 is abandoning 1-finger-per-fret down in half position. It's ok further up the neck, but down there, it's a hand/wrist murderer... I'd suggest 1-2-4 and 1-4 for pentatonics, etc....

LS

[Tvrtko]

Originally Posted by spade2you

or you'll develop horrible tendinitis. Proper technique makes for efficiency and is much easier on the joints.

I agree. God knows that he has his guitar down to the knees...I mean....If you want to play bass. Just look at the other people...Nathan East for example. Look at him and try to put guitar in the level that your hands are in good position... Yeah, you can play 160 years, not just 8 and never get it right if you don't know, if you don't ask - HOW, if you just want to be...Billy...something...
I've seen kid recently, who said he attend some school (???) for bass guitar for 2 years and cannot play a damn thing. Why? Because he was playing with his mid-finger and pinky! Index finger and mid finger on one fret, and the rest of the fingers on the other fret....Jesus? Who is your teacher? Ah, some guy...He told me to play whatever works for me...

I told the kid position for playing simply pentatonic stuff from 12th fret up and down the strings and kid did it right in just a few minutes. WELL. Now, move back until you reach first fret and feel ok...

His uncle told me that kid was so excited and told his uncle that "that guy" is genius....(me)...Ha ha ha... It's the simply stuff that works.

[DeltaPhoenix]

Get a Dingwall they are vey ergonomic (and they sound AWESOME)

[Tvrtko]

Originally Posted by unclejane

The Rick 4001/3 has definite ergonomic issues, the main one being bad neck dive. The other is not a lot of taper in the width of the neck and the 4003 is rather fat at the nut (how much varies from year to year).

So, unless you have pretty big hands, the Rick might not be a good choice, especially since you're already having pain. You can try one, but don't feel disappointed if you hate it.

Fretless is another option since the missing frets actually makes a significant difference in the thickness of the neck. That could be just enough to make it more ergonomic, plus or minus your injuries.

But priority #1 is abandoning 1-finger-per-fret down in half position. It's ok further up the neck, but down there, it's a hand/wrist murderer... I'd suggest 1-2-4 and 1-4 for pentatonics, etc....

LS

Back in a day, I had a horrible time with Ric. It was not uncomfortable. It was unusually for me after Aria/Fender neck..

[Munjibunga]

Originally Posted by dogenzenjisamsa

are they quality basses though? i always heard they were for beginners

Depends on which model you buy. They've been making some pretty nice pro-level basses in recent years.

[Cosmeticplagues]

If you can find a decently priced Hagstrom F 400, go for it. It's a short scale and has the thinnest neck I've ever felt. It's really comfortable.

[Tvrtko]

Originally Posted by Rockin Mike

I disagree. Pain is not good when playing.

For beginners, there can be a little muscle soreness just as with any form of exercise, or a little soreness in the fingertips, and that's a sign to stop for the day.

The OP, however, has been playing for years and talks about a sharp pain in the center of the palm. That definitely sounds like something is wrong.

I think I had the worst pain in my left hand EVER, back in a day. During the day, I would practice like crazy, with the pain and than at night I went to play gig. I was screaming half of the gig out of pain... What was the problem? I tried to emulate Jaco on wrong guitar, wrong strings, wrong amp, without any instructions from anyone. Just me and tape. We had no source of any kind of knowledge that today exists. I was trying impossible. PLUS, I found that years later - genetically speaking, there are 2 types of human muscles - one with faster speed, but less endurance and the other type with a lot less speed and much more endurance. I found I am 2nd type. But, I was pushing myself too far. Finally, I learned - I would never be able to play fast as some guys do....Sad but truth.

[MakoMan]

Squier Jaguar SS is ridiculously easy to play.

[MD]

Originally Posted by dogenzenjisamsa

hey guys,I've been playing bass for about 8 years now, and just recently I've been getting pains in my fretting hand, and I believe that I have lost some strength in this hand I had a really bad technique, as I was never given lessons and whenever I stretch my hand over 4 frets (1 finger per fret) starting at the first fret on the neck, I get a sharp pain in the middle of my hand. I have some strain playing when the instrument is tuned standard, and I'm only really comfortable when its flattened a half step. Thanks

I occasionally get some pain in my left hand. It's almost always a symptom of tweaking my posture where I need to twist in some sort of odd fashion to accommodate my physical surroundings. Can you think of anything that's changed with your playing lately?

I'd look into your technique first. If bad technique is taking its toll, a new bass isn't gonna help, with the exception of possibly going short scale.

There are a lot of videos on youtube regarding left hand technique. I find this guys approach interesting...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VRkSsapYYsA
And, as mentioned above, look into 1,2,4 when playing in the lower positions.

[Ed_in_NE_Ohio]

Originally Posted by Tvrtko

Keep working. Pain is good when practice...

Strongly disagree with this. Pain is a warning, and "playing through the pain" can lead to permanent damage.

I'd suggest:
* Getting a technique lesson or two from the best bass instructor you can find.
* Get your bass set-up by the best bass tech you can find.
* When looking for a new bass:
- Find out whether you prefer (and feel more comfortable with) a radiused or a flat board and shop accordingly. (For example, I strongly prefer a noticable radius of 10" or smaller).
- Find out what nut width and neck profile appeals to you (and is most comfortable) and shop accordingly.
- Find out what fret size appeals to you and shop accordingly (keeping in mind that basses with larger frets are generally easier to fret).
Good luck and let us know how things turn out.

[stratovani]

Originally Posted by GM60466

German Hofner Beatle basses.

Agreed. Short scale, very lightweight, fast action, takes to pedals really well, the only thing is that the neck is a bit narrow, so IMO it's easier to play it with a pick. The Hofner Icon is a excellent low-budget Hofner that sounds like the more expensive 500/1, but without the outrageous price tag.

[nicopiano]

Originally Posted by Ed_in_NE_Ohio

Strongly disagree with this. Pain is a warning, and "playing through the pain" can lead to permanent damage.

I'd suggest:
* Getting a technique lesson or two from the best bass instructor you can find.
* Get your bass set-up by the best bass tech you can find.
* When looking for a new bass:
- Find out whether you prefer (and feel more comfortable with) a radiused or a flat board and shop accordingly. (For example, I strongly prefer a noticable radius of 10" or smaller).
- Find out what nut width and neck profile appeals to you (and is most comfortable) and shop accordingly.
- Find out what fret size appeals to you and shop accordingly (keeping in mind that basses with larger frets are generally easier to fret).
Good luck and let us know how things turn out.

+100

You really need bass lessons. With the correct technique, maybe you won't need to change bass.

[darkstorm]

Diff sounds like you need lighter gauge and perhaps setup for lower action.

[hgiles]

Originally Posted by dogenzenjisamsa

are they quality basses though? i always heard they were for beginners

The lower end SR basses are inexpensive and quite nice as instruments. The sharp end are the Prestige basses that are near 'boutique' quality. Mighty fine!