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Strap height and tone

What is your reason to strap height

  • Tone is most important

    Votes: 7 5.8%

  • Looks is most important

    Votes: 2 1.7%

  • Comfort is most important

    Votes: 83 69.2%

  • Feel is most important

    Votes: 25 20.8%

  • I never thought about it

    Votes: 3 2.5%
  • Total voters
    120
T

TribalEagle

Mar 19, 2005
328
9
Finland EU
#1
Hi all

Few days a go I read old Tim Commerford interview where he talks about technique, strap height and tone. In this short sentence he refers to Ben Shepherd of Soundgarden who uses very long strap:
" That was the problem—you can’t get good tone when you have your bass at your knees. You can’t! Your fingers are not hitting the strings the right way. I used to have my bass kind of down lower and it just didn’t work out, y’know?" Invalid Link Removed

audioslaveTim.jpg
Ben+Shepherd+Hard+Rock+Calling+2012+Day+1+iSbAexp8-btl.jpg


I must agree with him that strap height makes difference to your tone.
I usually adjust strap height to best feel. When I play jazz, motown or something like that I play with short strap to get that right feel. It`s all so easier to play this type of music with bass high up your chest. But when I start to play some Metallica tunes with pick, I lower the bass to get that right feel and tone. And I believe that you just cant get that Jason Newsted like tone if you play with short strap. It`s "impossible" to do that heavy down picking if you wear your bass like Jaco Pastorius. And other way around it`s "impossible" to get that Jaco tone if you play your bass at same height as Newsted.

I remember Billy Sheehan advising strongly against adjusting your strap height and saying that you should stick with one height so the instrument feels the same every time you play. You know better where the notes are and don`t have to think the bass so much when playing. (or something like that)
This totally makes sense to me but I just can`t get that right feel and tone to every genre I play with just one strap height (or with just one bass but thats another thing).

How many of you have chosen your strap height mostly tone in mind?
Or do you choose to go more with looks, feel, comfort, playability etc. ?
And do you change the height of your bass by genre, feel, looks or some other factor?

It`s been long time since I posted anything at TB so I`m not sure it technique is right place for this or if this subject has been talked a lot lately. (I tried the search.)
 
#2
This is really interesting. I've never thought about it like that, but it makes a lot of sense. I usually just find the height that's most comfortable that also allows me to play as wide a range of techniques as possible. But then it's gotta look cool... sigh. I guess there's a little bit of compromise in all areas, but I try to get it as close as possible to covering all the bases.
 
#8
I can see the argument a little bit, as so much of the tone is determined by how your fingers pluck the strings and how the notes are fretted. It makes sense that you need to have your bass in the best position to do this correctly, but it is an indirect relationship, not directly related to your tone. Like others said it is more of a comfort thing. When I was younger I tried the whole super long strap thing, but never could get comfortable so I tend to wear mine about halfway up my torso. I honestly don't care what anyone thinks I look like holding my bass.
 
#9
I switch between playing sitting down and standing and want my bass at about the same height for both, so that defines my strap length.

Coincidence or not, it's also a position I find comfortable, and - not that I care too much - a look that always works.
 
#12
hdracer said:
If you are fretting a note and plucking a string I do not see how the strap has anything to do with tone.
I call total BS.
I also find it very funny that a guy that uses so many effects wants to talk about tone.
Some people could say his tone sucks....
Click to expand...

tuba_samurai said:
I can see the argument a little bit, as so much of the tone is determined by how your fingers pluck the strings and how the notes are fretted. It makes sense that you need to have your bass in the best position to do this correctly, but it is an indirect relationship, not directly related to your tone. Like others said it is more of a comfort thing. When I was younger I tried the whole super long strap thing, but never could get comfortable so I tend to wear mine about halfway up my torso. I honestly don't care what anyone thinks I look like holding my bass.
Click to expand...

This is what I think all so. When you use long strap the angle of the strings if different and you pluck them differently and this affects the tone. It has obviously nothing to do with the strap length it self but more how it affects your playing technique and playing feel.
 
#14
FretNoMore said:
I switch between playing sitting down and standing and want my bass at about the same height for both, so that defines my strap length.

Coincidence or not, it's also a position I find comfortable, and - not that I care too much - a look that always works.
Click to expand...

Seems like I read this somewhere a long time ago. This is what I do as well. While there may be a little something to to strap height and genre, I don't think it's as much of a variable as comfort.
 
#16
I use a height that feels natural and comfortable. I change how and where I hit the strings and how I anchor my thumb for different tones. Strap length wouldn't limit that unless it was at an extreme. Some things can be overthought.
 
#18
If everyone was the same size the answer would be easier to say, but that's not the case. I see a lot of tall guys with long arms that play with their instruments lower. Some of the great tone Gods on guitar are tall guys that play with the instrument low. So while it might be accurate to say that it affects tone, I don't think you can say that one way for all people will result in better tone.

For me, my strap height went up when I began accessing the upper part of the fretboard more often. For my short arms it made me way more comfortable and more accurate to play up higher.
 

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