Basses With Thin Fast Necks?

[Conan]

[quote name='dave_bass5' timestamp='1361782740' post='1990586']
Its not, there have already been a few posts discussing what fast means
[/quote]

Yes. Thank you for the sarcasm, but I realise that.

I was hoping that one of the people who [b]do[/b] equate fast and thin might post, explaining [i]why[/i] they made that link...

[lozbass]

[quote name='Conan' timestamp='1361788974' post='1990687']
I was hoping that one of the people who [b]do[/b] equate fast and thin might post, explaining [i]why[/i] they made that link...
[/quote]
For me, it's more than neck dimensions - string compliance and tension, action and scale length play an important role. I find that slender and shallow necks (with low action etc.) provide less in terms of 'hampering' what I want to do - I can play more quickly (and more expressively) when I don't feel that the bass is providing physical obstacles. I get the obstacle-free feel with slender necks and play short-scale, super-narrow basses almost exclusively now. All this said, there are occassions when a slightly more chunky neck works better for me (particularly in blues and rock settings) - getting slowed-down a bit frequently adds something rather than subtracing. I'm not sure this makes any sense...

Edited February 25, 2013 by lozbass

[bremen]

I don't get that slim=fast either. It's surely how it fits your hand.

Maybe it's psychological - because it's thin like a greyhound you expect it to go faster than were it fat like a St Bernards.

(not taking the piss, for once, never underestimate the power of placebo)

[Conan]

[quote name='bremen' timestamp='1361805809' post='1991136']
I don't get that slim=fast either. It's surely how it fits your hand.
[/quote]

And maybe the neck finish? I find that highly glossed necks are a bit "grippy" and that unvarnished necks just don't feel right to me. My GL is "just right" as baby bear would say! Not sure what the finish actually [i]is[/i] (polyurethane rings a bell) but it is lovely IMO and makes the neck on that bass "feel" faster (i.e. comfortable and unrestrictive to play).

It is a very inexact science. I think we all know what [b][i]we[/i][/b] mean, but maybe find the terminology used by others more difficult to grasp!

[xilddx]

The Lakland I tried was ridiculously thin and shallow, but it was a big step too far for me. The newer Fender necks are about perfect for me, but really it's all about ergonomics, the kit has to fit the person, so a fast neck for some will be a slow one for others.

[Torben Hedstrøm]

still haven't found out what makes a comfortable neck for me... I would love if some day I could buy a bass purely based on it's data (nut width, shallow or not so much etc.) but that day will probably never come. One thing I have learned is, that a proper setup and good strings can really work wonders, and sometimes turn an unplayable bass/neck completely around. The other thing I've learned is that string spacing is extremely important for me... 19 mm. is juuuuust right.

Best/fastest necks I've encountered so far:

Elrick Gold NJS 5 String
Tune 5 string (don't recall the model... It's almost 20 years ago)
Warwick Dolphin NT 5

Still long for an Elrick, and if I see one on the market sometime, at a reasonable price I will fight you for it .

Had a few 4/6 stringers with good necks, but comparing them to the 5's would be unreasonable... 5 Strings is definately my main instrument, although I would like a 4 string 'slapper' at some point