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Bass Ergonomics

#21
The Gibson EB is one of the lightest feeling most nicely balanced basses I’ve played in a long time. Nice selection of tones since both pickups are coil split. And it has a very fast 24 fret neck. 4 and 5-string versions are available.

Lots to like, and available for well under a grand used or around a grand new.

What can I say? I bought one.
 
#22
ixlramp said:
A T-Bird is very unergonomic and very poorly balanced due to having no top horn, this also shifts the bass to the left which is bad for the fretting arm. I'm surprised you found a Jazz bass (Fender copy i assume) worse, as those at least have a long top horn.
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This is conventional wisdom that isn't strictly true. A Thunderbird has no top horn, which makes rotating it up very easy. There's no top horn to overcome, and with the strap button at the base of the neck, the bass rotates up very well. Nearly all of them stay put these days. Mine certainly do. I fight with a Precision far more than I fight with a Thunderbird. The long top horn is not universally considered an asset. Thunderbird ergos may not work for some people. Those of us who find those ergos perfect smile at the conventional wisdom. It's not a Fender, and it doesn't try to be. Once you free your mind of that baggage and take one for what it's worth, it might work far better than you would expect.
 
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#24
Seth Shonefeld said:
I would venture that the problem is not the type of bass, at all. It is your body and your body only. Your body has adjusted to many many hours of being out of whack so that the only way you feel right is in that position. Need stretching and therapy.
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You can just keep playing the same bass; the pain will reduce; but at a certain point there will be a reckoning much much much more severe than anything yet. Keep playing, but see a physical therapist.
 
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#26
Gaolee said:
This is conventional wisdom that isn't strictly true. A Thunderbird has no top horn, which makes rotating it up very easy. There's no top horn to overcome, and with the strap button at the base of the neck, the bass rotates up very well. Nearly all of them stay put these days. Mine certainly do. I fight with a Precision far more than I fight with a Thunderbird. The long top horn is not universally considered an asset. Thunderbird ergos may not work for some people. Those of us who find those ergos perfect smile at the conventional wisdom. It's not a Fender, and it doesn't try to be. Once you free your mind of that baggage and take one for what it's worth, it might work far better than you would expect.
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Yep.
 
#28
Note strap in lower left corner locks bass in place . The arm is low, so the shoulder is relaxed.

The Peavey is part ofthe house sound system, not the bass.
20190411_224648.jpg
 
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#29
IamGroot said:
Thank you. Fortunately, I have enuff basses to grab something else. My real point for fellow TBers is that if your right shoulder hurts, maybe its because you raise your upper shoulder a little for your arm to reach over the lower bout. In my case, the solution was a bass with a lower profile plus hooking the strap differently. (NOTE FOR T BIRD OWNERS).
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I injured my left shoulder several weeks ago, from weight lifting not playing bass, and my left shoulder and trap hurt when I practice and rehearse. I practice between one to two hrs a day, standing up with my bass hanging low.

I change to sitting down. It helped, my left shoulder no longer in pain but now it's my right shoulder that complains.

My solution is a lightweight bass...I bought a lightweight bass, an Ibanes SR, which weighs 3.35 kg.... while my Fender basses weigh 4.64 kg and 4.43 kg.

With this lightweight bass, I can still practice/playing standing up wihout causing pain to my left shoulder and trap, and with the bass hanging at low position, my right shoulder doesn't complain.
 
#30
mongo2 said:
I'm having trouble visualizing your T-Bird strap setup. Can you post a picture?
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I'm sure this is what he's talking about >
20190411_222222.jpg
20190411_222117.jpg


Edit: D'oh! missed OPs pic. This definitely helps angle the bass more towards the sky, instead of tending to want to tip slightly towards the floor because of the upper strap button is located behind the body
 
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#34
IamGroot said:
Yep, thats what Im talking about. The strap locks the bass in rock solid.
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Cool! I'm now trying to visualize how that works when sitting. I've never really found a good balance when sitting with any BG, so I tend to avoid it a lot more than I might like. The new fretless BG I acquired recently seems promising, but I'm still playing with strap positioning and looking at possible posture/technique changes. I play a weekly jam in what can be a very cramped space and leg and foot cramps are actually more of a concern than the upper body stuff for me right now.
 
#38
You’re wearing and holding the bass incorrectly. You have adapted your position to the bass’s position. You will have difficulty with any other instrument until you correct your technique. Scott Devine has excellent videos out there on the subject.
Bass, Learn it, live it, love it. Best wishes.

 
#39
Artman said:
You’re wearing and holding the bass incorrectly. You have adapted your position to the bass’s position. You will have difficulty with any other instrument until you correct your technique. Scott Devine has excellent videos out there on the subject.
Bass, Learn it, live it, love it. Best wishes.

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Can you summarize what Scott said?
 
#40
I suggest you watch them in full, paying careful attention to strap height, your left elbow position right elbow position, angle the bass crosses in front of your body, angles of both wrists.
It will take a little time to get used to if you’ve been playing the other way for some time. The time spent learning will be worth it in the long run. Once you get it all right, you’re going to find that everything you play is easier. Cheers!
 

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