my husband is 6' 7" and he prefers narrow bass necks, and he plays 'em with no problem at all. i'm 5' 3", and i prefer wide neck guitars (with nut width of 1.8" or a little more), but i found that i prefer narrow neck basses.
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Width - Ibanez vs Fender. Is it really such a big difference?
- Thread starter Hurdea Darius
- Start date
It's funny... I have small hands, yet I found Soundgear's "pencil necks" necks too skinny, BTB series' wider/chunkier necks too unwieldy, and the necks of the discontinued SRX line just right. (I'm primarily a 5 stringer, so I speak of those.)
My favored 5-string is a large-bodied bass with a 45mm nut and 19mm string spacing. You'd think that my smaller hands would prefer tighter ~17mm spacing, but nope. My plucking hand is more comfortable on this bass than it was on a 5er with 17mm spacing I once had. The large body sits better on me than the compact body as well. The nut width was more a factor for me. I'm far more comfortable with a 45mm nut than a 46.
And even among brands that have similarly dimensioned necks, profiles can be quite different. Some are flatter or rounder than others.
And then again, Stanley Clarke has large hands and wicked-long fingers, and he prefers shorter scale basses. Go figure.
As for "metal" basses, there really is no such thing. Buy whatever bass feels best to you and invest in a powerful amp that can keep up with gorilla drummers and loud guitarists trying to one-up each other.
My favored 5-string is a large-bodied bass with a 45mm nut and 19mm string spacing. You'd think that my smaller hands would prefer tighter ~17mm spacing, but nope. My plucking hand is more comfortable on this bass than it was on a 5er with 17mm spacing I once had. The large body sits better on me than the compact body as well. The nut width was more a factor for me. I'm far more comfortable with a 45mm nut than a 46.
And even among brands that have similarly dimensioned necks, profiles can be quite different. Some are flatter or rounder than others.
And then again, Stanley Clarke has large hands and wicked-long fingers, and he prefers shorter scale basses. Go figure.
As for "metal" basses, there really is no such thing. Buy whatever bass feels best to you and invest in a powerful amp that can keep up with gorilla drummers and loud guitarists trying to one-up each other.
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Yes, I would go to the music store to try some basses. The thing is that the closest music store where I can try out some basses is 850km away... And now, more precisely - I don't really wanna buy an Ibanez, I don't wanna buy a Fender neither. My eyes are on the Cort C5 Plus and Marcus Miller V3 - the budget Ibanez and the budget Fender for a guy like me, who wants to buy a MXR M81 and a looper too. I asked about Ibanez and Fender because if it would have been to ask about Cort and Marcus Miller nobody would've responded
).
Actually Sire Marcus Miller basses are quite popular here, too. V3 is pretty inexpensive but should be really good value for your money. I've had an older v7 fiver which was quite nice and sold quickly when I decided 5 strings was not for me and went back to 4 strings. I'm constantly debating whether to get a v3 now and see if I can work with a narrower neck as well because I do miss that v7 (just have to get a 4 string).
Someone will have a few good words to say about the Cort as well I am sure. I never tried one so I can't.
I have ginormous hands, and while I can play a bass with a skinny neck, it slows me down considerably - a P width neck is far better for me. My 5's have 1 7/8th inch wide necks, which are a bit of a challenge, as the string spacing is narrower on those than it is on a 4 string P. After playing one of my 5'ers for a while, the P width necks feel small in my hands, but as the string spacing is wider, I can fly. To make sure I'm comfortable in either format, I regularly keep a 4 and a 5 out, ad practice back and forth all the time.
I need the narrow, slim necks. I was never able to feel comfortable with a big neck. When I got an Ibanez SR1400 it felt like I had come home.
Re: Cort.
