First off, this kinda goes out to those who might have some sort of physical limits when it comes to playing. Second, I’ve been playing an electrical instrument since I was about 16, now 34. It started with guitar but like a lot of us bass guys I bet, there was a lot of guitar players already. Plus after hearing Cliff Burton playing Orion…I was hooked.
Now to my issue….sorta. I was a snot nosed brat at 11 and jumped out of a swing. After a week in the hospital and having a temporary pin put in my elbow. I was left with some problems. My only way to describe it is this. Pick up your instrument, fret on the low side with your index finger on the first fret, and your ring/pinky on the 3rd fret. Well I can’t quite do that 100%. With some maneuvering I can though, but I can’t play that way for long as it tends to start hurting my elbow and wrist. That’s the one thing I loved about my SR800 when I had it, such a thin neck. Now I’m on the BTB400. Basically, I can’t get my palm to face the fret board completely on the low side of the neck. Coming up the fret board it gets easier though. I can’t say it’s hindering my playing that much, but I know it comes into play some times, but I can usually work around it. I know if some trained musician was to watch me play, they would critique me big time, but it’s what I got to do. So here in the past days I’ve been thinking about going up to a 6 string because I thought I could compensate for some of that low E action and play it on the B string. A perfect example of a song that I can have trouble with is Jump in the Fire- Metallica. Nobody would ever know I have this issue and I really never even see it unless I’m playing something like that, so it’s not like I’m deformed in anyway, just limited. So I bet some are thinking why 6 when you can do that with a 5? Well, my musical style is drifting toward that kinda stuff you hear with a 6. I’m not much of a slapper or a picker. I like the finger style stuff way to much. Besides, I kinda feel if I’m going up in string count, make the leap….but not too much
So what are your thought, ideas, and comments, gripes bad or good? What about compenstaing the low E action on the B, good idea or bad? I know the SR's have thin necks. I've seen a few posts about widths, but other than the SR's what other companies make or can make thin necked 6 strings?
Now to my issue….sorta. I was a snot nosed brat at 11 and jumped out of a swing. After a week in the hospital and having a temporary pin put in my elbow. I was left with some problems. My only way to describe it is this. Pick up your instrument, fret on the low side with your index finger on the first fret, and your ring/pinky on the 3rd fret. Well I can’t quite do that 100%. With some maneuvering I can though, but I can’t play that way for long as it tends to start hurting my elbow and wrist. That’s the one thing I loved about my SR800 when I had it, such a thin neck. Now I’m on the BTB400. Basically, I can’t get my palm to face the fret board completely on the low side of the neck. Coming up the fret board it gets easier though. I can’t say it’s hindering my playing that much, but I know it comes into play some times, but I can usually work around it. I know if some trained musician was to watch me play, they would critique me big time, but it’s what I got to do. So here in the past days I’ve been thinking about going up to a 6 string because I thought I could compensate for some of that low E action and play it on the B string. A perfect example of a song that I can have trouble with is Jump in the Fire- Metallica. Nobody would ever know I have this issue and I really never even see it unless I’m playing something like that, so it’s not like I’m deformed in anyway, just limited. So I bet some are thinking why 6 when you can do that with a 5? Well, my musical style is drifting toward that kinda stuff you hear with a 6. I’m not much of a slapper or a picker. I like the finger style stuff way to much. Besides, I kinda feel if I’m going up in string count, make the leap….but not too much
So what are your thought, ideas, and comments, gripes bad or good? What about compenstaing the low E action on the B, good idea or bad? I know the SR's have thin necks. I've seen a few posts about widths, but other than the SR's what other companies make or can make thin necked 6 strings?
