Hey guys I've been playing bass for about 2 months now and I own a G&L L-2000 tribute.The problem is the body is uncomfortably big for me and the nut width seems big.I have very short fingers and find it akward to play.I am looking for small and thin bodied basses with small nut width.Can you guys help with some brand and models that fit this criteria??Price range is about $1000 and I play every kind of music but I love to play hard rock and metal. Any help would be great. Thanks, Nik.
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4strings with small nut widths and small bodies???
- Thread starter BASSBOOST
- Start date
Try a Music Man Sterling. From your description, I believe the neck would work well for you. You can certainly pick up a used one in that price range (and still have change leftover). Good luck with your search.
Check out the new Ibanez SRX series. They sound great with the dual humbuckers and have tiny necks.
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[Invalid or Expired Link Removed] have pretty small bodies and necks. I tried one out and it was good, but it lacked something tonally that I couldnt quite figure out tho. Just a personal preference I guess.
Edit: whoops I forgot about your budget. they may be over 1000... i think they have a korean series for under 1000 tho
Edit: whoops I forgot about your budget. they may be over 1000... i think they have a korean series for under 1000 tho
- Feb 8, 2005
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- Endorsing Artist: Bag End - Dean Markley - Thunderfunk
Funny you should ask; I'm in the middle of having a bass built that will have a very small neck. I'm so used to the spacing on my 5's (17mm), that a regular 4 feels to wide for my right hand. I'm having a 4 string neck made with that same spacing. Ends up having a nut width of 1.35" and heel of 2.25". Kind of an experiment, but the math works...we'll see.
Lakland Joe Osborns have pretty small necks. Real tight spacing up near the nut -- 1.5", I think. Thin neck, and a really sweet bass to boot. Lindy Fralin pickups will make you smile; the tone is reminiscent of a classic '60s Jazz bass. Worth looking into, anyway, especially if you can try one out to see if it "fits" you. The body size on the Darryl Jones model is a little smaller, but string spacing is wider. Both basses are pretty light.
I own a Steinberger XL-2, and while it has a tiny body and narrow spacing, it weighs a lot more than it looks (one piece carbon fiber), and the neck is pretty thick, considering the tight string spacing. It has tons of sustain and terrific tone, though.
Street price on a Lakland Joe Osborn 4-string is around $900-$1000 new. Some of them show up on ebay for a few hundred less -- a good deal.
I own a Steinberger XL-2, and while it has a tiny body and narrow spacing, it weighs a lot more than it looks (one piece carbon fiber), and the neck is pretty thick, considering the tight string spacing. It has tons of sustain and terrific tone, though.
Street price on a Lakland Joe Osborn 4-string is around $900-$1000 new. Some of them show up on ebay for a few hundred less -- a good deal.
try a used Euro Spector..
The neck and body of my NS4 feels so tiny now, after playing a Warwick Stage 1 5.
The neck and body of my NS4 feels so tiny now, after playing a Warwick Stage 1 5.
Marcus Willett said:
I'm building one with similar specs, only mine is 1.5" nut and 2.25" at the neck pickup. And mine will have a Kahler bridge, so I can go from 14 mm to about 20 mm.
Cheers
- Feb 8, 2005
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- Endorsing Artist: Bag End - Dean Markley - Thunderfunk
Yeah, I was unsure of what to do bridge wise. I don't like roller bridges, so I ended up getting individual saddles from the Custom Shop. Allows any spacing really, down to about 12mm if you want.
Marcus Willett said:
This was my first choice as well, but I decided to pass on the cheap die cast bridge and get a steel made Kahler. Kahler is back in business and the bridge cost $100.
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Cheers
- Feb 8, 2005
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- Disclosures
- Endorsing Artist: Bag End - Dean Markley - Thunderfunk
I dunno, I wouldn't call em cheap. They're aluminum like the Hipshot stuff and feel relatively solid. Sometimes their chrome plating isn't the best, but that's why I got these in the satin finish. Better stuff out there, sure; but I don't have a problem with the Custom Shop stuff...at least so far. They do look cheaper in the pic than they do in reality tho.
- Feb 8, 2005
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Actually, I haven't used this particular bridge before. I've used their others, and they worked just fine. This is just me, but sustain for bass is way over-rated. It always comes at the expense of harmonic complexity, and is the easiest thing to get electronically. I want good attack with a strong fundamental and harmonic richness. To get sustain, you (usually) add more mass somewhere in the chain (bridge, body, etc), but the price you pay (disproportionately more 2nd harmonic v first and less richness and character and usually less transient info) is too high.
Again, this is just me. I don't spend a lot of time playing long sustained notes. I DO spend most of my playing time wanting that articulate and natural attack. If I need susatin, I can get it with a compressor easy enough. Trying to get more attack from a compressor doesn't work as well, IMO.
I spent a lot of time talking with Bill Lawrence about this topic, and he agrees. He said he tried very hard to talk Rosoce beck out of that heavy bridge on his sig model, but Roscoe was convinced it had to be heavy. Bill says "You know is the best material for a bass bridge?" No, I say. "Titanium." Huh. Anybody make such a bridge? "Nope".
Again, this is just me. I don't spend a lot of time playing long sustained notes. I DO spend most of my playing time wanting that articulate and natural attack. If I need susatin, I can get it with a compressor easy enough. Trying to get more attack from a compressor doesn't work as well, IMO.
I spent a lot of time talking with Bill Lawrence about this topic, and he agrees. He said he tried very hard to talk Rosoce beck out of that heavy bridge on his sig model, but Roscoe was convinced it had to be heavy. Bill says "You know is the best material for a bass bridge?" No, I say. "Titanium." Huh. Anybody make such a bridge? "Nope".
Also keep in mind when choosing a bass for comfort that it should have a normal or long upper horn, that is that the tip of the upper horn should end parallel of the 12th fret, like a Fender bass, for example.
While a Sterling is light, has a thin neck and a small body, it has 22 frets and the upper horn is shorter, making the first position (that is when reaching to play in frets 1 through 3) it would feel as if you are playing alonger neck and cause fatigue.
BTW, the Lakland recommendation applies pretty much to any Jazz bass clone, but Jazz basses have a very large body.
I would second the Ibanez recommendation. They are known for having THE thinnest neck around, they are fairly priced and sound good.
I think Steinbergers are an adquire taste ergonomically-wise, since they have no wood for you to rest your arm over, so your arm is kinda in the air.
While a Sterling is light, has a thin neck and a small body, it has 22 frets and the upper horn is shorter, making the first position (that is when reaching to play in frets 1 through 3) it would feel as if you are playing alonger neck and cause fatigue.
BTW, the Lakland recommendation applies pretty much to any Jazz bass clone, but Jazz basses have a very large body.
I would second the Ibanez recommendation. They are known for having THE thinnest neck around, they are fairly priced and sound good.
I think Steinbergers are an adquire taste ergonomically-wise, since they have no wood for you to rest your arm over, so your arm is kinda in the air.
The Schecter Stiletto's have a fairly small body:
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