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strap length?


Bass_Junkie
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I've always worked by the 'rule' of thumb that you should have the bass at the same height standing as when your sitting with it on your lap.
That way you're not playing in two completely different ways.

Cool
Si

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[quote name='Sibob' post='40101' date='Aug 1 2007, 05:35 PM']I've always worked by the 'rule' of thumb that you should have the bass at the same height standing as when your sitting with it on your lap.
That way you're not playing in two completely different ways.

Cool
Si[/quote]

Tha above is the best advice to my mind. However, the alternative is that if you want your bass slung lower, don't practice sitting down. That is, whatever height you have your bass, you both practice and perform with the bass in that same position. I always find it amazing that if I drop my bass by even as little as 5cms there's a load of parts I simply can't play any more. This I use to my advantage in practice, that is I often practice standing with the bass slung LOWER than I'd have it normally, so when I return to my favoured height (i.e., at band rehearsals or gigs), the parts in question seem a whole lot easier to play :) Hope that makes sense and was of some help
Chris

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[quote name='nash' post='40116' date='Aug 1 2007, 06:09 PM']whatever you are most comfortable with. be it low as hell or high as hell. mine is low at the moment because i like it low for the music i play. if i was playing something more techy i would have it high[/quote]
+1. I change now and then, and each bass is slightly different anyway. I'm starting to raise the strap a bit at the mo coz it's more comfortable on a longer gig, but if I'm playing in the originals band I tend to have it a bit lower to throw the bass around a bit ;-)

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[quote name='Sibob' post='40101' date='Aug 1 2007, 05:35 PM']I've always worked by the 'rule' of thumb that you should have the bass at the same height standing as when your sitting with it on your lap.
That way you're not playing in two completely different ways.

Cool
Si[/quote]

yup, spot on, totally and.. yeah! Minimising any differences in playing position is right at the top of my list of "do's".

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There are serious medical reasons why you should consider very carefully how high/low you have your bass slung! You can and will cause yourself strains and long term problems if you gig regularly/play often and you are placing undue pressure on your back/shoulder/elbow/wrist/fingers etc. I'm not trying to come across as a nanny, scolding those who don't... I don't give a flying f*ck how anyone plays their bass. However, do give it some consideration. It's generally considered that with your bass strapped on and in your normal position, your fretting arm should be able to fret notes with your elbow at about 90 degrees. Your plucking/picking hand should not be under undue contortion or extreme angles.

Saying all of that.... a Thunderbird's gotta be around your knees and Alembics have to be under the chin :)

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[quote name='beerdragon' post='41056' date='Aug 3 2007, 08:17 PM']This looks cool but a little low for me, i think Dee Dee Ramone is on the small side. either he's split his jeans before or he's had them made for doing the splits :huh:

[url="http://imageshack.us"][/url]
Shot at 2007-08-03[/quote]

Yeh but Dee Dee Ramone only ever had to play three notes and usually on the one string.
And no one at a Ramones gig, including Dee Dee, would have known whether they were the right three notes :)
Did look damn cool though
Chris

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  • 2 weeks later...

I have my bass so that it is at the same height seated as it is strapped on. I thought it might look better to have my Precision a bit lower but found it nearly impossible to play anywhere other than high up now. To think I used to have it somewhere near my knees when I first started out! :)

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[quote name='Beedster' post='41837' date='Aug 6 2007, 10:20 AM']Yeh but Dee Dee Ramone only ever had to play three notes and usually on the one string.
And no one at a Ramones gig, including Dee Dee, would have known whether they were the right three notes :)
Did look damn cool though
Chris[/quote]

oh heck... that was my style back in the punk late seventies... three notes... even had them marked behind the frets with dots of paint...

however, I used two strings... and did five notes... E, G, A, C, D... I even know the names now... go me... :huh:

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i made my first strap myself out of a seatbelt from an austin allegro and the bits from a friend's broken strap.

i still have it...it's long enough so that you can wear the strap and have the bass lying face-up on the floor

:):)

it's a tad shorter these days...

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  • 2 weeks later...

My Bass started off around my knees, and gets higher and higher the longer I play - I'm gonna be Mark King soon.

That said I find that If I have it to high I can fret really easily with my left hand, but get terrible aches in my wrists and fingers on my right hand - so I don;t think that to high is good for you.

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[quote name='Bass_Junkie' post='40070' date='Aug 1 2007, 04:26 PM']m 5ft10" and was wondering what sort of strap lenght you would reccomend?

i know alot of you will be thinking "just mess around and see what you like" but the strap i have takes a while to adjust so i'd like some quick answers please :)

Thanks,
Bass_Junkie[/quote]
It kinda depends where your left hand spends most of it's time on the neck, mate. If you play at the top a lot, have it fairly high. If you like the lower frets, then hang your bass down towards your hips a bit. It just makes it easier and more comfortable for long hours of playing.
Mr Gig.

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[quote name='Sibob' post='40101' date='Aug 1 2007, 05:35 PM']I've always worked by the 'rule' of thumb that you should have the bass at the same height standing as when your sitting with it on your lap.
That way you're not playing in two completely different ways.

Cool
Si[/quote]

For this reason I hardly ever play sitting down.

I find that my different basses each need a different length strap to feel right, so each bass has its own strap optimaly adjusted. The time to adjust shouldn't be an issue as once its set as you like you don't have to do it again - Iyou should usually be able to get the optimum length for any leather/suede strap within a few minutes.

Note: If you get a thunderbird bass, you really should adjust the strap as long as it goes, as they don't look cool played high up. :)

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  • 3 weeks later...

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