Wise words. There are about 10,000,000 basses out there for sale, why buy one that isn't comfortable?
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How Long Before You Adjust to a New Bass?
- Thread starter Mr Cheese
- Start date
it's like: "how long is a piece of string?" or "it depends." right? i can "adjust to the feel of it" in a matter of minutes (seconds?), but that doesn't mean i'd like the feel of it or that i'd want the instrument...i just assumed that anyone with even a little bit of experience could do the same. but like several posters: i can tell if i have a decent 'fit' almost immediately. for me: it's all about the neck. thumb anchoring and string spacing can be changed/accommodated with parts/mods.
Plenty of difference in the thicknesses of the necks of the various Fender Jazz models, too. These are the 1st to 12th fret specs for some of current / recent ones.
0.785" to 0.890" - American Professional
0.820" to 0.870" - American Standard
0.820" to 0.920" - American Original 70s
0.830" to 0.930" - C-to-D neck
0.830" to 0.965" - 60s Road Worn
0.815" to 1.000" - American Original 60s
Since he was so keen on the tone, perhaps the OP might be able to find a Jazz that his hand takes to more eagerly?
0.785" to 0.890" - American Professional
0.820" to 0.870" - American Standard
0.820" to 0.920" - American Original 70s
0.830" to 0.930" - C-to-D neck
0.830" to 0.965" - 60s Road Worn
0.815" to 1.000" - American Original 60s
Since he was so keen on the tone, perhaps the OP might be able to find a Jazz that his hand takes to more eagerly?
It takes me about two minutes. I play upright and electric, sometimes both on the same gig. I own a fretless stingray, 5-string Warwick Fortress One, P-bass with a 1 5/8" neck and rounds, and P-bass with a 1.5" 60's jazz neck and flats. I also have two upright basses. They all feel VERY different, but very good to play. I can hop around from bass to bass and play comfortably on any of them after a couple minutes. I think years of switching from upright to electric daily helped.
I'll know within seconds of picking up something if it will work or not. I once bought a bass here on TB. Received it in great shape. Picked it up, got in playing position, played ~10 notes. Immediately put it back in the box and up for sale.
I'm sensitive to neck profiles and neck dive.
I'm sensitive to neck profiles and neck dive.
For me, very little time. I've played so many basses through out the years that I don't think about it any more. There are certain ergo issues that some times can't be adapted to, and I have to move on. The real clincher is whether or not I can hear myself when I'm playing with a band. If I get lost in the mix, that is an instant disqualification.
I know in the store before I bring it home. I've always been fortunate to live in places with strong music scenes and good to great music stores. If it doesn't feel good, I put it down and try another. I've not owned a ton of basses, but I've owned a few. I've modded a couple, but not in ways that alter the feel of them in my hands. That's a basic requirement to me.
For me, if it's just too heavy, the neck's too thick, it just doesn't 'hang right', it's a non-starter.
If it looks right (GOT to look right !) and it feels right, then I can make everything else work. I take to them pretty quick. I find the only thing that may take a while is getting my strings on it and reeling in my setup: Some of them will take the setup and never say a word, and sometimes, they will fight you for a while. Sometimes with brand new basses (with brand new wood), as Mica Wickersham once said, 'it takes a while before it realizes it's NOT a tree anymore'.
At this long enough, I'm rarely surprised, although occasionally I will find a tone or something they do that was an extra little prize.
If it looks right (GOT to look right !) and it feels right, then I can make everything else work. I take to them pretty quick. I find the only thing that may take a while is getting my strings on it and reeling in my setup: Some of them will take the setup and never say a word, and sometimes, they will fight you for a while. Sometimes with brand new basses (with brand new wood), as Mica Wickersham once said, 'it takes a while before it realizes it's NOT a tree anymore'.
At this long enough, I'm rarely surprised, although occasionally I will find a tone or something they do that was an extra little prize.
If I don't feel comfortable the first time I play it, chances are that I won't get comfortable later. I once demoed 2 basses that were nearly identical, except for finish color, and the one I picked felt the best.
There's still a slight adjustment period after I get a new bass, to figure out all it's quirks, but if I play a bass at the store that fits well, I can play it just fine that night at a gig.
There's still a slight adjustment period after I get a new bass, to figure out all it's quirks, but if I play a bass at the store that fits well, I can play it just fine that night at a gig.
It is hard in the music store because most basses even high end ones aren't set up good. I will go in knowing what i am looking for and most of the time leave disappointed. Buying used is the way I roll for this reason. For me a rule of thumb is to buy Fenders from usa or japan. But this is imo of course.
It's like shoes and girls: if they don't feel good right away, I move on.
When I first picked up my first Muckelroy, it felt like a part of me, like it had been made just for me (which technically it was, but that doesn't mean it would feel that way).
I actually just got a second bass from Brady and changed some things from #1. I've tried, but #1 just feels like home. #2 I can't get used to. It was listed for sale on here a few days after I got it. Haha
I actually just got a second bass from Brady and changed some things from #1. I've tried, but #1 just feels like home. #2 I can't get used to. It was listed for sale on here a few days after I got it. Haha
'I would think you would need to spend more than 10-15 minutes of playing an instrument in a GC to fully get to know an instrument. Now, if what you mean is playing PB or a JB is uncomfortable due to pain is one thing if it's uncomfortable due to being in an unfamiliar surrounding, that's entirely different.
I don't mean to be a braggart, but it will take me about 30 minutes on reasonably set up bass to get fairly proficient and not embarrass myself playing it. Keep in mind, I've been a bassist for over 50 years, and through experience know how to work around, ahem, inconveniences.
Switching the number of strings, like sitting down with a 5 or 6 string bass having only played 4 string expect to take a good deal longer, like weeks maybe.
All that said, Yamaha makes solid instruments that sound great. If you are comfortable with what you have and like how it plays and sounds, upgrade you amp. The fact that the Fenders are on sale, and buying one in hopes that you will like it someday to me sounds like a reach.
Buying a bass that is unused because of the price is no bargain.
I would note that adjusting to a new instrument is also something that gets better with practice. If you do it a lot, you get good at adjusting quickly. If you don't, you don't.
I play upright. When I was at school, there were a couple of nice sounding double basses at the school, and that was definitely a better option than hauling my bass an hour by train to get there. My classical teacher had a couple of basses in his studio. And there was a jam I went to where I could use the house bassist's bass. They were each different, but good sounding instruments, and the ease of not hauling my own bass around made it worth my while learning to adapt. The more I practiced adapting, the better I got at it.
I play upright. When I was at school, there were a couple of nice sounding double basses at the school, and that was definitely a better option than hauling my bass an hour by train to get there. My classical teacher had a couple of basses in his studio. And there was a jam I went to where I could use the house bassist's bass. They were each different, but good sounding instruments, and the ease of not hauling my own bass around made it worth my while learning to adapt. The more I practiced adapting, the better I got at it.
You were probably plucking in a different place (further from or closer to the bridge) which made the string tension feel awkwardly different than you are used to on your main bass. It is also possibly the the place where you chose to pluck was causing a different arm position that you are used to, which can also feel awkward.
