Bill Wyman's solution to neck dive

[BassBob185]

I saw a picture of Bill Wyman (Rolling Stones bassist) playing his Mustang bass. He had the strap peg mounted on the lower horn. He liked playing the bass with the head up more. The picture I saw was in a book but I haven't located one on the Internet, yet.

 

[bobba66]

I think Bootsy did the same thing in his early days.

 

[belaxa]

I saw somebody with the strap peg mounted near the neckplate, like some stock Epiphone/Gibsons.

 

[EddieN]

It was the second image in Google image search "Bill Wyman Mustang."

 

[RED5]

It was the second image in Google image search "Bill Wyman Mustang."

Little guy,small hands, upright bass background? Makes sense.BTW I wear my T-Bird the same way

 

[BassChuck]

Little guy,small hands, upright bass background? Makes sense.BTW I wear my T-Bird the same way

Did you have to relocate the other strap pin? I tried this once and the neck dive went away totally, but the bass had a tendancy to 'flip over'.

 

[ROON]

Solution = wide strap

Problem solved.

 

[RonChase]

Any interest in silvertone teisco or other basses like these?I wanted to display in my practice area basses that look like I might have owned them back in the day.I think they would be cool props and conversation pieces

 

[Guest043]

bill did not play like that because of upright backround. i remember reading something saying that he used to hold the bass like that to block the light from his spotlight, so he could look at the girls in the front few rows.

now thats rock n roll :bassis:

 

[RED5]

bill did not play like that because of upright backround. i remember reading something saying that he used to hold the bass like that to block the light from his spotlight, so he could look at the girls in the front few rows.

now thats rock n roll :bassis:

Or that.....

 

[RED5]

Did you have to relocate the other strap pin? I tried this once and the neck dive went away totally, but the bass had a tendancy to 'flip over'.

I have the neck end pin dead center on the neck heel, just past where it blends into the body,The bridge end pin is located about 5-6" to the e string side off center. I can swing the bass through a 90 degree arc from parallel to the ground to straight vertical. And it has a wide strap so it's fairly comfortable in any position.

 

[JayAmel]

I had never noticed that Mustang basses had neck dive...

 

[Hoover]

I had never noticed that Mustang basses had neck dive...

dumpster dive, that I noticed.

 

[pedro]

Little guy,small hands, upright bass background? Makes sense.BTW I wear my T-Bird the same way

Did Wyman ever play upright? FWIW, I've never understood why this neck dive thing bothers everyone quite so much and I don't think hand size has much to do with bass playing abilities.

My $.02.

 

[Lowbrow]

bill did not play like that because of upright backround. i remember reading something saying that he used to hold the bass like that to block the light from his spotlight, so he could look at the girls in the front few rows.

They're not "girls," they're "birds," guv.

 

[BassBob185]

It was the second image in Google image search "Bill Wyman Mustang."

Thanks for posting the picture.

 

[p-bass88]

wyman played upright on the music video for "she was hot" and on alot of tracks on "sticky fingers"

 

[hublocker]

I read that he played his basses more upright than usual because he found it easier to play with his small hands that way.

You know, unless someone proves otherwise, according to Wikipedia he made the first fretless electric bass too.

 

[Hoover]

wyman played upright on the music video for "she was hot" and on alot of tracks on "sticky fingers"

Um... what? Got an example of a track from Sticky Fingers that uses upright bass?

 

[RED5]

Did Wyman ever play upright? FWIW, I've never understood why this neck dive thing bothers everyone quite so much and I don't think hand size has much to do with bass playing abilities.

My $.02.

it really doesn't, but some players, ie; Wyman or Tina Weymouth , seem to have an affinity for short scales. I think it's more a reach thing. And Wyman may or may not have played much upright, but who were his influences? I have to guess there were some standup guys on that list. Aside from that? who played bass for Rocket 88?