Anyone else that used to love slim neck profiles..

[JeffJ2112]

But now want or need more "chunky" necks?

Back before my way too long bass hiatus, I loved slim necks. Couldn't stand the necks on P-Basses. Ended up getting rid of some basses back in the late 80's and early 90's like a P and a Steinberger XL-2 just for that reason.

However after my break, I need thicker necks. first got the basses with the thinnest necks I could find. And with each one after about 20-30 minutes of playing my left hand cramps up. Tendonitis I'm thinking.

Anyone else go through this?

 

[Gilmourisgod]

I've always been a thin neck freak, but now loving my Ric clone build, P nut width, but very little taper up the board, wide flat D profile. In my case arthritis can make any neck a little painful, don't think profile comes into it. Whatever works in your hands this month is all good.

 

[J_Bass]

Yes. I played a super thin neck for 15 years or so, in my Hamer Cruise. 38mm but very slim, slimmer than a Jazz Bass.

Then I bought (traded my Sei) a Fender AVRI 64 Jazz and the width is the same (38mm) but it's thicker, and I liked it more.

Then I finally got a Precision with 42mm but very slim and I loved it. I could grip the neck better.

I get along with my 45mm slim neck on my Ibanez 5 string.

I also have a Fender acoustic with a chunky 42mm neck. That's too much for me. I'm glad it's a 32" neck, it compensates a little.

And a few weeks ago I tried a Starbass and the neck was perfect for me. 38,5mm, it's a thin neck. But here is what I loved. The neck is chunky. A fat C neck with 38,5mm seems to be the one for me. I can get a better grip with my whole hand and my thumb, but have the advantages of the thin neck, which I like.

If I don't count the StarBass, the 42mm slim P neck is my favorite. Although I have to stretch a bit more, I can grip it better. It's slim, but it's wide, so my left hand is more secure.


I hope this wasn't too confusing. What I mean to say is that I found out that it's a combination of the different elements that compose a neck that makes it perfect. I can add in one aspect and remove in another and feel comfortable anyway.

But I think I found my favorite.

 

[subdude67]

I cannot cope with a chunky neck, slim all the way.
If you get cramps on a thin neck but not on a chunky one, that sucks if you love a slim neck!
But you are not alone, as age creeps up on us, we all have to adapt because of physical constraints.

 

[two fingers]

Yes. I started on a P bass. Then I went with slim Ibanez necks (as well as a few others) for a while.

These days, the fatter, longer, and wider the batter.

My main player is a 19mm spaced 35" scale hunk of glorious wood.

 

[Ghook]

I started on a Star (149) while in my teens . It was perfect. Fast forward 50+ years and I'm loving P bass necks. They are comfy and roomy. That's not to say I have turned on thin necks. My Hofner Ignition is the closest thing to my Framus yet and I never get "tired" playing it, it's just a totally different way to play, not better, not worse.

 

[Nephilymbass]

But now want or need more "chunky" necks?

Back before my way too long bass hiatus, I loved slim necks. Couldn't stand the necks on P-Basses. Ended up getting rid of some basses back in the late 80's and early 90's like a P and a Steinberger XL-2 just for that reason.

However after my break, I need thicker necks. first got the basses with the thinnest necks I could find. And with each one after about 20-30 minutes of playing my left hand cramps up. Tendonitis I'm thinking.

Anyone else go through this?

Yeah when I was a teenager I preferred slimmer necks than what I like now. Then I broke a metacarpal in my left hand and my left wrist in motorcycle accident and since then I prefer chunkier necks. I can play slim necks short term just fine (the neck on my fender acoustic is pretty slim) but my issue with them has more to do endurance. Because of the injury to my hand and the way the bones healed the extensor tendon that runs over that metacarpal has to go over a little bit
of a knot in the bone. So basically when it comes to really slim necks like
Ibanez SR and 4 string jazz necks my hand gets soar after about a half an hour. With chunkier necks my hand is more relaxed around the neck which allows me to play comfortably all day. The guys in my
main band are spread out about 200 miles along I-95 in NC so due to traveling we can't rehearse as often as some other projects I've been in. When we have rehearsals I drive over an hour to the rehearsal spot and they are all day deals. Sometimes up to 8 hours long with a lunch break in between. So I need that somewhat chunky neck to get through those rehearsals. It's actually one of the reasons prefer the chunkier necks of most 5 strings over using multiple 4 strings in different tunings. I love 4 strings but I just can't wait play them as long. Even the hand issue aside you can pay a full scale 5 string like a short scale 4 string (by playing parts above the 5th fret) which also helps with endurance and comfort.

 

[Mastermold]

The shape and width matter, for me at least. A thicker neck requires less finger movement on a narrow (e.g. jazz) neck but a thinner neck requires less on a wider (e.g., precision) neck. That's why I tend to like flat C width P-bass necks and chunky jazz necks.