What many people don't realize is that the the Cort/Core-Tek factories not only make Cort instruments, but also make instruments for several other manufacturers. They're the largest guitar manufacturer in the world. Ibanez, Schecter, and a whole bunch of other brands have a lot of their instrument lines manufactured by Cort. So people arguing over Ibanez Standards vs. Schecter Diamonds are all technically playing Corts.
Moral of the story is that Cort's house brand stuff is good solid stuff that definitely punch above their weight class in terms of features and specs for the price, because you're not paying extra for the Ibanez or Schecter or whatever name.
What many people don't realize is that the the Cort/Core-Tek factories not only make Cort instruments, but also make instruments for several other manufacturers. They're the largest guitar manufacturer in the world. Ibanez, Schecter, and a whole bunch of other brands have a lot of their instrument lines manufactured by Cort. So people arguing over Ibanez Standards vs. Schecter Diamonds are all technically playing Corts.
Moral of the story is that Cort's house brand stuff is good solid stuff that definitely punch above their weight class in terms of features and specs for the price, because you're not paying extra for the Ibanez or Schecter or whatever name.
A P-bass typically has a nut width of 1.75" and a J-bass has a nut width of 1.5". That's a difference of only 1/4" spread across 4 strings, and it's easily noticeable. So yes, even very small differences in spacing can be felt.
I've recently switched to playing a short scale 5 string with 8mm spacing at the nut and 15.5mm at the bridge. I was worried that the string spacing might be too tight. TBH, I forgot it was different and swapping between basses doesn't remind me.
I guess there's a limit somewhere and if the strings were too close together, it would annoy me. Other than that, no problem. There are one or two pieces I play that go the other way. On a 5 string P bass, the stretches would be too much for my little fingers.
I find narrow spacing and short scales more comfortable, but I can play pretty much anything.
I guess there's a limit somewhere and if the strings were too close together, it would annoy me. Other than that, no problem. There are one or two pieces I play that go the other way. On a 5 string P bass, the stretches would be too much for my little fingers.
I find narrow spacing and short scales more comfortable, but I can play pretty much anything.
They are very different. FYI Fender at 69mm at last fret is fret 20, Ibanez at 68mm is fret 24.
In 2003 I bought a mahogany Cort lefty from MF. It was a dream bass. I loved everything about it. But it didn't have the Ibanez name on it. I sold it and have regretted it since. BTW both Cort, Ibanez, and Schecter basses come in identical shipping boxes. Same factory.
So the old bait and switch. Asks about a Fender and wants a Sire.
It's all about comfort. Strangely a few mm less and I'm hating a bass, especially at the bridge end of things.
Don't underestimate the value of a good setup and the right strings. I notice string spacing differences, and I have my preferences, but action adjustments (both bridge height and truss rod) and string tension are probably even more important to me. I can adapt to a lot when I'm not fighting with the instrument.
Maybe "vanilla" in the sense that it goes well with lots of different stuff and can be made to sound however you want? I'm not a big fan of their electronics but they're solid and flexible instruments. As far as Darkglass goes, I wouldn't boil it down that far, there are lots of different bass sounds that work in metal and lots of different ways to achieve them.
You are doing the same error I see done over and over by lots of people. The difference is NOT split across four strings, it is spread across THREE gaps between the strings...
Sorry dude,
Sorry dude
( I didn't know this bait is frequently made here. Id din't even want to make it a bait, I just named a Squire a Fender because the neck width is practically the same so I am talking about the dimensions, not the bass' electronics or anything like this and I bet this isn't clasified really as a bait like others.
wintremute
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- Oct 16, 2014
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I wrote is it was spread across 4 strings, so yes, 3 gaps...but the result is still the same, almost anybody notices that difference. Pick up a ruler and see how small a quarter of an inch is, but to our fingers it feels much larger. Our sense of touch is quite sensitive.
Ibanez equals metal is a myth. To certain extent this may hold for guitars, but not for basses. Some examples: Steve Harris, Lemmy Kilmister and David Ellefson. Play what's comfortable for you, tone can always be shaped.
