What makes a Bassist Adaptable to different Basses?

[Liam Wald]

Being a musician as opposed to being a bass player is really the issue. A musician has less difficulty in adapting to any instrument. Some instruments, like horns for instance, may take a bit longer to adapt to. But if you "know music" it isn't really all that hard to pick up any instrument and switch over.

 

[Pings Bass]

I play whatever, but shorties are a stretch (or the opposite of a stretch) for me because I mainly play DB, and frets get in my way when they're that close together.

I'm pretty surprised by how picky people are about nut width, neck radius and profile. Like there are connoisseurs of certain eras of certain manufacturers neck profiles? Come on! Just play it, man.

 

[GIBrat51]

How adaptable are you when it comes to different basses?

I have to confess - probably not very... But, in my defense, I think I am, within fairly narrow parameters. Every one of my 23 basses is a 4 string lefty; either a traditional long or short scale; and, with 2 exceptions, passive. I can play them just fine, although the 3 short scales with really skinny necks give my thick stumpy fingers a little trouble - if I don't play them a lot. But, I'm playing basses that I've played since the late '60s (mostly), and I'm playing the same music, too. So, for me, there's no reason (other than curiosity) to play anything else. I don't need a 5 string bass to play Jefferson Airplane's White Rabbit, for example ( actually, I don't really need a 4 string bass to play it); and nothing else I like to play really needs one, either. And I certainly don't need a 6-string bass for anything. I have trouble playing a 6 string guitar (those stumpy fingers again), and I doubt I could play a 6 string bass at all. Those fretboards look awfully wide... As far as scale length goes? With no 5- or 6-stringers in my herd, 34" is the longest I'm going to encounter...
So, bottom line? I don't know if I'd be adaptable to anything different. And, to be honest, I have no desire to spend the money to find out...

 

[Kmonk]

I can switch between 4 and 5 string, upright bass, electric and acoustic guitars very easily. I have a friend who is a great guitarist and a very good bass player. He can't play a 5 string. He has the problem that many people do which is thinking that the top string (Low B) is the E string.

 

[MultiScaleMale]

I can play just about anything. The only bass that I recall disliking was a really wide necked Warwick that felt like 3 inches at the nut.

 

[sikamikanico]

I can adapt, but prefer not to unless I have to

The biggest dealbreaker seems to be too narrow bridge spacing. Typically not a problem with a four string, but I think I’m starting to get cramped <19mm. Would probably be fine with practice.

I also quite dislike insufficient neck taper. May be related to the previous point and/or the next point.

I prefer wider spacing at the nut (P bass), tho I think it actually has more to do with neck shape/total width. On a five string with narrow spacing I do just fine (with my fretting hand). I do prefer flat profiles better, but can deal with a baseball neck if it’s wide enough. I do not like narrow and round necks.

I also dislike glossy neck finish, gets all sticky on my hands. But I learned I can de-gloss...

Yeah, I’m picky about necks

 

[Matty Koff]

The three basses I own right now are all unique from each other in a lot of ways. passive 4str Fender American Special P, 5 string Sire P7, and an Ibanez SRH505F. which is unique in the fact that it has a piezo pickup in the bridge, semi-hollow so it lends itself to an amped ABG sound with tone control and it's fretless. Talk about checking my technique.

Each has different string spacing. 19mm at bridge on the P-bass, 18mm at bridge spacing on the Sire, 16.5mm spacing on the bridge of the Ibanez.

The spacing of the P is the most comfortable to me, but the Sire is my #1, and the ibby is a "fun to have" thing I leave at home. That being said - adjusting to the difference in either really just takes a little time if anything. Like any other technique related issue - slow down and examine what the malfunction is and fix it, when it feels and sounds right, speed it back up. Do it long enough it's 2nd nature.

For the most part I don't feel any more or less competent on any of the three basses after having spent time playing each. Not that I'm any virtuoso. It's not often I'm jamming straight 16ths or faster. Syncopation is yummy.

