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is p bass neck really that uncomfortable?

#41
88footiee said:
...I had done my research and had my belief that p bass had a thicker and broader neck. I did tried both the p and j bass in the store, and frankly, i find both neck are just as uncomfortable and 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)...
Click to expand...
By now you've heard plenty that it's common for many bassists to use a 1-2-4 fingering (combining fingers 3 & 4 together on the same fret) for the the 1st 4 or 5 frets. Down at that end of the neck, it's often less stressful on the hand to use the 1-2-4 fingering and simply slide to change the position rather than stretching the fingers out in a fan trying to reach 4 frets from one position. With adequate practice you can still play lightening fast using that fingering method. :bassist:
 
#42
I had a J-neck once, and hated it. They are way too thin at the first fret, and I have moderate-sized hands. The P-necks are better, but I still can't slap on them very well on the lower frets. Tapered necks just have never felt that comfortable to me, and it feels to me like the new Fenders have much more taper to them than the true vintage ones do.
 
#43
i don't think the nut width is the problem. it's more of the thickness of the neck that makes it more uncomfortable to play. i don't have long fingers. i have short ones compared to alot of people. that means less reach around a thicker neck. i find the jazz neck to feel the best out of all of them. it's not as thick so i can reach around it easier than the others. it's not that i can't play the others like a p-bass or stingray. it's just a little more work for me to play them. the jazz bass it just seems like it's a breeze to play and you can do no wrong. every note the transition is just smooth as butter.
 
#44
If you play the bass hard, then the extra string spacing you get with the P-Bass can really help you play "clean" notes. It's a grippy neck, not made for running around but more for riffing and punching out 5th's and octaves. It's built like the hull on a ship meant to support, not stand out.
 

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