Imagine that! Another Gibson with a broken headstock! Nice recovery. Somebody needs to teach Gibson how to build a neck, or just get down with the sickness.
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Imagine that! Another Gibson with a broken headstock! Nice recovery. Somebody needs to teach Gibson how to build a neck, or just get down with the sickness.
BassHappy
Supporting Member
There are many things I really LOVE about these builds, but one outstanding feature jumps out at me. Now, I am not Mr. Geometry, so I hope I have this right. If I don't have my protractor skills together you geometry freaks can feel free to correct me. What I love about these basses above all is the playing angle of the neck. When you lay the body flat as below, the neck actually has a back angle - according to my calculations at about 5 degrees. What happens is that when the bass body is comfy and flat against your body, the neck is actually tilted back and in a much more favorable and comfortable left hand position - at least for me.
It's kind of hard to describe, but suffice it to say that my PRS has a similar neck back angle - and it is by far the most comfortable bass I have ever played. Take that Fender.
We are shooting for similar on my LP bass, so we will see, but KUDOS Christine - you have really nailed this part of it - and while some may call the difference subtle - in my view it is huge - and for me the comfort can and does promote stamina and playability.
It's kind of hard to describe, but suffice it to say that my PRS has a similar neck back angle - and it is by far the most comfortable bass I have ever played. Take that Fender.
We are shooting for similar on my LP bass, so we will see, but KUDOS Christine - you have really nailed this part of it - and while some may call the difference subtle - in my view it is huge - and for me the comfort can and does promote stamina and playability.
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Very close, 4.5 degrees give or take a little
BassHappy
Supporting Member
Nice eyeball geometry, Mr Happy! That is one reason Les Pauls are so comfortable to play (and so difficult to build).
The neck angle is the real reason I like Gibsons, it makes such a difference to comfort whilst playing. It seems like half the battle of weight related stiffness is solved if your arms are in a more natural position to start with.
Funny, when I saw @BassHappy diagram I had a fright as I thought "B.....dy h..l! That is a heck of a height over the bridge" Until I remembered how thick the body was in comparison
63mm the bridge clears 19mm above the body to the strings resting on the frets and adjustment above that, scary stuff for a second 
Funny, when I saw @BassHappy diagram I had a fright as I thought "B.....dy h..l! That is a heck of a height over the bridge" Until I remembered how thick the body was in comparison
63mm the bridge clears 19mm above the body to the strings resting on the frets and adjustment above that, scary stuff for a second
BassHappy
Supporting Member
The neck angle is the real reason I like Gibsons, it makes such a difference to comfort whilst playing. It seems like half the battle of weight related stiffness is solved if your arms are in a more natural position to start with.
Yes Yes Yes Yes, while I always opt for as light as possible (mine is pretty heavily chambered) - I couldn't agree more about the natural position thing!
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I really don't mind the weight, if it is heavy then we'll work the songs so I can change basses for a while, then I gig the Tbird mostly and that weight in at less than a dehydrated flea
- Jun 30, 2010
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I noticed that straight away - that is the 'classic' way to design/build a guitar. Gibson being an older company (than Fender) and based in traditional methods building guitars brought that background into modern guitars/basses. While this is commendable, I won't use it as a comparison to slag Fender as LF's concept was about production efficiency and making an instrument that could be afforded by a working musician, gigged heavily and repaired easily if damaged/broken. It would be like comparing an exotic car to a consumer vehicle. Only some people can afford an exotic car, very few really - but everyone can own a basic car. So I appreciate both versions for all the reasons they are what they are. And a basic guitar has never stopped players over the decades from creating the time-honored music we love.
This is my second gigging bass, just to show I don't have any issue with Fender despite the crap I spout in jest
BassHappy
Supporting Member
This is my second gigging bass, just to show I don't have any issue with Fender despite the crap I spout in jest
View attachment 3113599
Yep, and I have 11 Fenders, so I must be guilty as charged as well....
But that neck angle thing does make a huge difference to me. The Fender's can't touch the comfort of the PRS, but I am sure there are a variety of reasons for that.
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11?
I don't think I would be without one, a Jazz was my first "proper" bass in 76, I have a soft spot for them, that is my only one now but it's a keeper
- Jun 30, 2010
- 49,591
- 221,978
- Disclosures
- musician/artist/owner - Gildaxe
11?
My first proper basses were both Gibsons. (EB-3 and a T-bird) The T-bird I played for many years as my only bass. I came to appreciate, own and play Fenders much later.
BassHappy
Supporting Member
11?
My first bass was a Kay Old Kraftsman, followed by a Gibson/Kalamazoo and then I moved up to an EB-O. Are there any neck back angles on any Gibson basses besides the Les Paul? Not that I know of.
Yeah, the Fender thing started as an obsessive over-reaction to the fact that Fender didn't make medium scalers - and I had to find out what the fuss was all about - and what I was missing. Then I found out that Fender Japan DID make medium scalers and the floodgates opened. Now I have 11, some are off the rack, some are modded off the rack, some are custom, some have replica bodies, some have replica bodies and necks. If they didn't make what I wanted I would have it built exactly the way I wanted it. I like them all, but I certainly don't LOVE them the way some do. The PRS spoiled me for life.
The Thunderbird has a small neck angle of about 2 degrees I think, the original ones had a bigger angle but I have no idea what it was
My first bass was a Satellite it was awful, my second a Shaftesbury which was good but then I saved enough for the Fender which was a Rolls Royce in comparison
- Jun 30, 2010
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Oh yah, my very first bass was a $40 (new) Stadium (MIJ) with strings 1/2" off the fretboard. This St George (another badge used for it) is not mine - no pics of mine or me playing it. I think it was one of the few 34" scale MIJ basses then.
Going back to neck joints, I just saw this cross section through a Tbird's neck, it clearly shows the issue if you look at the grain direction
- Jun 30, 2010
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Can't recall - I wasn't very cognizant of such details back then. I just goggled pics of them and if it does it's minimal.
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