Which new bass do you recommend?

[dukeplaysbass]

Personally I think the whole narrow neck thing gets a bit overrated unless you've just got small hands. My hands are "average" sized and I've never had a problem playing Precision necks or 5-string necks as fast as my Jazz four string necks.

I can play as fast and comfortably on a G&L 1 3/4 neck as on a G&L 1.5 neck. Setup matters more.

Without starting a really dopey fight, allow me to respectfully disagree.

I'm built like a linebacker and I have big hands. Short scale basses look like toys on me. I can't stand 1.75" necks. I can't get around on them as fast as I'd like. Something about that extra millimeter bugs the snot out of me. And due to a wrist injury, I can't play fivers - period. I get a shooting pain up my wrist when I play those....

So, after owning a hundred basses, and easily a thousand more played, I think I can comfortably say I have a true preference.

And before you ask about setup, I set up my own axes. I think the dozens of guys who have bought a bass from me (at least four or five of which post in this space regularly) can vouch for the fact that I do a decent set up.

If the OP has a preference for a skinny neck, so what? That's up to him. To say that it's just hype, or that because you don't care that he shouldn't is truly bizarre...

That said, if the OP has not played a lot of axes, then he should probably A/B a skinny vs. fat neck (set up properly, of course) rather than rely on what other people say about them.

 

[jfh2424]

I think the neck width is really just about what your used to. Before G&L's, I played Ps. I really liked them. When I got into G&Ls, they had skinny necks. It was a bitch, but I got used to them. Now, when I go back to Ps, I hate them.

I really don't think it has much to do with hand size.

John

 

[Mastermold]

Without starting a really dopey fight, allow me to respectfully disagree.

I'm built like a linebacker and I have big hands. Short scale basses look like toys on me. I can't stand 1.75" necks. I can't get around on them as fast as I'd like. Something about that extra millimeter bugs the snot out of me. And due to a wrist injury, I can't play fivers - period. I get a shooting pain up my wrist when I play those....

So, after owning a hundred basses, and easily a thousand more played, I think I can comfortably say I have a true preference.

And before you ask about setup, I set up my own axes. I think the dozens of guys who have bought a bass from me (at least four or five of which post in this space regularly) can vouch for the fact that I do a decent set up.

If the OP has a preference for a skinny neck, so what? That's up to him. To say that it's just hype, or that because you don't care that he shouldn't is truly bizarre...

That said, if the OP has not played a lot of axes, then he should probably A/B a skinny vs. fat neck (set up properly, of course) rather than rely on what other people say about them.

Yeah I wasn't saying it should never matter to everyone, just that it's one of those things that seems to get overblown around TB sometimes. But yeah different hand/wrist sizes and joints can have all kinds of impact on a player.

 

[dukeplaysbass]

Yeah I wasn't saying it should never matter to everyone, just that it's one of those things that seems to get overblown around TB sometimes.

True 'dat! Among several other things....

 

[Hugh Jass]

Yeah I wasn't saying it should never matter to everyone, just that it's one of those things that seems to get overblown around TB sometimes. But yeah different hand/wrist sizes and joints can have all kinds of impact on a player.

+1

That's exactly my point. Sometimes people make it sound like a bass is unplayable if it doesn't have a 1.5 neck. I was more making the suggestion that both should be tried before discounting the 1 3/4" neck.