What Make a Bass Play "Stiffer" Than Another of the Same Model?

[jasper383]

I recently got a '51 Reissue Precision as a backup for my '51 Fender Reissue P Bass. The new one is about one pound lighter.

They are now both set up the same exact way with the same strings and gauge, and are both completely stock, yet the new one feels far less stiff--the strings have more give, the feel is more supple, the notes are warmer and don't ring out as long.

I have never had two of exactly the same basses set up the same way before to experiment.

Why the big difference? I can understand slight differences, but this is really noticeable.

[M.R. Ogle]

I can't wait to see the responses to this.

I swear I've seen almost the same thing before switching the SAME SET of strings from one bass to another, tuned up to pitch, they felt looser on one bass and stiffer on the other.

I think you're in rare air, and will get a lot of conjecture on this.

[lindseyp]

I'm another interested person, our bass player prefers my Lakland 55-02 to his because he says mine is "tighter." I suggested he have a different person set his up, later he said that didn't help; he could still feel a noticeable difference.

[Tusec]

My theory is that the neck is the biggest factor when it comes to tone. Maybe it's the key to feel too. It would be interesting to swap the necks.

[johnk_10]

i actually asked Leo Fender the exact same question back in 1979, since i experienced the same thing when comparing four of my p basses to each other at the time, all having rotosound swing bass strings on them.

he said, "the difference in tension would be the 'break angle' of the strings over the saddles at the bridge. lower saddles will have less tension, and higher ones (sharper witness point angle) will have more tension." i told him that they were all almost exactly the same (neck angle & saddle height), and he said, "then they should have the same tension."
i told him that they definitely didn't, and he said, "there really can't be any other reason".

personally, if i had to guess (which i do in this case), i think that it might have something to do with the stiffness of the neck and body, but even that doesn't seem like it would make as big of a difference as to how they feel. so, to me, the question still remains.

[darkstorm]

I'll agree with leo on this one. Are your certain the neck relief and bridge are set up the same on both?

[bass4worship]

It might be that our hand are sensitive enough that it can feel the different between the two setup since they would not ready be the same. One bass might have more bow in the neck or the strings height might be off little,weight of the bass different and etc.

[M.R. Ogle]

Thinking hard about this one, but I can shoot holes in almost any of my own theories. However...

Lets say you had a bass with a very stiff, no-give neck. And a bass with a softer neck with a little flex to it.

Wouldn't it take slightly more turns of the tuner to bring the strings on the soft-necked bass up to pitch? Could those strings be perceived as "tighter" at that same pitch?

Over simplification to isolate a possible factor, I know, but this might be a component.

[bassyRyan]

WOOD

[johnk_10]

hmmmmm. once they're at pitch, they're at pitch. so it shouldn't matter whether a neck is soft of hard, so i was thinking about it the other way around. thinking that a softer neck would 'give' and flex a little, every time you pluck the string, making it feel like less tension.

[nostatic]

I would vote for "viagra" but it isn't an option.

String variability could be another factor. Don't know about all brands, but I know some builders maintain that certain brands have significant inconsistency from pack to pack.

[Jjango]

Originally Posted by jasper383

They are now both set up the same exact way with the same strings and gauge, and are both completely stock, yet the new one feels far less stiff--the strings have more give, the feel is more supple, the notes are warmer and don't ring out as long.

Why the big difference? I can understand slight differences, but this is really noticeable.

Is one set of strings brand new while the other set is older?

Also, have you tried a blind test? As in, blindfolding yourself, having someone hand you the basses, and seeing if you can tell them apart without seeing them?

I've certainly had identical models of basses that felt higher tension than others, but without fail, it was due to the setup (specifically, the action).

[Jjango]

Originally Posted by johnk_10

i actually asked Leo Fender...

Just have to say: WOW.

[DaLoCo]

I wonder if the weight difference does not cause you to subconsciously grip harder. I can detect a 5 gram difference between two drumsticks (I don't play, just sell).

That combined with different wood which transfers the vibration differently.

Try and do a pressure test to see how much pressure it takes to fret the string, not sure what type of instrument you would use to measure. That will definitively determine if it is a feel thing or an actual difference.

This the very reason why they cannot replicate the human hand artificially, the amount of pressure variable we can detect with our hands would need a room full of different instrument to remotely replicate.

[johnk_10]

you could probably use something like this to measure the tension:

http://www.checkline.com/dtm_series/DTMB

[totallyfrozen]

Originally Posted by lindseyp

I'm another interested person, our bass player prefers my Lakland 55-02 to his because he says mine is "tighter." I suggested he have a different person set his up, later he said that didn't help; he could still feel a noticeable difference.

Get a room, you two!