loushort Posted December 6, 2012 Share Posted December 6, 2012 Sorry if this has already been covered on the Forum but I had to share when I started playing bass I used to wear it under my chin it was the 80's after all once the novelty of the flying thumb wore off I started to wear my bass a little lower just above waste height but have always felt like I was not really playing the instrument as it wasn't close enough to my body(if that makes sense) just recently I have adjusted my strap to a much longer length (just above crotch)mostly to hide my gut but also because I felt stupid wearing the bass so high after all these years I am no longer the 7 stone bean pole I used to be I used to work in a Book Bindary and have destroyed my wrists(steady)so at some angles I get painful clicking wrists when playing but that has gone now i have no troubles hitting the notes plus I play with thumb on the front pick up of my Cirrus's with the fingers plucking over the bridge so I still get a nice tight sound I know our bodies change when we get older we hunch and get wider as middle age spreads but how do you guys/girls wear your basses???? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
voxpop Posted December 6, 2012 Share Posted December 6, 2012 Just above the gut for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lozz196 Posted December 6, 2012 Share Posted December 6, 2012 Just covering belt n b*lls. I play it that way not cos it looks coolest, nor cos it`s easier to play on the fretting hand - as it`s not - but cos I have a bad right shoulder, and the only way I can play is with my right arm down by my side.Raise it slightly, where it is easier on the fretting hand, and my shoulder really hurts. Tried may different positions, high/low etc, and that`s just about right. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrismuzz Posted December 6, 2012 Share Posted December 6, 2012 I'm still trying to find a perfect balance. My fretting hand prefers it when the bass body is above my crotch, but my right hand gets tired easier the higher the strap is...Which sucks because I use a lot of energy on my aggressive fingerstyle technique! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigRedX Posted December 6, 2012 Share Posted December 6, 2012 Completely depends up what style of music I'm playing, what bass I'm using and whether I'm playing finger-style or using a pick. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bertbass Posted December 6, 2012 Share Posted December 6, 2012 Also just covering belt & b*lls. The bass doesn't sit flat though as large tum gets in the way but I've got used to it. Yes, the large tum and my bass not sitting flat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spike Vincent Posted December 6, 2012 Share Posted December 6, 2012 Gonads resting on the contour. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oopsdabassist Posted December 6, 2012 Share Posted December 6, 2012 Resting on me gut, that way the bass is angled slightly so that when I look down I can see all strings comfortably!! I'll be b#ggered if I ever lose weight! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deep Thought Posted December 6, 2012 Share Posted December 6, 2012 Low enough to keep the right arm reasonably straight and relaxed-too high, and the elbow flexed too much, used to play hell with my tennis elbow. I don't get it now, but I'm not taking any chances. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stoker Posted December 6, 2012 Share Posted December 6, 2012 Belt & b*lls for me too (as seen in profile pic) started off around my knees but got higher over the years as comfort became more impotant than looking like Peter Hook. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angel Posted December 6, 2012 Share Posted December 6, 2012 I've always thought that high up basses look ultra nerdy and uncool, and over accentuate the 'limp wristed' plucking hand look - which I also hate! so I like it pretty lowish, but just high enough to do slapping still. Haven't looked in a mirror to see how low/high it looks though. Pretty much always kept the same height though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gjones Posted December 6, 2012 Share Posted December 6, 2012 Low as it can go (not quite Sid Vicious low though). I have carpal tunnel in my wrists so need to keep them a straight as possible when I play. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaydentaku Posted December 6, 2012 Share Posted December 6, 2012 Wherever it is most comfortable at the time really, which is usually belt and balls, but sometimes, a little higher. Extremely low prevents me from playing efficiently and armpit high just feel uncomfortable and silly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrTaff Posted December 7, 2012 Share Posted December 7, 2012 I feel more comfortable with it low, top horn below my bellybutton with the bass angled so the headstock is around shoulder level, any higher and my stomach gets in the way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BassPimp66 Posted December 7, 2012 Share Posted December 7, 2012 [quote name='Oopsdabassist' timestamp='1354823417' post='1890988'] Resting on me gut, that way the bass is angled slightly so that when I look down I can see all strings comfortably!! I'll be b#ggered if I ever lose weight! [/quote] Same here and the main reason why I've grown a gut. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
loushort Posted December 8, 2012 Author Share Posted December 8, 2012 Great thread guys thank you Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikebass84 Posted December 16, 2012 Share Posted December 16, 2012 Chest height for me. I make sure my bass is at the same height when I'm sat down as it is when I'm stood up Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigjohn Posted December 17, 2012 Share Posted December 17, 2012 Just under navel. I have a perfectly sculpted gut which sits in the contour of my P bass... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Delberthot Posted December 21, 2012 Share Posted December 21, 2012 I prefer the neck higher and the body lower so have the body sitting on the stomach and the bass at a 45 degree angle. I've done this for so long that I couldn't entertain playing a bass that had even the slightest neck dive Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MacDaddy Posted December 21, 2012 Share Posted December 21, 2012 according to Billy Sheehan, when you are stood up the bass should be in the same position on your body as when you are sat down practising. That way all your angles are the same and you are not changing position. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pikeman Posted December 21, 2012 Share Posted December 21, 2012 [quote name='MacDaddy' timestamp='1356094952' post='1906733'] according to Billy Sheehan, when you are stood up the bass should be in the same position on your body as when you are sat down practising. That way all your angles are the same and you are not changing position. [/quote] That's exactly how I have mine, I find it the most comfortable for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigRedX Posted December 21, 2012 Share Posted December 21, 2012 [quote name='MacDaddy' timestamp='1356094952' post='1906733'] according to Billy Sheehan, when you are stood up the bass should be in the same position on your body as when you are sat down practising. That way all your angles are the same and you are not changing position. [/quote] I never play sitting down. Playing for me is all about gigging, and I'm certainly not going to sit down when I gig, therefore I always play standing up because that's how I'll do it in public where it's most important. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Vader Posted December 21, 2012 Share Posted December 21, 2012 [quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1356105384' post='1906951'] I never play sitting down. Playing for me is all about gigging, and I'm certainly not going to sit down when I gig, therefore I always play standing up because that's how I'll do it in public where it's most important. [/quote] This. Though more cos playing sat down ends up playing merry hell with my right shoulder. I'm like Lozz, bass at the end of my very long right arm. Which interestingly may make it more like Spike's..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xfredrikx Posted January 3, 2013 Share Posted January 3, 2013 Below my gut above my knees, kind of. I have to reach for the lower volume and the tone control. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dood Posted January 3, 2013 Share Posted January 3, 2013 [quote name='MacDaddy' timestamp='1356094952' post='1906733'] according to Billy Sheehan, when you are stood up the bass should be in the same position on your body as when you are sat down practising. That way all your angles are the same and you are not changing position. [/quote] I also teach the same for that reason. I like to teach efficiency as well as getting across the importance of good posture. It makes tons of sense to have your bass in pretty much the same place if you are stood up or sat down. If you practice at home with your nose above the upper horn of the bass - then play gigs with the bass hanging around ya balls - then you're undoing all of that practice and exercise on your hands. As an example, I've never seen a drummer practice all his moves with a kit set out one way, then change it completely for a gig! It'd be a disaster for most. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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