it's about the 'feel'... as mitigated by our brains = if we don't have to 'think' about playing it: it's faster than those which may require some attention.
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why do people call a skinny neck fast?
- Thread starter drewphishesp
- Start date
it's about the 'feel'... as mitigated by our brains = if we don't have to 'think' about playing it: it's faster than those which may require some attention.
Fast isn’t the result of one thing, but a combination of many, and totally subject to the vagaries of the player. For me, fast means I am totally NOT thinking about the damned shape of the neck while I’m playing a song.
because its so much easier for ibanez or similar companies to shave the wood nice and thin and claim it makes things fast than for the people owning the bass to really know how to play?
there are very few necks on the market that i think are fat enough. I used to have the billy sheehan yamaha - that was a good one. notice that he *somehow* plays fast - famously fast- faster than anyone (?) on the fattest neck around?
preferences are fine, but your distance from thumb to fretting fingers doesn't change how fast you can play. The thin neck market has always driven me crazy.
there are very few necks on the market that i think are fat enough. I used to have the billy sheehan yamaha - that was a good one. notice that he *somehow* plays fast - famously fast- faster than anyone (?) on the fattest neck around?
preferences are fine, but your distance from thumb to fretting fingers doesn't change how fast you can play. The thin neck market has always driven me crazy.
Like others, I think this is more about the depth of the neck front-to-back than about width.
All else constant it's easier to grasp a thinner object than a thicker object.
If you are able, do pull-ups on a typical 1" bar. Then if you can find one, do some on a 2" bar. Your body will feel the difference.
I suppose thinner width would be desirable too, but there are mitigating factors there like string spacing that force compromise.
All else constant it's easier to grasp a thinner object than a thicker object.
If you are able, do pull-ups on a typical 1" bar. Then if you can find one, do some on a 2" bar. Your body will feel the difference.
I suppose thinner width would be desirable too, but there are mitigating factors there like string spacing that force compromise.
I pretty much agree with this. I prefer smaller necks because I have smaller hands, but neck size doesn't really diminish my chops at all. Just a comfort thing. I maneuver around the same speed on a J bass as I do on my Yamaha TRB 6 string with a neck I can park my car on.
The only speed-reducing factors for me are mega high action and having nothing under my right hand. As long as the action is somewhat normal-to-low and I have a pickup or ramp to play over I don't notice much difference.
I have my P necks made bigger. I hate small necks...
But... to answer the OP's question, I believe that the official answer to this is, because Steve Vai and Ibanez told us they were.
You know, Ibanez has a WIZARD on staff! In fact, TWO OF THEM!!!!!
Agreed... Steve Harris uses the biggest, bulkiest neck going, with high gloss on the back of the neck, and who's playing faster than he is?
It's all marketing BS. Jimi Hendrix plays backwards better than I do forwards... such nuances are insignificant to someone who spends a lot of time with their craft.
Can't give you exact numbers... but I'd reckon about 50-70% of bassists over the age of 16?
Nothing against Steve FYI, love his lines and Maiden is a top 5 band for me. But let's not run around pretending he doesn't grip the neck with his full fist and hammer on the same 3-chord progression for almost every song.
I love black leather! 
.
Hi andruca
I think it depends a lot on your technic, wether you consider a neck as comfortable or not.
I prefer the neck of my 4string Jazzbass, to a P bass.
But I play 5ers too. (they have been my main players since the 90s)
Compared to a jazz neck they are surfboards!
I love to hit them hard!
The Jazz has a wider string spacing than my 5ers. I prefer the Jazz for slapping
.(okay I know, nobody is slapping anymore
)It all plays together: high action/ low action, string spacing, scale length, D shape or C shape or....)
and it' s very, very subjective!
(the only thing that is objective: It is wrong, when it hurts too much to be a pleasure
)greetings
Wise(b)ass
And in my experience, is really only seen in descriptions of basses up for sale. Caveat emptor!
- Jun 6, 2012
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Personally, I think the term "fast neck" is meaningless and ridiculous... but that's just me 
If you play with traditional left hand technique(thumb on the center of the back of the neck used as a pivot, finger-tips pushing perpendicular to the board, a thinner neck has less travel from string to string and is hense faster to navigate. It is such a small difference that it is really is more psychological than anything. I prefer the feel of a jazz neck, but for years played primarily Precision's. Either neck can be "fast" if you get used to it.
Cause they think they can play faster on one.
I have average size hands and prefer a thick neck (front to back) but relatively narrow Jazz Bass width. I say that tough I also enjoy my P Bass and pencil necked Ibby SR1405. There really isn't a thing I can do on one but not the others.
In general, it come down to a function of hand size, technique and one's feel preference.
I have average size hands and prefer a thick neck (front to back) but relatively narrow Jazz Bass width. I say that tough I also enjoy my P Bass and pencil necked Ibby SR1405. There really isn't a thing I can do on one but not the others.
In general, it come down to a function of hand size, technique and one's feel preference.
Guilty as charged.
I’ve used the (practically speaking useless) term “fast” to describe a bass neck multiple times. I’ve used it to describe my own Yamaha RBXJM2 John Myung signature basses, various Ibanez basses and a couple of others.
Based on the OPs question and many subsequent replies, the term “fast” is meaningless.
However, when I’ve used the term by comparison with other basses that did not have, in my experience, a “fast” neck, I think what I mean is that some necks, depending on their radius, shape (“c,” “u,” etc.), width of the fingerboard and finish (some finishes seem to slow my fretting hand a bit) seem to introduce resistance to some degree as my hand moves up and down the neck.
Case in point. For about 35 years I had a 1966 Fender Precision that had a fabulously worn neck and introduced no drag at all when I played it. I would jump on other P basses and would sometimes notice that the neck seemed to drag a bit as I played them compared to my 1966 bass.
I’ve tried to play Warwick basses but find that the neck is so round (to me) that I can’t move as fast up and down the fretboard (or reach the notes as quickly). It feels like it’s fighting me. Now I’m sure that’s due to my being accustomed to a less rounded neck and not an actual problem with Warwick basses, but that might suffice as a fast vs not so fast neck.
There are thousands of bassist playing Warwick’s who do not experience such issues (I know a few).
So it is ultimately meaningless in conversation to describe a bass as having a fast neck, but internally I know what I mean.
I’ve used the (practically speaking useless) term “fast” to describe a bass neck multiple times. I’ve used it to describe my own Yamaha RBXJM2 John Myung signature basses, various Ibanez basses and a couple of others.
Based on the OPs question and many subsequent replies, the term “fast” is meaningless.
However, when I’ve used the term by comparison with other basses that did not have, in my experience, a “fast” neck, I think what I mean is that some necks, depending on their radius, shape (“c,” “u,” etc.), width of the fingerboard and finish (some finishes seem to slow my fretting hand a bit) seem to introduce resistance to some degree as my hand moves up and down the neck.
Case in point. For about 35 years I had a 1966 Fender Precision that had a fabulously worn neck and introduced no drag at all when I played it. I would jump on other P basses and would sometimes notice that the neck seemed to drag a bit as I played them compared to my 1966 bass.
I’ve tried to play Warwick basses but find that the neck is so round (to me) that I can’t move as fast up and down the fretboard (or reach the notes as quickly). It feels like it’s fighting me. Now I’m sure that’s due to my being accustomed to a less rounded neck and not an actual problem with Warwick basses, but that might suffice as a fast vs not so fast neck.
There are thousands of bassist playing Warwick’s who do not experience such issues (I know a few).
So it is ultimately meaningless in conversation to describe a bass as having a fast neck, but internally I know what I mean.