I know I'm probably never going to be the most technical, or "best" bass player in the world.. but my chops improve the more I play. I'm just really not that picky about the "feel" of an instrument above a certain level of quality, and frankly haven't owned quite enough basses to say I'm stuck on any particular one. Even if, if fate were to determine it.. as long as I maintained and kept it functioning if I never owned another bass I think I'd be just fine with my Sire, and that's mostly because I'm happy with the pre-amp and tone rather than anything to do with build, though the neck feels great.

 

[CallMeAl]

Great question. I’ve been pondering this a lot, as I’m in the “doesn’t adapt well” camp. I chalk it up to two main reasons:

1) I’ve always owned similar basses. I started on an Ibanez SR, and I’ve always selected basses that felt similar. I never even realized there were “specs” until a few years ago when I got on TB!
2) I’ve always been a “one bass guy.” (Or any instrument I’ve ever played.) I like the simplicity. I like bonding with that one instrument. I like knowing it really well come performance day.

My thing now is a 4 string Jazz bass necks. P necks are ok, but that string spacing is just burned into my muscle memory. Short scales feel like a toy. Never had the want or need for 5s.

I’m a weekend warrior, and I have no need to be proficient on “any” bass. For a while I felt at odds I didn’t like a P bass “off the rack.” I’m sure if I had one long enough, I’d adapt. But I realized it was my ego, and now I’m cool with being picky

 

[Charlzm]

How adaptable are you when it comes to different basses?

I'e got 4 parallel-fret 4 strings of varying spacings and scale length, a 5 string fretless and two multiscale 5 strings. All good.

 

[ChrisBowsman]

I'm not sure how I'd do on a 30" or 32". My three basses are 34" with varying neck profiles. Big fat P, slim little Yamaha, moderate meaty Warwick (all 4 string).

I have an Ibanez Mikro that's 28.6", and it feels kind of weird now. I can pick up my 25" PRS with no problem, and I spent most of my life on 25.5" Strat-style guitars, with the occasional 24.75" Gibson thrown in. When I tried a 27" 8 string Ibanez, I spent the time I owned that guitar fighting to think I liked it. When I traded it for one of the PRSs, it was like, "Oh, thank god..." The Mikro is the only other one that has ever had that weird feel like the 8 string.

 

[Maxdusty]

I don't have a problem playing on a 4 or 5 string, even short, long scale or 35" scale. However, it's my hands that seem to protest after some time, my fingers get arthritic but that also comes with weather conditions and such. For example, today, I played both a four and five string, didn't have any problems switching back and forth-my five string is a Yamaha RBX375 which does have a pretty decently wide fretboard but it sounds great and is still very playable for me.
Instruments are tools, your mind and hands are what determines what you do on them, sure there's a comfort zone or an ideal configuration of what is ergonomically ideal for your hands- everyone has one, it's whether you're in the condition to adapt to something other than that. Some of it is psychological, some physical - I think it's when the mind is willing but your body doesn't want or can't go on when it really does become a limitation.

 

[skyline_01]

I listen to people talk about not being able to adjust to fives or narrower string spacing. Some really can’t take 35” scale. Some hate short scale basses.

I love fours or fives, I can play sixes, but I feel the C string gets in my way more than I actually use it. 32”,34”,35” scales are fine for me. I like short scales, but I would not want one as a main player. 19mm at the bridge is my favorite spacing, but I can do 17mm spacing if a bass has a pretty fat neck.

My guess is that I am pretty versatile because my chops are quite modest. I remember Stanley Clarke saying how he got lost when he tried to cut loose on a five. I will never have that problem.

How adaptable are you when it comes to different basses?

I can get around on just about any spacing, neck profile/width, scale length, 4 or 5 string (very limited on the 6 string bc I don't have much experience with it and feel the C gets in the way). It may take me a while to acclimate to instruments with different specs bc I am used to my own and the muscle memory is a bit hard to overcome.

I think my L2500 Tribute (main 5'er) has potentially the most comfortable neck and string spacing that I've played on. It just FEELS right. I just picked up a NOS Squier VM P5 and the first time I played it I was like "***" bc of the wider neck, but after the first few songs at the gig this past Saturday it felt a lot more natural. Really digging it so far though, and plan to do some tasty upgrades over time. I think switching back and forth a lot between it and the L2500 could be a bit challenging though.

