This. I tried a certain 5 string. My fretting hand snd the neck hated each other, so I sold it (the bass, not my hand) and moved on. Zero problems since.
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Left hand pain; finger stops moving
- Thread starter LoungeLizard
- Start date
i used to play acoustic guitar, and when i tried a couple guitars with tighter string spacing, not only did my fretting hand cramp, hurt and swell - sometimes my fingers would stop working. my wrist hurt, too, and after playing it started hurting for longer and longer. so i made sure to play guitars with wider nuts, and i never had issues with them unless playing a sharper V neck, which i stopped playing.
some bass necks make my hand cramp and hurt, some don't. mostly the basses that gave me issues had wider necks or very thick necks, so i stopped playing them, the issues went away, and so i sold the basses with the necks that caused me discomfort. issue gone. i do find the bass vi uncomfortable as the strings are so tightly packed together, which is why i never bought one.
that being said, even before i developed arthritis, i needed to lower my string gauge on bass and use more flexible strings, which also helped any issues i had been having and allowed me to increase my playing time from an hour or two to four to six hours without pain. i still use extra light strings to this day. they helped me a lot, especially after arthritis. and it took some experimenting to find which strings were more comfortable.
but if you can't quickly and easily fix the issue by changing basses or strings, a specialist is probably the way to go. you don't want to risk your hand mobility!
i wish i could like this more than once - it pretty much sums everything i said up. play the basses that don't hurt.
some bass necks make my hand cramp and hurt, some don't. mostly the basses that gave me issues had wider necks or very thick necks, so i stopped playing them, the issues went away, and so i sold the basses with the necks that caused me discomfort. issue gone. i do find the bass vi uncomfortable as the strings are so tightly packed together, which is why i never bought one.
that being said, even before i developed arthritis, i needed to lower my string gauge on bass and use more flexible strings, which also helped any issues i had been having and allowed me to increase my playing time from an hour or two to four to six hours without pain. i still use extra light strings to this day. they helped me a lot, especially after arthritis. and it took some experimenting to find which strings were more comfortable.
but if you can't quickly and easily fix the issue by changing basses or strings, a specialist is probably the way to go. you don't want to risk your hand mobility!
i wish i could like this more than once - it pretty much sums everything i said up. play the basses that don't hurt.
It is price induced. MIM no pan. American Fender pain, Ray5 no pain. Try buying a Ernie Ball California made StingRay 5 special. I am sure the pain will come back. If you got a Fodera, you may even feel you amputated your hand.
Based on everything you've stated, it isn't a hand issue. If it only happens on that bass, it's that bass. It could be the setup or the ergonomics of that specific bass. Maybe you are compensating for some neck dive or the shape of the neck. If it was me, that bass would be going up for sale. You said you had no issues on your previous bass, and it started when you got this one. You have no issues with the 5 string, so it is obviously that bass. Seems like a no brainer to me.
Thank you all for the responses bros. There are too many responses to quote so I'll just address it all here;
Regarding the hand specialist, I had a work-related accident a few years ago with my right wrist and spent about a year with occupational therapists, physiotherapists, and a hand specialist. Multiple times during the recovery process, I had to bring my bass and they would evaluate playing, posture, etc, and they did not see any issues ergonomically.
Regarding the strap and neck dive suggestions; I have a pretty thick strap, with a decent amount of padding. The issue presents sitting or standing, however standing takes a little big longer to present, probably because it's angled a bit. The fender doesn't have any significant neck dive, the ray does.
Regarding the neck position that I'm playing; my test was/is Murder on the Dance Floor, I play it on the same strings, and position on both basses. The issue presents the most quickly when i play songs with lots of octave shapes.
Regarding the curve of the neck; that's actually an excellent point i notice the ray's neck seems a bit flatter upon inspection. The strings' action are slightly rounded on the fender. Both basses have been recently set up by a professional.
"Play the bass that doesn't hurt" is definitely what I'm doing now. I was just trying to see if I could salvage the other, i really enjoy the sound of it and would be a shame to get rid of it. I'll be seeking out an instructor after the holidays to see if I'm doing anything wrong anywhere, but given what I'm reading here, it's very possible that it's just the bass and I not being a fit.
Regarding the hand specialist, I had a work-related accident a few years ago with my right wrist and spent about a year with occupational therapists, physiotherapists, and a hand specialist. Multiple times during the recovery process, I had to bring my bass and they would evaluate playing, posture, etc, and they did not see any issues ergonomically.
