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Salvation for bass shoulder syndrome

redwood

redwood

Oct 3, 2002
427
549
62
Buffalo, NY
#1
Hey TB brethren.
I don't post alot on this site, although I spend a ton of time on here researching, reading, laughing and eating carrots.
I've been really bothered by the pain in my shoulder during gigs. I switch back and forth from right to left shoulder (which is awkward at best), beg the bandleader for a break, and watch the clock praying for the end of the night.
It's made me consider giving up playing out.
I've finally found a solution. Now this may not be a solution for you. But if I can help just one guy get through a night pain free, I'll be a happy camper.
This video isn't great, but it shows you, in a nutshell, how I've solved my issue.
This 5 minutes may save your life!


Let me know if you have come up with similar ideas and how they've worked out for you. Or tell me how to improve the idea. I'm all ears.
Just please don't tell me to work out more. Been there, done that. I'm plenty strong, although always skinny as a rail. That's not the issue.
So thanks. I hope this helps someone out there.
FYI, the belt was about $60. The aluminum was $7. A bargain at 5 times the price.
 
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#5
redwood said:
Hey TB brethren.
I don't post alot on this site, although I spend a ton of time on here researching, reading, laughing and eating carrots.
I've been really bothered by the pain in my shoulder during gigs. I switch back and forth from right to left shoulder (which is awkward at best), beg the bandleader for a break, and watch the clock praying for the end of the night.
It's made me consider giving up playing out.
I've finally found a solution. Now this may not be a solution for you. But if I can help just one guy get through a night pain free, I'll be a happy camper.
This video isn't great, but it shows you, in a nutshell, how I've solved my issue.
This 5 minutes may save your life!


Let me know if you have come up with similar ideas and how they've worked out for you. Or tell me how to improve the idea. I'm all ears.
Just please don't tell me to work out more. Been there, done that. I'm plenty strong, although always skinny as a rail. That's not the issue.
So thanks. I hope this helps someone out there.
FYI, the belt was about $60. The aluminum was $7. A bargain at 5 times the price.
Click to expand...

Yeah, thanks for sharing. Cool deal!
 
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#8
redwood : excellent! :thumbsup::thumbsup:

great video on a wonderful/thoughtful solution!

i'm an old guy with same/similar physical issues --- so i'm going to explore an appropriation/adaptation of your ingenious device!

i've been mulling several ideas to incorporate into a parts bass --- your idea is simple, but 'elegant' in several ways...i'd be interested in learning how you'd incorporate the strap locks (how would the locks make your device work better/different?)

i have a strap button extender (homemade) on my main player and it has helped me reach low F (4 string) a little more easily, but it has some limitations --- what do you consider to be a limitation (if any) with your setup?

ver, very inspiring! :thumbsup:
 
#11
Champion! Many thanks. Brilliant idea.

If you have a neck plate or two, as I do, after-market plates could be easily modified — with a couple of extra holes, tapped maybe, or with one or two suitable nuts braised on, so the bass etc. could remain unmarked and otherwise unaffected. This way, your gizmo could be removed in a flash, too, if say you're just lounging about or rocking on the porch.
 
#13
That is a brilliant setup! I am glad you found something that works so you could keep the basses you love. I gave up a beautiful black MIM PBass a couple years ago due to the same problems you have with the neck, shoulder and back. My solution was to go to a lighter (7lb) Dean Edge 5 string bass with a 3" wide Glove Leather strap. This setup works well and I am happy with the Dean, but I do miss that old P bass. Thanks for the post. :D
 
#14
Nice idea!

I always wanted to get a hold on one of these
84858a48c4ac394a8e60b782c3aa43fe.jpg

2cad7397cc65711c5fb4837706b72b02.jpg


They are for motorized grass cutters. City workers here in Saint-Pete cut the grass on lawns from morning till evening, so these must be pretty comfortable. But still, some adapter from strap to bass is needed.
 
#16
JRA said:
redwood : excellent! :thumbsup::thumbsup:

great video on a wonderful/thoughtful solution!

i'm an old guy with same/similar physical issues --- so i'm going to explore an appropriation/adaptation of your ingenious device!

i've been mulling several ideas to incorporate into a parts bass --- your idea is simple, but 'elegant' in several ways...i'd be interested in learning how you'd incorporate the strap locks (how would the locks make your device work better/different?)

i have a strap button extender (homemade) on my main player and it has helped me reach low F (4 string) a little more easily, but it has some limitations --- what do you consider to be a limitation (if any) with your setup?

ver, very inspiring! :thumbsup:
Click to expand...

My thoughts on incorporating the straplocks would entail installing dunlop flushmount straplocks to the back of the bass in a location as close to center of gravity as possible. I would probably have to have the aluminum milled slightly thinner at the location where I would install the male straplock to the "hook" in order to get the retaining ring on. That way I could still use my standard hard case and just lock the hook on when needed.
The nice thing about the current setup is that even sitting without the strap, the hook doesn't get in my way.
I would like to refine the design a bit. I actually slapped it all together in a couple of hours on a Saturday before a gig (which I was dreading because I knew how long we were going to be playing without a break).
Maybe I'll attempt refining it and repost to this thread. I have a couple of weeks until the next gig.......Hmmmmm.
I had considered using one straplock type connector to be able to pull of the ZZ Top spinning thing. But that's not really all that practical. I have no need to do that. Maybe when I was 18 LOL. And with the hook the way it is, I have a little bit of available neck movement, but it feels (and is) very secure this way.

BTW - I got the aluminum at Home Depot. I had to spend a whopping $7 because they were out of shorter pieces. They normally stock many different pre-cut lengths. I think it's about $2 a foot. And as a matter of record, originally I had the strap on the other way, with the metal ring closer to my left hip. The first gig I had the "hook" resting on the nylon strap. It started to curl the ends of the nylon. Then I mistakenly put the belt on the other way and realized what a doofus I was. It was a bit of dumb luck, but the aluminum almost locked in to the ring on the belt when I tried it. It was a eureka moment.
 
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#17
ELynx said:
Nice idea!

I always wanted to get a hold on one of these
View attachment 3100434
View attachment 3100435

They are for motorized grass cutters. City workers here in Saint-Pete cut the grass on lawns from morning till evening, so these must be pretty comfortable. But still, some adapter from strap to bass is needed.
Click to expand...

This is a pretty cool idea. You could certainly incorporate the "hook" design somehow. It might be a bit more cumbersome though. And my thought was to get absolutely the most weight off my shoulder(s) as possible.
Plus, if image is important to your or your band, just the belt itself being able to be hidden under a shirt is an additional selling point.
Quite honestly, if I wanted to, I could eliminate the shoulder strap all together.
 
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#19
40Hz said:
Neat, simple, and inexpensive yet effective solution. Invisible in use too! Doesn’t get much better than that. Well done! :thumbsup::thumbsup:

———

The Chapman Stick uses a belt hook and a non weight bearing looped shoulder strap in a very similar manner - and it works beautifully.

Here’s the hook and strap:

View attachment 3100466

And here’s one of the gods using it:

View attachment 3100474
Click to expand...

Tony's one of my heros! So yes, there was some inspiration from the Chapman stick. I was afraid my pants would fall down during a gig without the weight belt though :roflmao:
 
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