The Choices...

[superheavyfunk]

I just received a jazz-type bass with custom (really, really nice!) pups in trade... It's fantastic, except that I can't play it due to nerve issues in my shoulder. Sadly, the tone is perfect and the neck feels surprisingly good (I generally dislike fender necks)... So I'm given over to a few choices:

First, I can take the bass to project town, and I can cut chambers into it to lighten to load. As (I hope) you can see in the pics though, it has a nice Cherry Burst finish and it'd be a shame to destroy it, I think.

Secondly, I could trade or part it out and get myself a thinner body/bodied instrument that would be better for my shoulder issues.

Finally, I could just keep it as a recording instrument, or instead sell it as is and just save up for something entirely different. I would love to keep the jazz pickup configuration though... It's a classic tone that every gigging bassist should have access to, I think.

What would you do? It's really not an option for me to use this bass at gigs... That'd mean 2-4 hours of wearing this thing, and then X amount of hours at the chiropractor/masseuse to fix myself and frankly, I can't afford that. I'm kinda leaning toward chambering the bass... because why not?

 

[superheavyfunk]

I could use the chambering as an excuse to convert the bass to active. All my other basses are passive... It could be nice to have an active bass in my arsenal.

 

[Stumbo]

Won't chambering and active pups change tone?

Maybe one of those stands that hold the entire bass in playing position might work. Or how about using a stool? Or on of those straps that transfer weight to your waist?

 

[MrMoonlight]

There's no guarantee that performing surgery on the bass will leave it playing and sounding like it currently does. And chambering is an irreversible mod that could possibly introduce neck dive.

I'd look into one of those special straps that goes over both shoulders and around the waist to help distribute the weight of the bass more evenly. A fellow bassist I know with chronic back problems uses one and it allows him to play his 11 pound Stingray all night with little discomfort. It might be worth trying before modifying a bass whose sound and playability you're generally happy with already.

 

[superheavyfunk]

Won't chambering and active pups change tone?

I wouldn't change the pups. I'd install a preamp with push/pull for passive/active.

There's no guarantee that performing surgery on the bass will leave it playing and sounding like it currently does. And chambering is an irreversible mod that could possibly introduce neck dive.

I'd look into one of those special straps that goes over both shoulders and around the waist to help distribute the weight of the bass more evenly. A fellow bassist I know with chronic back problems uses one and it allows him to play his 11 pound Stingray all night with little discomfort. It might be worth trying before modifying a bass whose sound and playability you're generally happy with already.

Yeah, the neck dive thing would be just as bad for my shoulder and back. I dunno... Maybe I'll just pull the pickups and part out the bass. Some healthy youngster would love it, I'm sure.