Regarding the strap and neck dive suggestions; I have a pretty thick strap, with a decent amount of padding. The issue presents sitting or standing, however standing takes a little big longer to present, probably because it's angled a bit. The fender doesn't have any significant neck dive, the ray does.
Regarding the neck position that I'm playing; my test was/is Murder on the Dance Floor, I play it on the same strings, and position on both basses. The issue presents the most quickly when i play songs with lots of octave shapes.
Regarding the curve of the neck; that's actually an excellent point i notice the ray's neck seems a bit flatter upon inspection. The strings' action are slightly rounded on the fender. Both basses have been recently set up by a professional.
"Play the bass that doesn't hurt" is definitely what I'm doing now. I was just trying to see if I could salvage the other, i really enjoy the sound of it and would be a shame to get rid of it. I'll be seeking out an instructor after the holidays to see if I'm doing anything wrong anywhere, but given what I'm reading here, it's very possible that it's just the bass and I not being a fit.
or a neck/nerve specialist especially if the bass that causes probs is heavier than ones that dont
Well, you know what they say, if you`re good at something....................
Yup. This. I bet if you could take detailed measurements would find that the 5 string sits differently...maybe the reach is less to the 1st position? Maybe it sits more angles up (or down)? Maybe one bass sits higher (or lower) on your body. Sometimes, tilting the bass so the neck angles up more can bring your hand closer to your body and ease some discomfort. Regardless of all of this, something is amiss with your hand, arm, shoulder that is causing this...so yeah, see a doc before it gets worse.
We'll disagree. Clearly what he's doing ISN'T working, and while we all have varying levels of experience as bassists and human beings, most of us aren't DOCTORS, so while I'm rarely inclined to come from the position of advocating spending other's money in extravagant ways, I think it is UNDEBATEABLE that the OP should prudently seek MEDICAL counsel from a qualified MEDICAL professional, right?
RIGHT?
WRONG. Despite the caps. Only ONE bass causes problems. ONE. If this were a bass that hadn’t been problematic over time, or if the issue occurred with various basses, then I’d investigate with my doctor.
I know several other bassists with my experience - one bass neck profile and the fretting hand don’t get along, so I/they quit playing that bass. End of problem. Years of happy playing to back it up.
I know several bassists who developed problems with basses they’d long played, or with numerous basses. They went to doctors and ended up with surgery (or in two cases being told to play while they could, then go do something other than bass).
Sure, OP has the option to see doctors. Assuming they have great insurance or lots of money or a hand specialist aunt who gives deep family discounts. But given that it’s just ONE neck giving their hand problems, it may well not be worth the hassle.
Yes, there’s an outside chance of surgery or something. But more likely - just as my body is happy bicycling 50-100 miles but refuses to run over 5k - regardless of shoes, technique, etc. without killing my knees and shins - they’d just hear, “stick with what works”.
I am not telling OP what to do. Their hand, their choice.
Dude... I have Carple Tunnel, Trigger finger, and Arthritis .
You know how I know?
Cause a medical professional has tested me and diagnosed it.
Go see a Doc.
You know how I know?
Cause a medical professional has tested me and diagnosed it.
Go see a Doc.
I agree with everyone who suggests seeing a doctor. I would just add: Take the bass that brings on the symptoms and actually show the doctor what you're doing when the problem occurs. Maybe if you're (not) lucky, it'll actually happen while you're there.
Pain or no pain, we all should stretch our hands and do finger extensions, particularly with the fretting hand. The fact that we only work our fingers in one direction when playing (pushing strings down,) creates a muscular imbalance. Finger extensions can rectify this imbalance and is a zero risk endeavor (stop doing it if it hurts.)
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Good idea. Maybe bring one that DOESN'T case a problem too so the doctor can see if there is a difference that may be causing the issue.
Maybe OP should film himself playing both basses and see if he can see the difference himself.
And those all show up other ways.Dude... I have Carple Tunnel, Trigger finger, and Arthritis .
You know how I know?
Cause a medical professional has tested me and diagnosed it.
Go see a Doc.
if only one bass hurts to play, return or sell it, play ones that don't hurt - if you need another one, get it from somewhere with a return policy.
if your hand stops hurting if you don't play the bass, i'm not sure i see the point of going to a doctor, although that's just my opinion. if your hand doesn't stop hurting, definitely go.
if your hand stops hurting if you don't play the bass, i'm not sure i see the point of going to a doctor, although that's just my opinion. if your hand doesn't stop hurting, definitely go.
Amen. And the strap to demonstrate how you wear the bass both sitting AND standing.
