Enjoy the benefits of a premium membership!
Upgrade Account
-
TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
Join free Log in
Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.
New bass help short arms
- Thread starter Salmankushdi
- Start date
2 ergonomic problems with standard bass design, when using a strap, are:
1. Too horizontal. It's much easier on the fretting wrist for the neck to be at 45+ degrees. However standard basses are imbalanced and increasingly so at high angles.
2. Too left-shifted. The low frets are too far away and this increases fretting wrist discomfort. However the bridge can comfortably be further to the right. Playing sitting with your legs wide apart shows how a right-shift helps.
Both can be helped by moving the rear strap button to the top of the body front about halfway along the body or even further forward, this greatly improves balance and shifts the bass to the right.
(Or, a straplock socket on the back of the bass at a similar position).
Using a high playing angle i don't think you need to avoid 5 string or full scale. You don't have massive hands but they're not tiny, a 5 string bass neck is not particularly wide at the nut.
1. Too horizontal. It's much easier on the fretting wrist for the neck to be at 45+ degrees. However standard basses are imbalanced and increasingly so at high angles.
2. Too left-shifted. The low frets are too far away and this increases fretting wrist discomfort. However the bridge can comfortably be further to the right. Playing sitting with your legs wide apart shows how a right-shift helps.
Both can be helped by moving the rear strap button to the top of the body front about halfway along the body or even further forward, this greatly improves balance and shifts the bass to the right.
(Or, a straplock socket on the back of the bass at a similar position).
Using a high playing angle i don't think you need to avoid 5 string or full scale. You don't have massive hands but they're not tiny, a 5 string bass neck is not particularly wide at the nut.
Last edited:
I've got short arms, stubby fingers, and a gut. It's all in the wrist angle and in your finger strength. If you have higher action your muse isn't built up for that much applied pressure anyone would cramp. Good set up, proper techniques, and muscle endurance are key. Look up grip strengtheners. D'addario makes a cheap one. Gripmasters are nice but they're 40 bucks.
Many posts saying raise your bass up, that will make the bass more horizontal and move the low frets further away, what will help is actually wearing it low but at a very high angle.
I don't think you need a short scale bass, your choice of strings will be hugely reduced and the tone of the B will be severely compromised.
This is a case of bass ergonomics, playing position and technique.
I don't think you need a short scale bass, your choice of strings will be hugely reduced and the tone of the B will be severely compromised.
This is a case of bass ergonomics, playing position and technique.
Hi cheers for all the detailed advice and the strap lowering advice, that may help,
as I have mentioned a couple of times in this thread already I wear my bass quite high already and I can definitely see how holding it at an angle helps. Thanks to everyone for the advice I've gone around the guitar shops in my area today and decided active pickups are the way I want to go as well as something like a jazz neck, I think a hofner I played may have been slightly shorter scale and it did feel really comfortable although it wouldn't go with the slap stuff i wanna play, I'm a little intimidated by the five string but will still try out whatever I want to buy and going down to the city centre tmoz so might see if I can try some more stuff out. Thanks again for everybody's help
If you're 5'8 i think your probkem is a technique issue.. I've seen guys girls much smaller than you play long scale basses. Make sure your elbows are away from your torso.
That's being said, there's nothing wrong with small scale basses. Good luck!
That's being said, there's nothing wrong with small scale basses. Good luck!
Thanks everyone for the help i think the technique advice given was really helpful with regard to elbow positioning and neck angle and I think I will stick to buying a normal scale bass that's better than the free battered old p bass copy I have now. Looking at a few ibanez as I liked active pickups and the thin necks on all the basses I tried. Thanks again guys the adjustments I made seem to have helped
This:
Oh, and lots o' great short scales out there!
Might even wanna try a 32" too!
It's not necessarily the scale of the bass as it is the position of your hands and, believe it or not, your ELBOW of your fretting hand. Change the position of your bass so that your elbow is underneath the neck and the pain should go away soon. It should feel natural, so try different angles and don't be afraid to shorten the strap
Shorten that strap. If you’re pkaying Jazz you’ll fit right in. So much more comfortable.
You and I have the same issue. I've had trouble getting to the first position while recovering from shoulder surgery. I chose the 5 string route and haven't regretted it. It doesn't mean I don't play my 4 string, I do. By taking a bit of a risk and getting the 5 string, I've found out how much more comfortable it can be staying in the middle of the neck. None of the songs I'm currently playing require it, but I like the idea of having the versatility. Another post suggested narrow string spacing. The narrowest I've played are the Ibanez products. They're almost too narrow. I chose a Ray5 and it's worked out for me. Best of luck.
I’m five and half feet tall with a shorter armspan & big shoulders. Developing the proper right hand technique is a big deal, moreso on bass than guitar. Some strap conditions don’t allow for proper right hand technique.
First - check the length of your strap. Your bass should hang as close as possible to the same position as when you are sitting.
I would recommend that you shorten your strap and play the instrument as high as you can stand it. it lessens the angle on your wrist and gives you access to all of the fingerboard a bit easier. John Entwhistle used to play that way and he was a magician on the bass. I've always played it as low as I could get it but I developed my own technique for relieving the strain on my wrist. if you choose a short scale bass and wear it high like that, you may find that you can learn passages with ease.
