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Double Bass D or Eb neck?

2

2manybass

Oct 22, 2011
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0
#1
Hello all!

Im just beginning my Double Bass journey having played EB for several decades. I picked up a rental and began seeing a teacher last month. My first lesson was focused on using the bow. My second lesson was focused on 4th position. This is where the subject question arose.

Is there an inherent advantage in having a D neck vs an Eb neck other than the intuitively simpler (to me) D neck? My rental is an Eb neck and it seems a little less convenient to have an Eb note right there at the joint rather than a D.

I've been shopping around to purchase an instrument a bit nicer than my rental (vacillating between Thompson and Upton hybrids), and I'm leaning towards a D neck unless there's a compelling reason to go with the Eb. My teacher advocates the D neck, but I'm also interested in the informed opinions of the players on this forum.

What do you think folks? Thanks in advance for your replies and opinions.

Tom
 
#4
Whatever bass you have you'd get used to. My bass has Eb neck and I kind of like it as it makes more sense to me having an F at the end of the neck and a G only a whole tone away rather than having a E at the end and the G a semi tone + a whole tone away. But as I said its only matter of time to get use to whatever neck you get.
 
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#8
It has to do with physical reference on the bass. If you slide you hand up so that the knife edge (side with the pinky) hits the back of the neck and wrap your fingers arround it in normal playing position, if its a D neck, your pinky will be on a D. if its an Eb, and Eb.

Some methods really want you to have a D neck for physical reference when learning their system. It makes sense, but if you practice every day on either style neck you should be fine.
 
#9
Thank you all for your replies!

At this very early stage, my natural tendency is for my thumb to lay opposite my 1st finger, and to expect to find the D under that finger on the G string when my thumb finds the neck joint. I can definitely see the possibility in going either way with practice. At some point, whatever is practiced will result in muscle memory, and the issue becomes moot.

With the little experience I have on the instrument, I was more concerned about some limitation in either direction. Now i feel a little more comfortable in selecting a bass within my budget, that plays well and has a pleasing sound, regardless of which neck.

Thank you!

Tom
 
#12
To th OP. Do a search in this forum. The topic has been beaten to death many times. You'll find a ton of insights and info. The search function is your friend.

D necks are more common especially among New basses.
 
#13
drurb said:
To th OP. Do a search in this forum. The topic has been beaten to death many times. You'll find a ton of insights and info. The search function is your friend.

D necks are more common especially among New basses.
Click to expand...

I'm sure it has been beaten to death. I did try the search first and found nothing useful in the first several pages, so I asked here. Maybe if I spent more time wading through the results I would eventually find replies as helpful as those here. Then again, maybe not. I need to spend more time practicing and less in here. ;)



Tom
 

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