Why the love (by some) for thin necks?

[Tom Bomb]

You do better in some markets with that preference Thinner would be my choice, in any event. Necks here are all still straight, all steadfastly solid, and true. All fuss-free. All nice & tidy. In one word, comfy. This is not something I sweat over. I like a fat neck too. As long as it's a good one.
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[Krakmann]

Salud!

I really love thin necks compared to thick ones. Maybe it's because thick necks are more tiring to me. Never had any issue with tone with my thin necked basses.

 

[LadyLoveStingRay5]

As a short female with small hands and short fingers, I quickly found out early on that acoustic , electric, upright and bass guitars are not one size fits all.

 

[Stranger Danger]

How unique! Another “why don’t you like what I like???” Thread

 

[RichterScale]

Yes, another one of "these" threads.
Yet,..... Going on 8 pages of responses?
People post nonsense threads like this because they can sit back and laugh at the 8 pages of responses they provoke.

 

[Ekulati]

Because not everyone has gorilla hands.

 

[groooooove]

thin is associated with speed because most speed guitarists prefer a very thin neck. there aren't enough speed bassists overall to come up with much of an average result indication of what is better for bass. But Billy, while he's fast, he's not really faster than lots of other pro for-hire bassists (myself included)... just gutsier and showier and more inventive and has that great 3 finger right hand guitar technique that most bassists don't have. So he's not doing anything that particularly relies upon a thin neck to become playable, where as many very fast guitar techniques to utilize a thin neck to let the hands do things that aren't really possible with a thicker neck.

i mean, i think if someone is "faster" than billy the difference would be negligible. not that "fast" in and of itself is meaningful in a musical sense, but it's part of this discussion.

i can't recall who i first learned this from, but if you place your hand in front of you (air-bass) as if you were playing, moving fingers 1 and 4 up and down as if you were fretting, move your thumb closer and further from your hand. notice the thumb distance to the hand has zero impact on the movement of the other fingers?

thicker neck would certainly have physical repercussions, just like anything else. the thumb being slightly further away from your hand, to my understanding, has no direct influence on your ability to move your fingers quickly.

i'm sure there could be something i'm missing. but i just struggle to find a logical reason why a thinner neck would facilitate faster movement?

 

[MJ_Sotti]

I like chunkier necks. I have good size hands. The neck on my '69 Precision is great, don't know what it is...and I always thought Jazz necks were too thin.

But I really like this "U" neck on my '74 AVRI. A good compromise.

 

[RichterScale]

i'm sure there could be something i'm missing. but i just struggle to find a logical reason why a thinner neck would facilitate faster movement?

It's likely that if you have a thinner (front to back) neck, that it gives the feeling of a (or actual) quicker reaction time. Meaning, there's less motion involved in opening your grip, jumping up to a higher register and closing your grip again.
Of course, it all depends on what feels good to the individual and what you become used to/proficient with. As mentioned, some folks feel more comfortable with a chunkier profile and because they are more comfortable, likely play better/faster with a chunkier neck.
Thinner doesn't automatically= faster playing for everyone. But I understand the mechanics behind why it would be for some.

 

[truand85]

1 5/8th at the nut and .88" depth minimum for my tiny Trumpian hands

 

[Jack Butler]

the front to back thickness I can live with almost anything, but the width really needs to be jazz(1.5") for me. I've tried many times to do 1.625 or 1.75 and while I can certainly play just fine, the comfort just is obviously not there for me.

 

[Barticus]

It's nice that basses are made with different shaped neck (and bodies and everything else). We can all get what we like.

^^ THIS ^^

Don’t understand why some folks think there should only be one way to do anything. Personal preference and comfort when it comes to musical instruments are key. I prefer an asymmetrical shaped neck, it fits my hand better… and it’s pretty thin.

 

[chadds]

I took a poll.
Every time I’ve posted a thread like this someone arrived and choked me out. Thankfully the EMTs arrived in time each time.
The poll?
While not a huge sample not one of my assailants remarked that they preferred a thin or thick neck.

 

[Acoop]

SHS, ... Small Hand Syndrome.

 

[Bassy Davy]

Non-issue.

 

[Willie5String]

> They are frequently more prone to shifting as environments change
> They contribute less to tone compared to their thick-necked relatives
> Thin-neck basses give the impression that their action is higher when compared to thick-necked basses having the same string relief
> Having owned thin and thick-necked basses I don’t find thin-necked basses easier to play (I have average-sized hands)

Baseball bats are great for baseball, thinner necks are faster and I don’t get a thumb cramp after extended play.

 

[Relayer71]

Lots of, "I have small hands, need thin" or "I have huge hands, need thick".

Well, I have big hands (specifically, long fingers) and I prefer a thin neck. Just feels better to me.

 

[lug]

I have gigantic hands with relatively short fingers..

We are Hands-Twins.

 

[Semi Actuated]

We are Hands-Twins.

Hands triplets. I wear an XXL Cadet golf glove.

 

[lug]

Hands triplets. I wear an XXL Cadet golf glove.

Don't wear gloves but...

here is the "catcher's glove as a hand" example.