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Do you prefer wider or narrower spaced strings, and why?
- Thread starter Neal Brakey
- Start date
I prefer the old school Fender 0.75"/ 19mm spacing because I'm old and I started out on a P bass knockoff. It feels like home to me, so when I shift to a 5 string, I went with a Lakland in part because of the spacing. I've tried smaller spacings, but they only really worked for me with a pick.
I have since fixed the poll (or tried to anyways) string spacing isn't anything I even thought about until now, and was just a question I thought I'd ask without knowing too much about what I was talking about, or the other options. It only came up because of a purchase of a bass I got which has 20mm spacing
Thankfully, someone messaged me and helped me get this poll back in order.
Sorry everyone!
Thankfully, someone messaged me and helped me get this poll back in order.
Sorry everyone!
The feel doesn't bother me either way; I'm more sensitive to the depth profile on a neck, where I prefer a shallow D to a baseball bat feel like on a Stingray.
I do feel like wider necks look cooler, all else constant.
I do feel like wider necks look cooler, all else constant.
I love 17mm at the bridge. I play with a pick and find it to be funner and less work. I have a Ric & a Serek, both with tight string spacing.
For 4 string: 19mm
For 6 string: 14-16.5mm
I have an Ibanez 6 string with 14mm spacing and I really like that spacing. Unfortunately that is the only production bass that has this as far as I know.
For 6 string: 14-16.5mm
I have an Ibanez 6 string with 14mm spacing and I really like that spacing. Unfortunately that is the only production bass that has this as far as I know.
What bass(es?) did Ibanez make with 14mm spacing? I'd love to get my hands on one of those.
It is the GVB36. As far as I know the only production 6 string bass with 14mm. More manufacturers should make 6 string basses with 14mm spacing. It is not too narrow and you can still slap it.
While I can still slap on a ~14mm 6-string, I find that spacing too narrow to pop on. And slap without pop is just...uh, spanking.
But any bass with a Kahler 2450-N6 bridge can be set up for 14mm spacing. (Or slightly less, actually: I've got a Modulus Graphite Quantum-6 SPX with a Kahler bridge slammed to the minimum string spacing, it's 13.97mm!)
While I can still slap on a ~14mm 6-string, I find that spacing too narrow to pop on. And slap without pop is just...uh, spanking.
I never had a problem with that. I can still do double plucks and so on on it. It's just a small adjustment in your technique. But I can imagine that will be a problem for some.
Generally wider'ish 18-19mm.
I started on upright and my first bass was a P-bass. A preferrence for a fairly wide spacing -and a wide nut/neck- is pretty much baked into me. All of my basses have 18mm or wider spacing and all have 1.625 or wider nut width.
I started on upright and my first bass was a P-bass. A preferrence for a fairly wide spacing -and a wide nut/neck- is pretty much baked into me. All of my basses have 18mm or wider spacing and all have 1.625 or wider nut width.
You’re name is Mark, yet you allude to a Jenny... clearly, the numbers I posted have no meaning to you.
I called that number using my local area code... not a working number
I have long fingers and have played 19mm standard 4-strings all my life. Tried the 5-string Ibanez SRF705 Portamento with 16.5mm and I keep getting frigged up. Giving up and trading it in for the Ibanez SRF700 4-string 19mm version cause I still like that fretless bass.
Spread them wide... If I wanted to play guitar, I would have played guitar.
Bass is for men - wide, long, and heavy …..
Bass is for men - wide, long, and heavy …..
