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Short scale fatigue

ItsmeSantiago

ItsmeSantiago

Nov 23, 2015
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#1
I’m wondering if anyone else experiences this or if I need to make an adjustment, but whenever I play a short scale my arms and hands start to get sore and very quick. I’m relatively tall and thin with a wide wingspan and I don’t have these issues otherwise.

I’ve owned a JMJ and an Epi EB-0 and loved the sound of both but I’d get two songs in and my arms would ache. Any suggestions?

Not sure if these are related but both instruments could never stay in tune either. Like I’m tuning in between every song. The JMJ had stock strings the whole time and I’d be horribly flat by song’s end. Skill issue?
 
#3
BassJuju said:
I haven’t experienced the tuning issue, but I do have the fatigue from small necks. I can’t say I had any issues while playing a JMJ, but other shorties with even thinner necks have caused lots of arm pain. Could be those are just under your tolerance.
Click to expand...
Glad I’m not alone then. I dig the vibe but don’t want to invest in something that I’m gonna continue having the same problems with.
 
#4
Just spitballin' here, but.... A common cause of arm soreness is fretting or plucking with a severely bent wrist. That's because the tendons that control your fingers connect to muscles in your forearm, and a bent wrist creates resistance in the "carpal tunnel" in the wrist as the tendons move through it, causing the muscles to work harder. Is it possible that this is happening to you for some reason when you play a short-scale?
 
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#5
Lobster11 said:
Just spitballin' here, but.... A common cause of arm soreness is fretting or plucking with a severely bent wrist. That's because the tendons that control your fingers connect to muscles in your forearm, and a bent wrist creates resistance in the "carpal tunnel" in the wrist as the tendons move through it, causing the muscles to work harder. Is it possible that this is happening to you for some reason when you play a short-scale?
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That’s a fair point. I don’t have one to test this but everything being compact could do this I suppose.
 
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#6
How high or low do you hold your bass? Im not sure if this could be the case but I find with short scales that have the strap buttons closer to the upper frets than the usual position of 34" fenders on the 12fth fret they tend to sit higher than usual on a strap if you use the same length. IME I can't wear the bass too high on a strap due to my arms getting sore, especially if I'm first position for an extended period.

There could be other factors too, like do you anchor your thumb on a pickup when plucking? Wearing a bass high and doing this tend to lead to a severely bent wrist/"T-Rex arm", or are you unintentionally holding the neck up on your plucking hand due to the bass neck not wanting to stay put? Basses with strap buttons on the neck heel tend to be notorious in doing this, and this could lead to fatigue.
 
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#7
Built like you Tall and thin, I don't find my arms or hands tire but oddly my back hurts! Maybe you could try adjusting how the bass sits on your body... depending upon whether you are sitting or standing sometimes the position might be a little bit off. I will wiggle it arounds sometimes just to keep it balanced.
 
#8
Lobster11 said:
A common cause of arm soreness is fretting or plucking with a severely bent wrist.
Click to expand...

I second this, ergonomics is a big factor of pain when not using your hands and wrists in natural position.
Try changing the position of your instrument to around 45 degrees (when looking from the front), this will allow for a straighter position of your wrist. IMHO Jim S. RIP shows this perfectly, although I don't think he ever auditioned for a punk band.

 
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#9
wysiwyg248 said:
I second this, ergonomics is a big factor of pain when not using your hands and wrists in natural position.
Try changing the position of your instrument to around 45 degrees (when looking from the front), this will allow for a straighter position of your wrist. IMHO Jim S. RIP shows this perfectly, although I don't think he ever auditioned for a punk band.

Click to expand...


Fantastic Teacher Jim was shocked me when I discovered his passing.
 
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#10
I thought the "Right Height"/"Rip Chord" straps were just another gimmick to sell straps, but I found a nice leather Fender one I really liked (regardless of the features), so I bought it.

L80026000001001-00-2000x2000.jpg


It is amazingly nice to be able to move your bass up or down a bit on the fly. Some of you might counter with "I know where I want my basses, and have no need for this." You might be surprised. Shop around, prices are all over the place... (Strap above is 59.99 at SW and 89.99 at GC)

See if your local GC has some in stock and try them out.
 
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#13
I have this with long scale, biggest thing for me was playing in awkward sitting positions, and bending the wrist. I am a smaller person, smaller hands so this can be a vice versa situation since you are taller, with short scale I find even bending my wrist, maybe because most necks are smaller I do not have these issues at much. I would look into adjusting your position and if you are playing standing pay attention to the wrist, for the string issue, I'm unsure, I use light gauge not sure if that would help. Anyway good luck hope you feel better I love short-scales!
 
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#15
Yes, I've had issues with short scales, too. I had the JMJ bass and loved the sound of it, but because of it's size it had horrible neck-dive and my muscles of my thumb right towards the base would fatigue very quickly. I occasionally have the same issues when I play my 4-string Fender J, which I've come to understand as a symptom of not regularly playing a narrow neck. I'm typically a 5- and 6-string player, so switching to the other end of the spectrum just uses different muscles with your thumb.

I think it depends on how often and how long you play it, but I imagine if you give it more time you'll probably get used to it like anything else.
 
#16
Queue said:
I thought the "Right Height"/"Rip Chord" straps were just another gimmick to sell straps, but I found a nice leather Fender one I really liked (regardless of the features), so I bought it.

L80026000001001-00-2000x2000.jpg


It is amazingly nice to be able to move your bass up or down a bit on the fly. Some of you might counter with "I know where I want my basses, and have no need for this." You might be surprised. Shop around, prices are all over the place... (Strap above is 59.99 at SW and 89.99 at GC)

See if your local GC has some in stock and try them out.
Click to expand...
Just a heads up... Levys makes the same strap without the f for much less
 
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#17
Gripping with your fretting hand to counter neck dive or awkward right hand position because of the compactness of the instrument?

That's all I've got. Neck divers are non-starters for me. If you can't relax your fretting hand, all kinds of issues ensue.
 

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