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How do you set your strap?

How do you wear your bass??

  • Jazz high

    Votes: 53 40.8%

  • Punk low

    Votes: 6 4.6%

  • In the middle?

    Votes: 59 45.4%

  • I adjust my strap depending on the style of music I play

    Votes: 12 9.2%
  • Total voters
    130
#23
Usually play midway down, but there's a second hole in my strap so I can go jazz high. Three straplocks on one strap, so I can pick the style. For rockin' out, I play middle of my torso, jazzy, intricate stuff gets played jazz high.
 
#26
So are you actually able to play anything complex playing that low, or do you just hammer away on the root? Dadadadadadadadadadadadada

Just wondering. I couldn't play anything articulated at all if I had my bass down around my knees. I probably could hit the chord changes, but an actual *bass line?* Don't think so. But if all I was doing was hammering away with a pick on the root, no problems.

This isn't criticism...some music doesn't need anything more complex than 180 beat-per-minute downstrokes with a pick. The Ramones made an entire career and gained a huge following without ever doing anything but downstrokes.
 
#27
carl-anton said:
Funny. I think it's uncomfortable playing when I sit down. So I wear my bass so the neckjoint is right over my belt buckle. Neck is angled upwards. This gives me the best comfort for both hands. Guess it's in the middle.
Click to expand...

I agree. having my bass up high makes it harder to hit the D and G strings with my right hand. playing low (just below belt buckle), makes it easier to reach all strings. Sometimes I use a pick as well, and its easier to pick at that level.
 
#28
Chest-height. Even higher than sitting down - though as my bass has a small body, it alters things a bit. The neck joint is at rib joint.. or thereabouts. I've always played like this, except for a few times when I tried what it'd be like to play lower... Playing this high makes complicated lines easier, as well as slap, though it does have some strain on the plucking hand if it's at a wrong angle
 
#30
Mine is also sitting higher than it would even when I'm sitting. I have terrible cramps in my left shoulder, but when I lower it, my left hand gets all funked up. I can't move around the big 6er neck with the bass low. With my fretless 4, it's just slightly lower, with the output jack at about pocket level on my pants.

I'd like to drop my strap lower, but I can't move half as fast as I can with it high.
 
#32
I have my "oh no this song is somewhat difficult" place, which is pretty high up, cos it's just easier to play hard lines when the bass is higher on you. (I've yet to be able to play the hard lines as cleanly and supportivly when I have it lower).
My other one is "oh this is pretty easy, so it's around my gut", which is for rock/metal etc. Stuff you don't even need to think much about when playing, and having the room to move around in is key. I also run two Dunlop straplocks on every strap so I can quickly switch from one to the other.

-Ray
 
#35
adouglas said:
So are you actually able to play anything complex playing that low, or do you just hammer away on the root? Dadadadadadadadadadadadada

Just wondering. I couldn't play anything articulated at all if I had my bass down around my knees. I probably could hit the chord changes, but an actual *bass line?* Don't think so. But if all I was doing was hammering away with a pick on the root, no problems.

This isn't criticism...some music doesn't need anything more complex than 180 beat-per-minute downstrokes with a pick. The Ramones made an entire career and gained a huge following without ever doing anything but downstrokes.
Click to expand...


Well, would the song hysteria by muse count as complex? Beatles stuff, I can pretty much play everything that low. Its not at my knees though. Its almost there, but not really. I'll get a camera some day.
 
#36
I used to play mine medium/lowish but I started "suffering" from tennis elbow and have steadily been bringing my bass higher and higher. I play now so that the neck joint is in between my belly button and my bottom ribs, with the neck angled quite high. I've found that this helps with the tennis elbow and has actually allowed me to move around the fretboard a lot quicker. I might go just a little higher yet...
 
#37
definitely middle. i used to have it high, but realized i had to bend my wrist at a pretty exrteme angle at teh high frets so i brought it so that plucking the e and a string is close to my belt, and i angled the neck up higher for the low frets. everything is accessible now.
 
#38
i have my favorite bass' (the ibanez) strap is set perfect, the bottom horn right on my waiste, so what i did was, i made all my straps the exact same length so when i put on a new bass, there isnt any " strap shock " as i call it. strap shock occurs when changing basses you go from a bass around your knees to a strap around your waist and you cant get used to the new setting. :rolleyes: anyway my rule is bottom horn on waiste or there abouts.


srtap shock...jesus christ i need :help:
 

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