Anybody slapping with 16.5mm spacing?

[Oddacious]

I'm looking to get a 2nd bass, I play an ibanez sr600 today, typical ash body, 19mm spacing, barts, etc.

The basses i'm looking at are:

yamaha TRBX605 (18mm on the 5 string, 23 5/8" radius, but bolt on neck, bummer...)
jackson pro spectra 4 or 5 string (16-17mm spacing, neck through, compound radius, yay!)
schecter studio 4 (possibly 16.5mm spacing, neck through, 16" radius)

I have played on a couple american fender jazz basses at a local guitar shop, I was a little underwhelmed. I prefer a flatter radius, and perhaps it was because these basses weren't setup very well, I dunno.

I have a confession to make, i'm a shredder guitarist convert to bass, played guitar for 35ish years, bass for about 10 off and on. my guitars all have compound radii, 10-16", super low action, and I have setup my ibby bass that way, but just has a standard 12" radius. neck relieve on the ibby is .010" with a string height of about 1.75mm-G to 2.25mm-E

I like the specs of the jackson pro spectra, but the string spacing concerns me. I refuse to use a pick on bass, so I use fingers and do some slapping, my hands are smallerish.

I am looking for a bass that will continue to help me play better with less effort, that is a do most everything bass. the stuff I play at home is more demanding that what I would ever play out, so I'm having fun picking out some riffs from chomp suey, mr. pink, etc. nothing real serious. I've grown to not really like the sound of the ibby, probably the mk1 barts.

I don't have an issue cleaning up technique, I am just curious to hear others stories on success/failure on smaller string spacing.

 

[Les Fret]

I have a six string with 14mm and one with 15mm. I do a lot of slapping on them without any problem.

 

[P. Aaron]

A flatter neck profile will definitely allow for crazy low action if needed for slapping. It's 'newer' tech compared to traditionally built FSO's typical makes so, Ibanez type makers are much more likely to offer more accessible neck profiles.

There's a sweet spot each bass has for the action and on Fenders, it's usually higher than usual. It's the case with my Fenders.

My slap skillz sux.

 

[rtav]

I do a bit on my Yamaha RBXJM2 - but not much and not very complicated, either.

 

[Snert]

I've grown to not really like the sound of the ibby, probably the mk1 barts.

So change the Barts. Not my fave pickups either. Nords and Aguilars fit, and possibly others.

I don't have an issue cleaning up technique, I am just curious to hear others stories on success/failure on smaller string spacing.

I also have no issue slapping on narrower spacing, even my SRC6 which has 10.8mm. Note, I'm not good, but I can do it and if I wished to slap often on something narrower spaced, I'd practice.
If you like a narrower spaced bass otherwise, perhaps it's your technique that might need some work. Just sayin'.

 

[India_Sierra]

Mark King has used basses with 16.5mm string spacing for years and he manages to slap pretty well

I had an Ibanez SR3006 Prestige model a few years ago that was a 16.5mm six string. It was great for slapping. In fact, it was great for many things! Remind me again why I sold it?

 

[JimmyM]

I have a 5 with 15mm spacing, would probably be ok with 16, and a wide neck at the nut. I never had a problem dealing with all those techniques.

 

[pgolliher]

My ibby SR505 is 16.5mm. Slaps just fine

 

[Dr. Cheese]

I prefer 19mm spacing, but I have owned a number of narrow spaced basses, and I slapped them easily.

 

[JeezyMcNuggles]

I'm looking to get a 2nd bass, I play an ibanez sr600 today, typical ash body, 19mm spacing, barts, etc.

The basses i'm looking at are:

yamaha TRBX605 (18mm on the 5 string, 23 5/8" radius, but bolt on neck, bummer...)
jackson pro spectra 4 or 5 string (16-17mm spacing, neck through, compound radius, yay!)
schecter studio 4 (possibly 16.5mm spacing, neck through, 16" radius)

I have played on a couple american fender jazz basses at a local guitar shop, I was a little underwhelmed. I prefer a flatter radius, and perhaps it was because these basses weren't setup very well, I dunno.

