A jazz bass is the most ergomic bass there is for me. Just like a strat is for guitar. They got it right a long time ago.
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Basses with Good Ergonomics?
- Thread starter Gare Boo
- Start date
Wow that NS bass is cool! The belly scoop reminds me of my Spector. However, I'm not really a fan of EMG, is a new pu going to sound good with the piezo? Thanks.
I don't really like the extended Fender style headstock, it bumps into the vocalist's face all the time
That's a good point! Never thought any it before, thanks so much for pointing that out! I guess it's the reason why the upper horn on the NS Design bass is very long?
I owned a white Motion B just like the
one in the photo. Players love or hate them. I thought it had good ergonomics, light and very easy on the left hand. I was much younger then and image was more important to me, so I went back to 34" scale bass. Its something to try if you can find a used one for sale
No
Thanks man. I used to have an Aria CSB-380 and the ergonomics were horrible. Very heavy, bad neck dive, and the neck was chunky. I might order an Ibanez Mezzo to give the 32" scale length another try. Thx!
Spectors are definitely basses you need to try before you buy. People either love or hate their ergonomics. My ReBop 5 feels wonderful to me, but will likely not sit right on someone else.
Here's a bass I would love to try out: The ESP/LTD Bunny Brunel sig model. The long upper horn that goes past the 12th fret and asymmetrical neck profile intrigue me:
Products - Bunny Brunel - The ESP Guitar Company
Brunel used to have a Carvin sig model with that same extra long upper horn and asymmetrical neck profile and Carvins tend to be great values on the used market. Brunel clearly designed his sig model basses with ergonomics in mind.
Has anyone here tried a Carvin or ESP/LTD Bunny Brunel to comment on its ergonomics?
Here's a bass I would love to try out: The ESP/LTD Bunny Brunel sig model. The long upper horn that goes past the 12th fret and asymmetrical neck profile intrigue me:
Products - Bunny Brunel - The ESP Guitar Company
Brunel used to have a Carvin sig model with that same extra long upper horn and asymmetrical neck profile and Carvins tend to be great values on the used market. Brunel clearly designed his sig model basses with ergonomics in mind.
Has anyone here tried a Carvin or ESP/LTD Bunny Brunel to comment on its ergonomics?
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That's very subjective. I have a Cabronita P (thick neck, slab body) that I love and is one of the best playing Fenders I've ever played. I also have a Thumb 5 BO which is super comfortable to me(aside from the weight, around 13lbs) but most people hate their ergonomics.
Extended range Ibby SRs are quite comfortable(don't like thin 4 string necks), MTDs are super nice(only played a Kingston Artist but it had the asymmetric neck) and I find Bongos very comfortable.
If you're looking for something different like the Torzal(would love to try one out, i tend to angle my bass depending on where on the neck I'm playing), try out a Dingwall. Personally I don't really find fanned frets more comfortable to play, but some people find them ergonomic. They do give you really nice tone across the strings, though.
Extended range Ibby SRs are quite comfortable(don't like thin 4 string necks), MTDs are super nice(only played a Kingston Artist but it had the asymmetric neck) and I find Bongos very comfortable.
If you're looking for something different like the Torzal(would love to try one out, i tend to angle my bass depending on where on the neck I'm playing), try out a Dingwall. Personally I don't really find fanned frets more comfortable to play, but some people find them ergonomic. They do give you really nice tone across the strings, though.
Wow. You seem to have an extremely particular set of needs. 34" doesn't work for your left hand. Short scale "doesn't allow your right arm to stretch"? The headstock on a short scale Wattplower will smack your vocalist's face?
I think your requirements defy our current technology and the laws of physics. Science needs a couple more decades to catch up to your peculiar needs.
In all seriousness, save up and snag one of these. You can choose your pickup configuration and color. You can choose materials that will be lightweight. It can be ordered in 30" scale. And no headstock may save your vocalist's face!!!!
I think your requirements defy our current technology and the laws of physics. Science needs a couple more decades to catch up to your peculiar needs.
In all seriousness, save up and snag one of these. You can choose your pickup configuration and color. You can choose materials that will be lightweight. It can be ordered in 30" scale. And no headstock may save your vocalist's face!!!!
I'll second the Gibson EB recommendation. I own one. I'm not a Gibson bass fanboy but the EB(4?) is an amazing bass. Light weight. Great stock pickups. Totally accessible 24 fret neck. For theOP - do note that there are early (2 X 2 headstock) and later (inline 4 headstock) versions of this bass. I have a later version and am quite happy with it.
The upper horn length has become a top priority for me, too. If it isn't long enough, it causes the fretboard to set further out to my left (I play righty). Reaching the low frets can call for more of a contortion in my left wrist - this is when I have the strap length set so that the body of the bass is at the "right" height for me; not too high, not too low.
The other thing I keep an eye out for with any bass is the distance between the bridge and the bottom edge of the body, especially if the shape of the body is a little less conventional. If there's a lot of space there, the bass might also force me into more of an uncomfortable reach for the lower frets.
Some years ago I was seduced by the materials and construction of a German Warwick Corvette. I suppose I figured I could get used to it even though it had one or two of those ergonomic red flags. No dice. Now I'm hyper-picky and sort of expect most basses I try to have some sort of shortcoming in terms of their fit.
Keep trying everything you can get your hands on. It's almost impossible to predict a good fit until you occasionally bump into it. No two necks are quite the same. The combinations of width, depth (amount of material under the fingerboard), radius, etc. have to be sampled to be sorted out - you may even want to keep a notebook with some measurements or just your impressions for reference as you look around.
The other thing I keep an eye out for with any bass is the distance between the bridge and the bottom edge of the body, especially if the shape of the body is a little less conventional. If there's a lot of space there, the bass might also force me into more of an uncomfortable reach for the lower frets.
Some years ago I was seduced by the materials and construction of a German Warwick Corvette. I suppose I figured I could get used to it even though it had one or two of those ergonomic red flags. No dice. Now I'm hyper-picky and sort of expect most basses I try to have some sort of shortcoming in terms of their fit.
Keep trying everything you can get your hands on. It's almost impossible to predict a good fit until you occasionally bump into it. No two necks are quite the same. The combinations of width, depth (amount of material under the fingerboard), radius, etc. have to be sampled to be sorted out - you may even want to keep a notebook with some measurements or just your impressions for reference as you look around.
