Strap lengths under the Chin on the gut or round your knee's whats your poison???

[tonyxtiger]

Knees!

[ThomBassmonkey]

So my right arm is about straight. I've played with my bass very low and fairly high and this about suits me. It did used to be a bit higher but I had tendonitis in my wrist a few years back and if I try and play for long periods now, my wrist would start to sieze up. It's not done it in a few years but I don't see the point risking it when this way is comfy anyway.

[Bassection]

Varies for me depending on the bass I'm using.

I like to play my Warwicks at belt & ball height, but my Fenders feel more natural at gut height.

[doghouse]

Below the gut as a 51 has no contour

[Michael Currie]

Mm, I'd wear it higher if I'm using a wider neck (5 string) to ease my left hand or if I was solely slapping!

[PaulWarning]

below the waist, looks cool though some may disagree, avoids buckle rash this way, trouble is if I leave my keys in the wrong pocket I get dents in the back (of the bass) instead

[franzbassist]

I wear my basses quite high, so my fretting wrist is straight and there's no nasty break angle for my plucking hand. I find this puts the bass at just the right height for playing fingerstyle, picking or slapping. This translates to a strap just slightly longer than Sheehan's optimum.

Edited February 3, 2013 by walbassist

[discreet]

Somewhere between the two. Never wear a belt to avoid buckle rash. Always wear soft trousers. Ooh, yeah.

[Evil Undead]

Just under the right hooter for me,.

[discreet]

[quote name='Evil Undead' timestamp='1359894626' post='1961621']
Just under the right hooter for me,.
[/quote]

What about the left hooter..?

[Evil Undead]

Nah. My arms aren't long enough for that.

[discreet]

[quote name='Evil Undead' timestamp='1359895090' post='1961630']
Nah. My arms aren't long enough for that.
[/quote]

[size=4] [/size]

[Evil Undead]

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1359895353' post='1961634']


[size=4] [/size]
[/quote]

[thodrik]

It depends. If I've put on a bit of weight I might raise the bass a bit, as stretching for the fifteenth fret can be a tricky with love handles.

Normally though, anywhere between the crotch and belly button and I'll probably be fine.

[discreet]

[quote name='thodrik' timestamp='1359896654' post='1961680']
...anywhere between the crotch and belly button and I'll probably be fine.
[/quote]

That's what I say to the current mrs discreet.

[xgsjx]

I have mine dropped slightly lower than what it would be when I'm sitting.
I've tried loads of positions & tried to have it the same as when sitting, but it's more comfortable to play for me if it drops @ 2" when I'm standing.

[BigRedX]

[quote name='xgsjx' timestamp='1359904888' post='1961829']
I have mine dropped slightly lower than what it would be when I'm sitting.
I've tried loads of positions & tried to have it the same as when sitting, but it's more comfortable to play for me if it drops @ 2" when I'm standing.
[/quote]

Which is why I never ever play sitting down.

My biggest bugbear about this is rock guitarists who sit down to record their parts in the studio. You don't sit down on stage, so why when you are recording? It saps all the energy out of the performance. If you can't play the part standing up well enough to pass studio scrutiny then IMO you need to practice more.

[thodrik]

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1359905562' post='1961842']
Which is why I never ever play sitting down.

My biggest bugbear about this is rock guitarists who sit down to record their parts in the studio. You don't sit down on stage, so why when you are recording? It saps all the energy out of the performance. If you can't play the part standing up well enough to pass studio scrutiny then IMO you need to practice more.
[/quote]

They are only sitting down because they are exhausted after waiting 6 hours for the drummer to get a half-decent take.

[xgsjx]

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1359905562' post='1961842']
Which is why I never ever play sitting down.

My biggest bugbear about this is rock guitarists who sit down to record their parts in the studio. You don't sit down on stage, so why when you are recording? It saps all the energy out of the performance. If you can't play the part standing up well enough to pass studio scrutiny then IMO you need to practice more.
[/quote]

I prefer standing, but quite often in the house I just grab my bass & sit down just to practice building speed & stamina.

I'd like to agree with the standing theory, but it does depend on the music. This for example...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g3hBYTkI-sE

Edited February 3, 2013 by xgsjx

[Myke]

I used to have my bass by my knees but as my bass lines became more technical it went slowly up. Now I have it just lower then it would be if I was sat down to play because then I can easily get above the 12th fret and play chords and such.

[BigRedX]

[quote name='thodrik' timestamp='1359906920' post='1961859']
They are only sitting down because they are exhausted after waiting 6 hours for the drummer to get a half-decent take.
[/quote]

Not our drummer. If it takes him more than a couple of goes, it's because he's being too picky about his playing...

"I didn't quite hit the ride cymbal in the right place on the second beat of the third bar in the middle 8".

[BigRedX]

[quote name='xgsjx' timestamp='1359907878' post='1961877']
I prefer standing, but quite often in the house I just grab my bass & sit down just to practice building speed & stamina.

I'd like to agree with the standing theory, but it does depend on the music. This for example...
[/quote]

Even practicing around the house I always stand up to play. I'm a physical player - I like to move around as I play.

Although I agree about it not being appropriate for every genre which is why I qualified my statement by talking about ROCK guitarists.

[MrTaff]

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1359905562' post='1961842']
My biggest bugbear about this is rock guitarists who sit down to record their parts in the studio. You don't sit down on stage, so why when you are recording? It saps all the energy out of the performance. If you can't play the part standing up well enough to pass studio scrutiny then IMO you need to practice more.
[/quote]

The difference you're not putting on a show when you're recording so why bother standing up? it doesn't make any difference to how I sound recorded whether I'm sitting or standing.

[BigRedX]

[quote name='MrTaff' timestamp='1359910436' post='1961921']
The difference you're not putting on a show when you're recording so why bother standing up? it doesn't make any difference to how I sound recorded whether I'm sitting or standing.
[/quote]

IME it makes a massive difference to how most people play. Seated playing never seems to have the same level of attack or energy.

Of course you might be one of the exceptions, but I'd need to hear you play first to be sure.

Edit: and you are putting on a show - without the visual cues you need to try even harder to achieve something that sounds as exciting as the live stage performance.

Edited February 3, 2013 by BigRedX

[MrTaff]

Clearly I'm not the exception otherwise everybody would recoding standing up, but they don't & most albums sound fine, if anything I'd say most people sound better sitting down before they're more focused.

I don't see it like that, it's the visual parts that make a live show exciting you'll never get a recording to be like it, I don't find live anymore exciting the stuff recorded in a studio, often it just sounds more sloppy.