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is p bass neck really that uncomfortable?

#22
your fretting hand will stretch over time, mine fretting hand span is a full inch wider than my right hand.
Tal Wilkenfeld has really small hands and she's amazing on a Jazz Bass. she does seem to have to move her positioning a lot more but it sure hasn't affected her playing.
 
#24
You've gotten some pretty good advice. If I were you I'd check out some short scale basses to see if it's easier for you. I learned on one but I quickly adjusted to 34". If you decide to pursue long-scale, the jazz neck offers the easiest mobility in the low positions, but that may not matter if speed of fingering is not an issue for you; that will depend on what you're playing for material. Also, P-basses have sported several different nut widths and neck profiles over the years so it's hard to generalize about them in this regard.

All of this supports the notion that you should find a bass that appeals to you, regardless of the specs. That includes not only neck profile and scale length, but also body shape, weight, sound and overall aesthetics like its finish. If you like an instrument, then time spent learning it well will pay off for you. Try different stuff. Guitar Center or old fashioned local music stores are good for that kind of experimentation. Good luck!
 
#25
Another vote for trying out a short scale (30" scale) bass. As already mentioned, the issue--as you described it--is a result of the scale length. I also recommend the 1,2,4 fingering on both short and standard scale basses. Everyone's hand and physiology varies slightly, but the mechanics seem to work better that way.

Let me add an unsolicited tip--the electric bass may look like a guitar, but attempting to play it with the same technique is not your best course of action.
 
#27
Not all Precision necks are created equal. Some have a 1.75" width at the nut, while others have 1.625". Doesn't sound like a huge difference (and it's not, really); but I prefer the 1.625" width. For comparison, a Jazz neck is 1.5" wide at the nut. All that said, I alternate between all 3 on a regular basis and find it very easy to adapt to any of them.

About the 1 finger per fret thing. Don't worry about that. You don't HAVE to do that. On most songs, when playing on the lower frets (closer to the nut) I use the upside down "bunch of bananas" technique (where your fingers resemble a bunch of bananas). In other words, if I'm using my index finger on the 1st fret, middle finger on the 2nd fret, I don't necessarily use my ring finger on the 3rd fret. I often use my pinkie finger there. As I move farther up the neck (and the frets get closer together), I revert to the 1 finger per fret system. It might not be "proper" technique, but you'll get used to moving your hand around with practice.
 
#30
Dig Wilbur Ware said:
Also, as mentioned above, you'll be more comfortable using the "upright fingering" which is 1,2,4. (Stay off the 3rd/ring finger, and use it to support the 4th/pinky -- your wrist will then "develop" safely).
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The real destruction it avoids is the trainwreck behind the ring finger down into the wrist. OW! I had to quit bass for about five years for this to recover after wrecking myself switching to bass from guitar.

Older you are the worse it is. Had some long incidental talks about this with hotshot orthopedic surgeons who were trying to save the nerves in my finger after the accident.
 
#31
George Mann said:
I have been playing for 40 years. My hand has never stretched!

As for the OP, it's best to stay away from instruments you are not comfortable with.
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I started studying classical guitar when I was 17, we were graded on hand positioning and technique. my fretting hand span had stretched by an inch within months.
there was a thread on this topic about a month ago and most players had a larger span on their fretting hand, typically a 1 inch difference, so I'm certainly not unique is this aspect.

the OP is a beginner, I don't think any bass is going to feel comfortable (within reason) to a beginner.
there's a mountain to climb and some beginner pain and gain to be dealt with when you learn an instrument.
I've played with enough females to know that as always, it's the player, not the instrument or equipment, that matters.
 
#32
88footiee said:
its quite a stretch to play one fret per finger from 1st to 4th fret.
(do note its my first time ever touch a bass)
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I'm 6'3" with pretty long fingers but it's still uncomfortable to span four frets in that position on a 34" bass. Most players don't do it, or they don't do it for extended periods, because it's uncomfortable and ultimately it will cause you tendon problems.

Look at how fingering works on the double bass. You use three fingers (1, 2 and 4) to span a tone when playing in the lowest positions. Given that the speaking length of the string is over 40" on most basses it would be impractical to do anything else.

And yeah if you're coming from guitar it might help to pick an instrument with a shorter scale length. There are lots of great sounding 32" and even 30" bass guitars out there.
 
#34
It seems to me since this is the first bass you are trying, any bass you might try is not going to feel right to you. Your movement around the neck will get comfortable with practice, your hands will be able to handle a 34in scale bass with time. After some time playing then you will know what is right for you. Investing is a fender Jazz is a good investment ...
 
#37
is p bass neck really that uncomfortable?

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I use mighty mite p-bass necks for my frankenstein parts bass builds. They feel really good in my left hand.
 
#38
My most comfortable bass is my Jazz. My best sounding bass for the style of music my band does is my Precision. My least comfortable bass to play is my Ric 4003. It took a little adjustment time playing each to feel comfortable enough to play out with them.
 

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