 

[MVE]

I got a $99 Chinese violin at a garage sale for 20 bucks. I’ve been “trying” to learn to play it a bit. But the tuning in fifths is a huge obstacle to someone who has been playing in fourths since I was 12.
On my 500th rendition of Twinkle Twinkle, my 5 year old daughter sweetly remarked, “Daddy, you’re not very good at that.” Lol

 

[DWBass]

I can play any bass. I just prefer certain basses.

 

[Tommyc]

Your brain will make allowances for different instruments. For example string spacing, string diameter differences between electric bass and electric guitar which I can seamlessly switch between. I don’t why or how, I just do it. I ‘m guessing I flip off one switch and flip on another. P bass and jazz, it’s a different feel sure, but one is distinct enough from the other that they just feel like 2 different instruments.

 

[chris_b]

So much stuff mentioned in Talkbass posts is a surprise to me. About 80% I've never thought about before. I didn't know people could have so many issues with the bits that make up a bass!

 

[21DaHoagie12]

I have 4, 5, and 6 string basses, 34" to 35" scales and one multi scale bass, and string spacings from 16.5mm to 19mm spacing... I have larger hands so i find that longer scale basses aren't really a problem for me, and I really like the low B on my 35" scale Spectors and my Ibanez BTB, so generally I prefer a 35" scale 5-string bass, 17.5 to 19mm spacing.

When it comes to switching between instruments, string spacing is something that takes more adjusting for me, I find with finger style I can play more speedily and precisely on my 16.5mm spaced soundgears and my 17.5mm spector, but for the most part, I'm not doing that during a gig and it's just me noodling and goofing off. So I don't really need a narrower spacing, but it is easier for me to indulge. However if I've played a narrower spacing for a while, I will definitely need more time to adjust when going back to a larger spacing than the other way around.

Slap technique is the opposite, wider spacing obviously is easier to slap than with narrow spacing. Only other thing I'd say takes some adjusting is when you're playing a 6 string you have to be more conscious about muting the strings you aren't playing, because you have 2 more to worry about in most instances. I guess I feel like everyone can adjust to different scales and spacings over time, but we'll all have that one bass that feels like home.

 

[SteveC]

I’m going back and forth between my Classic 4 string Roscoe P (34” 19mm) and my Roscoe Century 5’s (35” 18.3mm) and I get caught off guard once in a while. It’s the spacing more than scale length, and I did get a little mixed up B string wise once though.

I’m sure a couple more weeks of dealing and I’ll have it down.

 

[DavidEdenAria]

Teaching upright to 10 year-olds was eye opening. They do just fine on 37" scale "fretless" fingerboards, while playing arco and reading music the whole time—with a smile.

Technique can open up windows, doors, and even worlds.

I could do anything at 10, learned trumpet very well....at 60? forget it.....hand issues abound from strenuous labor and injuries....i MUST do 'rubber band' stretches with my fingers (both inward and outward) daily and need stretching all over in general...

My medical team i see has seen plenty of guitar players with hand issues, some very serious.

So, i can adapt but prefer certain necks: not too big or too small.

 

[Craig4003]

I play bass and guitar, and multiple scale lengths with both. In fact, for the longest time, I actually did not realize than Strats and Les Pauls had different scale lengths, even though I had owned both! And while I did notice the difference in string spacing at the nut between a Jazz and a traditional Precision, I did not notice that Fenders and Rickenbackers had different string spacing at the bridge, despite, again, having owned both. I had no trouble playing any of them.

These days I'm good with anything as long as it doesn't require me to do something physically uncomfortable. My four-string basses range from 16.5m to 19mm string spacing at the bridge, and I'm fine with all of them, but for five-strings, I find that 19mm spacing makes the neck uncomfortably wide at the 12th fret, requiring me to bend my wrist to reach the fifth string. For the same reason, I can't handle six-string basses at all. Their necks are just too wide for me (well, except for the Fender Bass VI and others of that type).