Whether you wear your bass jazz high or punk low, it is all based on preference and your comfort level for playing. I never keep it consistant and always adjust my strap depending on the type of song I am playing. Does anyone else do this?
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How do you set your strap?
- Thread starter spectorbass83
- Start date
"Jazz high," if that's the word for it.
People who keep their axe closer to their heart are playing from their heart.
People who keep it closer to their hoo-hah are using it as an extension.
People who keep their axe closer to their heart are playing from their heart.
People who keep it closer to their hoo-hah are using it as an extension.
Alvaro Martín Gómez A.
TalkBass' resident Bongo + cowbell player
Jazz high for me. I try to make sure that the middle part of my bass' 22nd fret matches the end of my sternum.
bassman314
I seem to be a verb, an evolutionary process...
I used to play low...
Like Kris Novaselic Low... Like almost to my ankles low... ok.. not that low.. but you get the point.
Then I realized I played best while sitting down with my bass in my lap...
So all my straps are adjusted so that the bass sits more or less at the same place where it sits when I am sitting down.
It's not so high that I need to actually undo my strap to get it off (or look like an NFL lineman getting his pads on) and it's not low..
So I guess I play from my gut!
I use leather straps and straplocks, so adjustments are a pain in the butt. I adjust them.. and leave them...
Like Kris Novaselic Low... Like almost to my ankles low... ok.. not that low.. but you get the point.
Then I realized I played best while sitting down with my bass in my lap...
So all my straps are adjusted so that the bass sits more or less at the same place where it sits when I am sitting down.
It's not so high that I need to actually undo my strap to get it off (or look like an NFL lineman getting his pads on) and it's not low..
So I guess I play from my gut!
I use leather straps and straplocks, so adjustments are a pain in the butt. I adjust them.. and leave them...
I adjust the strap, and thus the bass height relative to my body, so that the depression on the top rear of the bass is just at my lowest right rib.
I find this to be the best position for a balance between the amount of bend in the right vs. left wrists.
I find this to be the best position for a balance between the amount of bend in the right vs. left wrists.
I agree with that, I could play pretty good when I was sitting down but I noticed that whenever I stood up to play it just sucked. So I adjusted my strap to where its exactly the same postion standing as it would be sitting down. Works like a charm!bassman314 said:
Trigg
Cristo said:
Yeah, that's about where I wear it...and angled so that the nut is about at eye level.
It's all about ergonomics. If you wear it lower, you have to pronate your left wrist too much to reach around the neck and fret cleanly. If you wear it much higher (or angle the neck down) then your right wrist is bent too much. Which I think is what Cristo was referring to.
Funny thing is, I didn't realize I needed to wear it higher until I saw a picture of myself playing. Something just looked wrong, so I raised it up about four or five inches. Much better now, though it did take a little bit of getting used to.
Speaking of appearances, if you're short like me (5'7" on a good day), wearing such a large instrument really low looks plain thtoopid. Wearing it higher makes you look taller.
I have it maybe an inch (or less) lower than the level it would be when I'm sitting down. I don't like it to move too much between sitting down and standing up. And I also find it harder to slap if it's too low.
I play a jazz bass the and its set up where the cut out matches my belly output its really comfortable. 
I agree with adouglass. Setting the nut at eye level seems to be the best for both hands. I can play four sets without either hand getting cramps or overly tired.
I play "jazz-high." i used to play punk rock hang her low or dont play at all, but then after playing a show i realize dhow much my wrist hurt. Normallly when i get a new strap or bass, i set it up so that if the strap were to be on when i play sitting down it isnt sitting on my lap, its hanging there by a tad. Thus i dont use a starp when sitting down, but when standing its a little higher then when sitting. Also my two fives(washburn and fender jazz) are a little higher then my 4 jazz or my 4 p-bass.
Kyle
Kyle
