Hand size...

[untune]

Just curious on this one... I hear people saying all the time 'I play a precision because I have big hands etc etc' and I'm curious just how big are big hands?? Haha... I read a forum post somewhere where somebody said his hands measured 7.5" from wrist to the end of his middle finger, and he said his were small... so I measured mine and they're pretty much the same, 7 and a half.

Now if anyone can resist the onslaught of jokes about measuring yourself, just how big are big hands exactly?

[stingrayPete1977]

I will get it out the way then, You know what they say about big hands?......














Big Gloves!


No idea how long mine are though I will check later....

[tomb]

having no idea how much those measure are, my hands are 18cm, so now you can sort of compare

[untune]

[quote name='tomb' post='1143920' date='Feb 27 2011, 10:01 PM']having no idea how much those measure are, my hands are 18cm, so now you can sort of compare[/quote]

So between 7", and 7 1/2" roughly. It'll be interesting to hear what kind of necks people prefer too!

[untune]

[quote name='stingrayPete1977' post='1143919' date='Feb 27 2011, 10:01 PM']I will get it out the way then, You know what they say about big hands?......

Big Gloves!


No idea how long mine are though I will check later....[/quote]

Haha and so it begins

[pantherairsoft]

Mine are tiny then. 6.9". I play and own only 6 stringers with 19mm string spacing. I therefore conclude that hand technique and working on your 'limits' means any neck shape or size is fine!

[stingrayPete1977]

8 inch and prefer wider nut if I had too choose but I like a jazz bass too so either for me 4 or 5 string too.

[Ou7shined]

I'm 21.5cm from wrist to middle finger tip and I'll play the sh*t out of any fecking bass you give me.... love stingray necks (P width 11" radius) the most though.

[lettsguitars]

7 1/2 here too. seems like the average. i've never even thought about it. unless you have childs hands i can't see how it would cross your mind. on a guitar, i can see how big hands might be a slight issue maybe. i've never tried using bigger hands so i wouldn't know.

[neepheid]

7.5" or 19cm if you prefer. I like chunky, wide necks. I dislike skinny necks (Jazz etc).

[Fat Rich]

8 1/4 inch (which is 210mm or about 43 fluid ounces)

I'll play anything (badly) but prefer Jazz necks or Status 5 stringers which are pretty slim. It takes me a few minutes to adjust to a Precision or a Stingray but I can go back to a slimmer neck with no adjustment.

[lemmywinks]

22cm or 8 1/2 inches, i have big palms and short fingers though so not as useful for bass playing as you'd think!
My keys player has the same sized hands but with really long ET fingers, he makes really long note stretches look easy which makes me a bit jealous!


Pantherairsoft has it right though, it doesn't really matter.

[Cat Burrito]

Mine are about 8" and the same shape as my Dad's - and he was a drummer. I think people like neck profiles because it's oten what they are used to. I prefer a thicker neck but can get by on a skinny neck too

[untune]

[quote name='lemmywinks' post='1144025' date='Feb 27 2011, 11:19 PM']22cm or 8 1/2 inches, i have big palms and short fingers though so not as useful for bass playing as you'd think!
My keys player has the same sized hands but with really long ET fingers, he makes really long note stretches look easy which makes me a bit jealous!


Pantherairsoft has it right though, it doesn't really matter.[/quote]

I agree with what Pantherairsoft says too, I was curious if perhaps there was some correlation. My first bass was a P copy and after that, an Ibanez. I think the Ibby has a P width at the nut, but a very slim profile. My project in the works will have a jazz neck - never properly played a jazz before but I thought it'd be fun to try it out!

[pantherairsoft]

So not only have I proven that once again I'm right... But also that I have the smallest hands of all. Oh

[tomb]

i played with a very old Jazz Bass (seed avatar) a few days ago and it felt it was made for my hand to fit perfectly, never played a Precision but I do feel that if the neck is any bigger it might not feel as good

untune, what do you play at the moment?

Edited February 28, 2011 by tomb

[endorka]

[quote name='pantherairsoft' post='1144065' date='Feb 28 2011, 12:12 AM']So not only have I proven that once again I'm right...[/quote]

I'd say so.

By the measurement here my hands are 7", and I have all shapes and sizes of basses: 4,5,6 strings, 34", 35" and 42" (double bass :-) string lengths.

After a few days of playing I can get used to any of them.

Current bass of choice is a 5 string precision with standard precision string spacing. The seemed huge at first, but after a couple of days it was working just the same as any other.

Jennifer

[untune]

[quote name='tomb' post='1144069' date='Feb 28 2011, 12:16 AM']i played with a very old Jazz Bass (seed avatar) a few days ago and it felt it was made for my hand to fit perfectly, never played a Precision but I do feel that if the neck is any bigger it might not feel as good

untune, what do you play at the moment?[/quote]

At the moment I'm still on the Ibanez, it's a GSR200 (an older one from 2001ish) and it's been great for developing on, but thought it was about time to invest something new as I have stuck with bass and really do enjoy it

[Duarte]

I'm always told I have big hands. All I know is I have unnaturally big thumbs.

[Lozz196]

20.5cm/8"

And a liking for Precision necks.

Forefinger to little finger 17cm/6.75"

Thumb to little finger 23cm/9.5"

Edited February 28, 2011 by Lozz196

[KiOgon]

215mm 8-1/2". Precisions for ever! Vintage frets, 7-1/4" Radius, 34" scale, made to measure thanks Leo, perfect fit
Don't mind 1-5/8 or 1-3/4" Nut width, as long as it's 3/4" spacing at bridge, oh yeah - 4 strings MAX.

When I try a Jazz neck it's always fast & comfortable for a short time, then the pains begin.

Edited February 28, 2011 by KiOgon

[menolikeslap]

21 cm, and I enjoy thinner necks.

[BigRedX]

I think that measuring hand size from wrist to the tip of your second finger (and this isn't always the longest one) only tells a very small part of the story (mine's 190mm BTW). Keyboard players measure the "stretch" from the thumb to the little finger. For bass players we should be measuring the stretch from first to 4th finger - mines 125mm.

In the end though it all boils down to what you are used to. My first bass was a short scale with a narrow but very chunky neck. Played this for most of the 80s. During the 90s my main bass was a 36" scale 5-string. Neck-wise they have little in common, but I was and I still am comfortable with both of them. I find I can adapt to most necks in the space of a couple of songs. In fact the only thing about a neck that will give me pause is an excessively V-shaped profile, or extreme width ie 6 or more strings with standard ERB spacing. For me how the bass sits in relation to my body is far more important. A lot of traditional basses push the nut too far away from my body when on the strap. That for me is far more of a limitation than the size of the neck.

[JimD]

18cm, always felt I have quite small hands for a chap.

Much prefer narrower necks for string spacing, so jazz rather than precision.

Now playing short scale too and appreciating some of the smaller stretches!

[Paul S]

[quote name='Lozz196' post='1144131' date='Feb 28 2011, 07:31 AM']20.5cm/8"

And a liking for Precision necks.[/quote]

Same size, prefer jazz necks.

How about span - tip of thumb to tip of little finger when fretting hand is splayed open? 25cm, while I had the ruler out (I was going to say pinky but feared the replies)