I have a confession to make, i'm a shredder guitarist convert to bass, played guitar for 35ish years, bass for about 10 off and on. my guitars all have compound radii, 10-16", super low action, and I have setup my ibby bass that way, but just has a standard 12" radius. neck relieve on the ibby is .010" with a string height of about 1.75mm-G to 2.25mm-E

I like the specs of the jackson pro spectra, but the string spacing concerns me. I refuse to use a pick on bass, so I use fingers and do some slapping, my hands are smallerish.

I am looking for a bass that will continue to help me play better with less effort, that is a do most everything bass. the stuff I play at home is more demanding that what I would ever play out, so I'm having fun picking out some riffs from chomp suey, mr. pink, etc. nothing real serious. I've grown to not really like the sound of the ibby, probably the mk1 barts.

I don't have an issue cleaning up technique, I am just curious to hear others stories on success/failure on smaller string spacing.

Get the Yamaha 5 bro.

I play with 19mm. My 5 had 18.5 on it, and it's not half as comfortable. I put a new bridge and pickups at 19, and it's much nicer.

Tight spacings cramp the living crap out of my hands.

 

[Aloe]

I've somehow always struggled with 18mm fivers, yeah, I know that 18mm is almost 19mm, but somehow it's very inconvenient for me for slapping. and no such problem with 16-17mm, I just feel at home.

I've started on a standard-spaced four and read a lot of 'narrow spacing bad' posts on TB, but it appeared that I like narrow spacing. I even have 16mm on one of my fours now. YMMV, try it yourself. but the day I tried 16.5mm I was amused how it's easier for my fingers than 18mm.

 

[Barticus]

I only play and build narrow spacing 16.5-17mm and can become a slap machine on command . 5s & 6s are easier to find with narrow spacing.

The Ibby’s with narrow spacing are awesome, love my 6.

Warwick’s all have narrow spacing, what about a Thumb or a Streamer?
EDIT: The typical 5/6s and the exception is the Broadneck with 20mm

 

[PRJ]

I'd be curious how many of the people slapping on tighter string spacing are using double-thumb techniques. I have pretty average sized hands and I notice a significant difference in ability to slap as the string spacing narrows, particularly for technical double-thumbing. Which is a shame, because for economy of motion on finger picking, tighter spacing is definitely preferred (the 19mm standard is really ridiculous for any techniques that aren't slap).

 

[Barticus]

I'd be curious how many of the people slapping on tighter string spacing are using double-thumb techniques. I have pretty average sized hands and I notice a significant difference in ability to slap as the string spacing narrows, particularly for technical double-thumbing. Which is a shame, because for economy of motion on finger picking, tighter spacing is definitely preferred (the 19mm standard is really ridiculous for any techniques that aren't slap).

I using the floating thumb technique so double thumbing is the standard for me and 16.5mm is preferred.

I can deal with 18mm if I have to but 19 is just too wide for me and feels like it slows me way down.
16.5mm

18mm

 

[Snert]

The Ibby’s with narrow spacing are awesome, love my 6.
View attachment 4846858

I love the aesthetics of that bass.

 

[LowActionHero]

I'm trying to transfer my already meager slap skills from my 4 string G&L to my 5 string Schecter Diamond.

Not going great. The spacing is definitely a problem, but I'm getting better.

 

[Barticus]

I love the aesthetics of that bass.

Thanks, it was a refinish that I did. I rescued it from a mundane honey violin finish.

 

[Snert]

Thanks, it was a refinish that I did. I rescued it from a mundane honey violin finish.

I didn't realise, and it does look better than the original.

 

[31HZ]

It definitely took me a while to be able to slap on 17mm as opposed to 19mm. Oddly, I'm substantially more challenged on 16.5; that extra half-mm makes a difference for me (or maybe it's because it's a 6-string).

For fingerstyle I definitely prefer 16.5-17mm (floating thumb).

 

[ole Jason]

16.5-17 is the sweet spot for me. When the string spacing gets much wider it seems quite a bit slower since the thumb is physically moving a greater distance.