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Bass height- How high and why?

vindibona1

vindibona1

Apr 18, 2015
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#1
There seems to be a lot of variance in how high different players strap on their basses. I'm trying to figure out the optimal height but haven't quite dialed it in yet. Some guys sling their basses down by their crotch. I'm curious as to why, even though I would never do that, as that seems to make serious playing more difficult. But some guys seem to like their basses super high, and I'm most interested in why they do that.

What makes or breaks a given height for you?
 
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#9
Right about here for me.
Snapshot_20180621.JPG
 
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#10
vindibona1 said:
But some guys seem to like their basses super high, and I'm most interested in why they do that.
Click to expand...

While I was never quite in the "super high" camp I used to wear my basses fairly high, and the reason was I wanted to get the neck in a position such that my fretting hand had very little break at the wrist; it was almost a straight line from the forearm through the wrist into the hand. This allowed me to have pristine one-finger-per-fret-with-the-thumb-at-the-center-of-the-back-of-the-neck technique, which made executing difficult passages easier.

But sometime in the last decade or two I lowered my basses. Not a lot; they're still nowhere near the below-the-belt monkey-armed rock'n'roll gunslinger position, and some folks would probably still accuse me of wearing the bass Higher Than Not. There's probably a ~45° break in my wrist now, and the place where I pluck the strings is just the slightest bit higher than my navel. And the reason I switched to this position -- even though the break in my wrist makes it harder to execute difficult passages -- is because now the bass feels more connected to my hips, which in turn makes it easier to play lines that feel good.

iow, I've sacrificed some perfection in exchange for some booty.
 
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#13
vindibona1 said:
There seems to be a lot of variance in how high different players strap on their basses. I'm trying to figure out the optimal height but haven't quite dialed it in yet. Some guys sling their basses down by their crotch. I'm curious as to why, even though I would never do that, as that seems to make serious playing more difficult. But some guys seem to like their basses super high, and I'm most interested in why they do that.

What makes or breaks a given height for you?
Click to expand...

I think most of the guys on the top tier of bass playing tend to play a little higher. Robert Trujillo would be a notable exception. Higher up seems I have no problem with 4 finger per fret when I need and my wrist is relatively straight. The lower the neck goes the more bent my wrist gets and the more pain I have.

This photo isn't me, but this would be similar to my position. When I practice sitting down, I always have my strap over my neck and when I stand up, the bass is in exactly the same position.
0-7645-2487-9_000201.jpg
 
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#14
In a nut shell, if your bass is too high, there's too much stress on your plucking hand wrist, and too low similar thing happens to the other wrist. I figured when the neck plate is about the same height as my belly button it is about the perfect balance. The bass also happens to be at the same height both sitting or standing that way.
 
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#15
In a nut shell, if your bass is too high, there's too much stress on your plucking hand wrist, and too low similar thing happens to the other wrist. I figured when the neck plate is about the same height as my belly button it is about the perfect balance. The bass also happens to be at the same height both sitting or standing that way.
 
#16
kirkdickinson said:
I think most of the guys on the top tier of bass playing tend to play a little higher. Robert Trujillo would be a notable exception. Higher up seems I have no problem with 4 finger per fret when I need and my wrist is relatively straight. The lower the neck goes the more bent my wrist gets and the more pain I have.

This photo isn't me, but this would be similar to my position. When I practice sitting down, I always have my strap over my neck and when I stand up, the bass is in exactly the same position.
View attachment 3055895
Click to expand...

Pretty much this.

That being said, I slap very little. And I use a pick about half the time. So I will err on the side of a little lower if needed. Not punk rock by my knees low, but low-ish. The neck plate is near my belt buckle and I am pretty tall.
 
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#19
The angle of the bass is almost as important as the height it's worn. Holding a bass horizontally as opposed to vertically will make it feel different. I have the bass at about a forty five degree angle and the height is where the neck plate on a Fender is where my belt buckle would be (if I didn't turn it sideways to avoid damage). This is a happy medium for both hands and wrists.
 
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