Hello, can anybody offer a little Advice?

[Twigman]

[quote name='Coilte' timestamp='1334053456' post='1610064']
I mean as far as fretting a string is concerned. You still have to press down on a string to get a note, no matter if your bass costs 50 or 5000 pounds.
[/quote]

My rubbish Kay bass took massive effort to get the string to fret.
The tension in the string was always high and the action was so high that it was a physical effort to get the strings to fret.

My JV has quite a high action but takes little effort to fret.

My Warmoth will fret just by looking at it, almost,...it just needs the string to be touched and it frets...

Not all basses are the same, believe me.

[Coilte]

[quote name='Twigman' timestamp='1334060891' post='1610260']
My rubbish Kay bass took massive effort to get the string to fret.
The tension in the string was always high and the action was so high that it was a physical effort to get the strings to fret.

My JV has quite a high action but takes little effort to fret.

My Warmoth will fret just by looking at it, almost,...it just needs the string to be touched and it frets...

Not all basses are the same, believe me.
[/quote]


Lets not split hairs here. Yes, the strength required will vary with string tension, action etc., but generally a minimal amount of pressure is required to fret a string.

[Mornats]

Gotta agree with Twigman on this. After having my Overwater set up with a beautiful low action I now use a much lighter touch to fret the strings. My Dean bass is still set up with a high action (I was playing with different actions to see what suited me best) and my hand aches more when playing that than when playing the Overwater. I find I do have to put more pressure on to hold down a string.

But in general, I found the technique described somewhere above about testing how little pressure you need to fret does indeed make a big difference.

[Dave Tipping]

... i've just realised it's not actually a "grip master" I use .. it's a "Vari-grip"
[url="http://www.planetwaves.com/pwProductDetail.Page?productid=510&productname=Vari_Grip"]http://www.planetwaves.com/pwProductDetail.Page?productid=510&productname=Vari_Grip[/url]
.. it really is a great bit of kit for keeping your fingers working .. and building calluses between gigs. There really is no substitute for technique and practice, esp. if you are starting out. For old gits like myself who don't practice as much as we should .. but gig all the time I'd say it's perfect.

[icastle]

I think we're missing something really daft here.

I'm quite small (shut yer face discreet... ) - about 5'7" and about 9 stone (Ha! - I've a 28" waist and a body women would die from) but I can haul people twice my weight one handed because those particular muscles are well developed - just because I have access to that strength it doesn't mean I have to use it for everything.

Yes, there are certain muscles that are used for playing bass, but they aren't the same muscles that we use to lug our gear about with and I'd say that you're very likely to damage your 'playing muscles' whilst performing manual tasks like that if you haven't protected them by looking after the others.

[Dave Tipping]

That's a very good point .. it's quite possible that actually I've been building other muscles that mean loading the band PA and amps etc. doesn't tire me out and my playing is less affected? To compare the effects on your fingers twiddling with a grip gadget with a bulky weight lifter not having "stamina" is retarded. My fingers aren't pumped up and bulging with muscles! .. I would say that my fingers, hands and forearms are stronger as a result of my grip thingy and I can say it really hasn't had a negative effect on my playing.

[icastle]

[quote name='Dave Tipping' timestamp='1334099409' post='1611049']
That's a very good point .. it's quite possible that actually I've been building other muscles that mean loading the band PA and amps etc. doesn't tire me out and my playing is less affected? To compare the effects on your fingers twiddling with a grip gadget with a bulky weight lifter not having "stamina" is retarded. My fingers aren't pumped up and bulging with muscles! .. I would say that my fingers, hands and forearms are stronger as a result of my grip thingy and I can say it really hasn't had a negative effect on my playing.
[/quote]

Yep, that's my take on it.
I don't think that the grip thingy has had a detrimental effect on your playing but it may not have developed the muscles you were aiming to work on.

[Coilte]

[quote name='icastle' timestamp='1334129988' post='1611149']
Yep, that's my take on it.
I don't think that the grip thingy has had a detrimental effect on your playing but it may not have developed the muscles you were aiming to work on.
[/quote]

+1. IMO, this point is the hub of the debate about the "grip thingy".

[Coilte]

[quote name='Dave Tipping' timestamp='1334099409' post='1611049']
To compare the effects on your fingers twiddling with a grip gadget with a bulky weight lifter not having "stamina" is retarded.
[/quote]

That would have been me who made that comparison. I respect your opinion, but I think you are missing the point. My point was that different results need different approaches with regards to training. The weight lifter's main goal obviously is strength, while the gymnists is stamina and dexterity. So, neither of them will do well in their appropriate goals if they adopt the training schedule of the other.