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Basses with skinny fast necks


Marvin
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[quote name='mononick' timestamp='1326416682' post='1497110']
i played an ibanez sr premium today,, the neck was amazing! one of the most comfortable basses i have ever played and with the nordy pickups it sounded great... i have GAS! and before this i have never liked ibanez
[/quote][quote name='mononick' timestamp='1326416682' post='1497110']
i played an ibanez sr premium today,, the neck was amazing! one of the most comfortable basses i have ever played and with the nordy pickups it sounded great... i have GAS! and before this i have never liked ibanez
[/quote]
If you look at my gear list, you will see that I have quite a few Ibanez basses, and my pride and joy, is my SR1200 Premium.
I picked it up on ebay for £500 and it was only two weeks old, definitely the best £500 I have ever spent.
I have tried many high-end basses over the years, Fenders, Musicman etc, but as soon as I latched on to the SR range, I was hooked.
Due to back and shoulder problems, I had to find a lighter bass, and the SR's are just about the lightest, and best balanced basses around.
So inadvertently, my back and shoulder problems helped me discover my dream bass.
I actually started off with a SR500 which I picked up for £250 which is also a great bass, I then got a SR505 which does't feel like a 5-string at all, as it's so easy to play, and then I decided to treat myself and get the Premium model, it plays and sounds amazing, and is very versatile.
Obviously, what we are looking for in a bass is a personal thing, but I would certainly recommend that you go back to where you tried that premium, and give it another going over, you won't be disappointed!

Edited by thebrig
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My Lakland 55-02 and MTD 535 are thin and fast. IMO, MTD build the most comfortable neck in the business. My Warwick Thumb is like a cricket bat, but oddly very comfortable and fast!? I think the fingerboard radius and size of fret also helps with the playability of the neck as well as the thickness

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[quote name='charic' timestamp='1326447637' post='1497242']
Just out of interest why do people consider skinnier necks to be faster? I struggle on skinnier necks personally..
[/quote]

Good point. :D
When I used to play Ibbys (and the occasional Jazz) I seemed to find long runs more effortless. I normally play P (or wider) width necks now and notice the difference quite a bit when shooting up and down the neck on a thinner neck. Maybe because there is less wood in your hand to impede movement?
The good news is that you don't actually play faster... that would lead to a barrage arse meets boot moments from the rest of the band. :lol:

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[quote name='charic' timestamp='1326447637' post='1497242']
Just out of interest why do people consider skinnier necks to be faster? I struggle on skinnier necks personally..
[/quote]

I'm the same. I played a jazz bass profile neck for years but ended up finding it really cramped & uncomfortable.
I like really chunky necks now & my playing speed doesn't appear to have been compromised in any way.

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[quote name='Marvin' timestamp='1326412919' post='1497080']
Shallow depth is also what I was alluding to. I own a Rockbass Corvette that is 38mm at the nut, so not at all wide. However, the neck is quite deep and chunky to be honest. Hence I would never describe it as skinny.


I've never tried a T-bird, I always thought they'd have quite chunky necks. Now I know different I'll have to go and try one :)
[/quote]

Of those I mentioned - in terms of shallower depth of the neck the Peavey Fury II wins. I am quite amazed by it, in fact. The Fender Precision Lyte and Jaguar would come second, then the others all much the same. I recall comparing a Geddy Lee with the Jaguar in the shop when I bought mine and the neck was pretty well identical in feel.

The T-Bird Pro VI is, I believe, a different beast to the regular T-Bird in many ways - neck width being one of them.

It is a funny thing, neck width. When I first started bass I bought a Peavey Milestone III in a starter pack, with a skinny neck. Then I 'upgraded' to a vintage Hayman 4040 - an absolutely beautifully made bass but immensely heavy (it came with it's own moon) with a neck like a floorboard. Much as I liked it I found some things very difficult to play. Then I 'upgraded' again to the Fender Jaguar and the contrast in playability for me was immediate. I've tried and owned other wide necked basses since but just get on so much better with skinny - and shallow - necks. Even though I have fairly big hands, the smaller necks feel more comfortable. I think it was ou7shined who said on another thread about it only being a mm or 3 difference and that is correct but, nevertheless, for me, it is important. It is the main reason I can't get on with a 5 string, much as I would like to, or why I don't get myself a nice precision. I guess everyones hand bones, muscles and tendons are arranged slightly differently, making subtle differences in hand position and therefore comfort, so it really is extremely subjective.

Thebrig - any chance you could pop a picture or 3 up of your SR1200? Sounds very interesting.

Edited by Paul S
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[quote name='dave.c' timestamp='1326446322' post='1497221']
I've got two Vigier Passions and the necks are the best I've ever played, with an incredibly solid feel to them which I like, I now find a lot of necks feel a bit 'bendy' or 'lively', don't know how to describe it really!
[/quote]

Hi Dave,

How do they compare with the neck on the Dean B2 ? I think that's the skinniest neck I've ever played

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[quote name='dave.c' timestamp='1326446322' post='1497221']


I've got two Vigier Passions and the necks are the best I've ever played, with aWwwn incredibly solid feel to them which I like, I now find a lot of necks feel a bit 'bendy' or 'lively', don't know how to describe it really!
[/quote]
I own a Passion V series III. Amazing necks are a recurring feature on all the Vigiers I've played (okay, I've not played any series I instruments!) They really are very good; Stable, fast, well-proportioned, well finished, comfortable and expensive ( new)
I sold my Ibanez Srx 700 as I didn't like the electrics package. Nice necks, though.

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[quote name='Lfalex v1.1' timestamp='1326663586' post='1500260']
I sold my Ibanez Srx 700 as I didn't like the electrics package. Nice necks, though.
[/quote]

I had the same opinion of the SR series. Great necks and really comfortable to play, but the electronics just didn't work for me!

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[quote name='noelk27' timestamp='1326390485' post='1496653']
People comment on how slim the Fender Jazz neck is on the Geddy Lee model. The original got that way after his judicious use of sandpaper, as I understand.
[/quote]

Indeed. In fact, I recall there was a batch of early Geddy Lee models that were known for having faulty necks, shaved so thin they warped at the drop of a hat.

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Skinny means so many different things to different people. I've noticed many people seem to be of the opinion that if the neck is narrow at the nut that's a skinny neck. Personally I use the whole neck so that's not sufficient for me! The only Jazz I've ever played that even approaches skinny was an early Geddy Lee. Most of the others have felt decidely chunky to me(apart from the nut width), depth and upper-width-wise, and I've played a LOT of Jazz Basses. String spacing aside (it's too wide for me) the Peavey B-Quad 4 has a lovely slim neck (still a bit wide in the upper registers, but a lovely feel nonetheless; arguably as good a neck as I've ever played). My old Rick 21 fretter had a frighteningly skinny neck that made even my 72's (both with very slim necks) seem chunky; they're anything but, both lovely and slim. Ibanez SR are kind of the benchmark for skinny where there's still some taper (I prefer little taper, like on Ric and Alembic basses). My old Sei Melt had a very slim neck; most Seis tend to IME. The Alembic Stanley Clarkes with the Stanley profile neck (which ironically most Stanleys don't have) is a dream neck. Vigier have very slim necks. To be honest with the odd exception if it's bigger than an SR neck I'm generally not that interested, although strangely I do prefer P necks to J necks and Stingray necks to Sterling necks; probably because they taper less.

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[quote name='BottomE' timestamp='1326731292' post='1501173']
The Hamer Cruise bass has a skinny neck whichever way you look at it.
[/quote]

See I never found that; we're back to the Jazz Bass thing I think!

Edited by 4000
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