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Do slimmer necks allow for lower strapping?

BrandonBass

BrandonBass

May 29, 2006
2,348
33
#1
Like will you be able to strap an ibanez soundgear lower than say fender p bass lower for the same playability?

I know its a stupid question, playing good music is a must. but looking cool is a big plus!
 
#4
I think that positioning your neck more vertically will help more than anything, as neck profile is a little more related to hand comfort IMO. However, don't make your playing compensate for how you're holding the bass, position the bass so it's comfortable/easiest to play. Trust me, your wrists will thank you.

~K
 
#6
because i used to play a 5string, and i must strap it fairly to play it comfortably. now i play a yamaha with a pbass-esque neck and i can play it comfortably on a lower strap compared to the fiver.

so im wondering if a slimmer neck can allow for even lower loL
 
#10
I play low to keep my right wrist relatively straight - I had a nasty case of RSI from my time as a draftsman, and I like to keep that hand as relaxed as possible. Of course, it's a little uncomfortable for the left hand at times, and playing high up on the neck is interesting, but overall I find it comfortable. I'm _not_ a very technical player ;)

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When I do recording, I'm seated, so my left hand chops immediately improve, but my right arm gets tired faster.
 
#11
syciprider said:
Get a set of those keyboards that you play with your feet. It don't get lower than those and you'll look real cool with your River Dance like moves.
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heh... Since I already dance like a doofus on stage, perhaps I should check into this.

Wearing your bass low makes you look like a moron who doesn't take their playing seriously.
 
#13
Figjam said:
Notice how your thumb is below the neck :hmm:
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hey, at least it's not _over_ it!

After reading that I grabbed my bass and ran through a few scales and riffs - most of the time my thumb's on the back of the neck. Not that technique flies out the door completely at a live show, but in our genre it's perhaps not as high a priority as giving the punters an engaging and dynamic performance.

That being said, it's always good to self-assess every now and then - so I'll have a good look at what I'm doing. Again, I'm most concerned with keeping my wrists straight, and avoiding over-stressing my hands. How I play may be sloppy, but I can get through a 4 hour rehearsal without any aches and pains.
 
#15
So long as there's no chafing!

Timmy C plays pretty high and nobody says he looks uncool... but I've also seen some guys who play up so high that their right hand looks like THE CLAW! Whatever floats your boat, I'm far less likely to slag somebody off for their choice of playing position than, say, Kael ;)

I did however see a guitarist once who played Johnny Cash style, (singing and chewing gum at the same time, but that's another matter entirely), in jeans that were way, way, way too tight. I wish he'd played that tele a little lower...
 
#16
I used to play my bass low so that my right arm was almost straight. Then I hiked it up to about the same height it was when I played sitting down and suddenly everything got so much easier. I always figured that no matter how "cool" you look, if you play like crap, you play like crap. Make it easy for yourself. Someone who plays well is much cooler than someone with a low strapped bass.
 
#17
wRaith said:
I used to play my bass low so that my right arm was almost straight. Then I hiked it up to about the same height it was when I played sitting down and suddenly everything got so much easier. I always figured that no matter how "cool" you look, if you play like crap, you play like crap. Make it easy for yourself. Someone who plays well is much cooler than someone with a low strapped bass.
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+1... I agree...And its not just cos your also from country NSW :)

I used to play with my bass round my knee caps somewhere. I thought i was cool. Then I played a lot sitting down. When I went back to standing, It felt really bad having it low. I raised it a fair bit and my playing improved heaps. I have a bit of a laugh at low slingers now. Its such a metal, cool cliche. Get over it :smug:
In fact...Now I look at someone who is wearing their bass really high and think to myself, that person really doesn't give a dam as to what is perceived to be cool in regard to bass wearing heights. They are just playing their instrument the best they can....Now thats cool!!
 
#18
Ha! in my 6 years of touring, I got a chance to listen to a lot of great bands (and a lot of not-so-great bands). My guitar player and I made a simple observation. Usually, the higher the bass player wears his/her instrument, the better player he/she was. Of course, it wasn't always true, but 9 times out of 10 it was. My rule of thumb is, let your bass hang in the same spot it is when you're playing sitting down. Just my 2cents.
 
#19
wRaith said:
I used to play my bass low so that my right arm was almost straight. Then I hiked it up to about the same height it was when I played sitting down and suddenly everything got so much easier. I always figured that no matter how "cool" you look, if you play like crap, you play like crap. Make it easy for yourself. Someone who plays well is much cooler than someone with a low strapped bass.
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well thats just your opinion. Plus, my band plays just mainly root notes and stuff so i can afford to lay it low....you cant get any much better if your playing root notes even if you strap your bass up the neck...

anyways i think that when i strap it lower its much easier to do fast plucking. Also, i never bend my wrist i usually wrap my fingers around the neck and play, so i thought slimmer = better?
 

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