Advice on a new bass for a giant

I'm average size but the jazz bass body is large and it makes a lot of sense to me that you'd feel more comfortable with one. You may feel at home with a 35" scale jazz bass of some sort.

 

Get an upright.

 

Reverend Thundergun might just be perfect for you, in more ways than one.
Made me forget all about Fender basses.

I can't tell you how many times I've heard people say the Music Man Bongo is a huge bass, it might just be good for you, but it costs twice what the Thundergun does.

 

Pino's your size (height). Check out what he's playing, I be surprised if comfort wasn't a consideration for him.

 

I think string spacing sounds like your main issue. When I think about big tall guys playing bass, I think next about average-height guys playing standard guitars. They feel like toys to me (and I'm not a guy, and only 5'6) but those guys are bigger than I am and get used to playing them. So, I think it can be done, but with large fingers you'd want to get the widest possible spacing at the bridge. Hope this helps.

 

While I'm not as tall as the OP (I'm 6' 4"), I also find the full-size jazz bodies more comfortable. If you're looking for a 5-string, I would recommend Lakland's Joe Osborn/55-60.

 

Not sure if this is too far out tonally, but a Modulus Quantum or G Gould might fit the bill. 35" scale and somewhat larger body.

 

I don’t know if your height/frame matters what size bass you need.

I say this only because Greg Lake was 6’2” and Chris Squire was 6’4”

Play what fits you and is comfortable

Not all 34” scale basses are the same overall length since the bodies vary and placement of the neck on the body also varies.

I never played one but I’ve heard the Gibson Thunderbird was on the long side ?

Best of luck finding what works for you.

 

Get this one

 

I always found that BirdSong solved all my issues
Take two and call me in the morning

 

I would sure consider a Peavey T40 or T45 ... with a 4 inch wide strap

 

You didn’t mention a budget, and neither of these options are cheap, but you might consider

Super P | Dingwall Guitars

Or

20th Anniversary Quake Bass – Kalium Music

 

You could go the Krist Novoselic route. He was 6 foot 7 and rocked the Gibson Ripper and RD pretty good!

 

I’m the same way. I’m over 6’ and hate the way small basses look like a bow tie on me. Traditional style 5 string basses are normally larger bodied. Like Jazz and P 5’s, Stingray 5’s. My favorite would be the Modulus Genesis 5 because it has an even bigger body. There are options.

 

I’m only 6’ but I’m a big guy and I understand where you’re coming from. I’ve had a few basses that I didn’t like how their small body wasn’t as comfortable or being smaller made me look more overweight than I actually am. I have big enough arms and hands for bigger basses so that’s what I’ve come to like lately. I’d recommend a Mexican fender. I picked up my Mexican jazz 5 for $400 new on sale. You may eventually want to give Dingwall or other longer 35-37 inch scale basses a shot also. I’ve never had a bass that’s more comfortable for me than my dingwall. But it is way more expensive than an import fender or Sire.
Small people sometimes even complain about the dingwalls scale being too extreme. As you can see it’s actually a good size for me.

 

Modulus Genesis is HUGE. Also check out Enfeld.

 

Thunderguns go for $999.99.
They'd be a bargain at much more.