Neck angle?

[Greenman72]

Just curious about this. I'm a noob and I'm curious if neck angle makes any difference. I assume (and you know what happens when you do that) that neck angle is purely a personal preference. But I don't know much about anything.

What angle do you normally use and why? What should I be on the lookout for, and what's going to lead to problems later on in life?

 

[Slade N]

Assuming that you are referring to the angle of the neck relative to floor, the angle should which you prefer provided that it is ergonomically safe and not causing any bad form which could lead to bad physical stress and possible injury/damage. I would suggest having a lesson with an instructor and have this assessed. Also note that the angle can vary from one bass to another due to its construction.

 

[Greenman72]

Yeah, after I googled "neck angle", I realized that "neck angle" in guitars means something totally different than what I meant. Yes, I'm talking about the angle which you hold your instrument.

 

[mambo4]

I'm curious if neck angle makes any difference.

Of course it does.

You can see in my avatar pic how I hold my bass
Probably around 45 degrees but It wiggles

Why is important: Ergonomic efficiency and safety
To keep my left wrist more or less straight
To allow my fore arm to meet the neck at something close to a right angle
This reduces unnecessary wrist strain and allows more shoulder and arm strength to contribute to fretting pressure
So I don't have to use thumb grip and 'finger strength' to fret my notes

Now English is poor for communicating orientations 3D space
So let me describe what I mean by a "straight left wrist":
Hold you left arm and hand out, palm down in front of you, as straight as possible. Sorta like a 'superman flight pose.

relax your wrist , letting your fingers droop a bit.
For me this is about a 35-45 degree angle.
This the wrist break angle I try to maintain
This downward bend is called wrist flexion
It's comfortable and doesn't strain my tendons.

Now straighten back out, palm down and rotate your wrist to point your hand/palm/fingers to each side. This side bend is called wrist abduction.
Notice how much strain it puts on your wrist.

When I say or I keep my wrists "mostly straight" , it's to

• allow a little wrist flexion
• avoid wrist abduction

My bass height and neck angle serves that goal.

My bass is also slung at a height that lets me keep my right wrist mostly straight as well.