Is string spacing more important than we think?

[project_c]

I've been thinking about string spacing, and I'm surprised it doesn't come up as much as scale length and nut width. All the focus is usually on the fretting hand, but regardless of scale and nut width, the plucking hand still has to cross around 19mm on most 4 string basses, which will definitely have an impact on speed, especially if you don't have large hands or long fingers. So should we have more options when it comes to string spacing? Or are there advantages to sticking with 18-20mm? Is there a reason it has to be wider at the bridge than at the nut? I know some old basses used to have the same spacing at both ends, was there a problem with them?

 

[khutch]

I've always been genuinely surprised that nut width comes up as much as it does! String spacing is a common topic of discussion whenever five or more string basses are the focus of a thread. Many of us struggle with it when moving to more than four strings. I had tremendous problems with my left and right hands preferring, quite strongly, different spacings. It was enough of an issue for me to prevent me from becoming fully comfortable on a fiver. I could use them, but, I could not love them. But I was drawn to the "bass VI" concept even though I knew that my right hand would throw a fit over their tight spacings. I'll just use a pick for the VI, thought I. Instead, I found that with a little more effort my right hand could learn to deal with their very tight string spacings and that kinda opened the floodgates for conventional fivers for me. My left hand prefers the narrow necks that tight spacing produces and my right is no longer flummoxed by it. So I've become a happy Ibanez fiver owner at last!

I think it was Ed Friedland who once said that you can adjust to anything if you try hard enough. I had to go to rather extreme efforts to prove him to be correct but in the end I did and I now own a four, a five, and the VI.

 

[Killed_by_Death]

I used to think it doesn't matter, but my old RIC 4004 had a very wide neck for a 4-string & it wore me out.
Now I've got two basses that are similar. The difference in nut width is only 1/16", and I don't notice the difference at all.

 

[UNICORN BASS]

I have BIG hands and fingers, up to the extreme it doesn't bother me much. Having said that i am crap on your average guitar, especially a Tele.

 

[comatosedragon]

For me it is very important.
So important that I sold my 5s that were not 19mm and bought 3 more that are. It's a comfort thing -- I like all my instruments to feel identical (19mm, 35", beefy Asymmetrical neck) and sound completely different.


Of course, I may be insane, so YMMV.

 

[joebar]

Over the years I have determined that 18mm at the bridge is what I like the most.

 

[DigthemLows]

I can't figure out why folks think it matters. This weekend I played 6 sets of music over 2 days with two different bands. I played my upright, a 4 string Rob Allen MB2, and a Celinder 5 string PJ ...... all different scales, all different spacing, and I just didn't care....... maybe I was tired, maybe having a few beers made it different, but I cannot find a reason to think that millimeters matter that much when you are gigging. ........ just my opinion of course

 

[Mosstone]

My Beatle bass has narrow string spacing, but that doesn't bother me. I have to be more mindful of my left hand fingering due to the shorter scale.

 

[Eilif]

I've always been genuinely surprised that nut width comes up as much as it does! String spacing is a common topic of discussion whenever five or more string basses are the focus of a thread. Many of us struggle with it when moving to more than four strings.

I don't know exactly why but nut width makes a Much bigger difference to me than bridge spacing.

Maybe because i have long fingers and a narrow nut makes my hand feel squished. Ive owned asst least a dozen skinny necked basses but can't enjoy anything smaller than 1.625" for a 4 string.

String spacing on the other hand makes much less difference to me. Perhaps because my plucking hand lays -rather than grips- I'm fine with most anything from 17-19mm.

 

[Snaxster]

I've been thinking about string spacing, and I'm surprised it doesn't come up as much as scale length and nut width.

Since I see discussion of string spacing fairly constantly in whatever threads about bass guitars (basses, brands, builds, etc.) and technique, I find it hard to believe that bass guitarists at large are not at least aware of the relevance of string spacing to their playing. On the contrary, I find that they obsess about it (whether they should or not, I don't know; but they do).

 

[bolophonic]

Like so many other things about bass guitar, I believe that a lot of dudes like to make a huge deal out of a millimeter in order to feel more like an expert.

 

[themarshall]

Basses, skateboards, wimmen - I can live and love with all shapes and sizes. Guitar, on the other hand, if it's not a tubby v neck with heavy strings, I start to whine.

That said, I think it's vastly underrated as a barrometer of mental flexibility.

 

[MobileHolmes]

I feel like I see discussions of string spacing on here all the time. It's one of those things that, personally, I'm moderately indifferent to, although I suppose most of my basses are kind of similar (and average).

 

[mpdd]

Anything between a skyline bob Glaub and a japanese 62ri is alright with me

 

[Chasarms]

Having played 19mm fivers exclusively for quite a long time now, I do find that a 17mm fiver string takes some getting used to. It's not a deal breaker though.

 

[fermata]

I can adjust to various string spacings, but I prefer the Hofner's narrow spacing at the bridge (16.5 or 17 mm, I think). I also prefer how the neck doesn't taper much, so playing at the nut or playing at the 12th fret feels almost the same, vertically speaking. (I sometimes wonder what the point of a 1.5" nut is if the neck neck tapers out to well over 2" higher up.) Add in the short scale, and my movements with both hands are smaller, more efficient, and more ergonomic, which all adds up to better playing. Fender-style basses feel large and clunky by comparison, and I notice it just as much in the right hand as the left.

 

[sikamikanico]

As always, it matters, but not the same for everyone and all the time. It's a combination of what you're used to and what you're trying to do. For what I play and what I'm used to, wider spacings work well. If it was limiting me, I'd adjust. If not, why bother?

 

[Norwegian Bass]

String spacing is very important to me, and it has to be either 19 or 20 mm.

 

[Systolic]

17 or smaller is just too tight for me, which is a bummer as I plays 5's and 6's exclusively.

 

[Dave W]

I have certain preferences that are more comfortable than others but I can usually make anything work.

In a perfect world, I'd have nothing but 5ers with a 1.75" nut width and 17.5mm to 18.5mm adjustable spacing at the bridge.