Pickup Ramps - whats the point

[Woodinblack]

Lots of guitars have pickup ramps, those little bits of wood between / next to pickups making a large part of the neck the same height as the pickup.
I had a look at some explanations as what they were there for, but wasn't sure I was really getting it.

Can anyone explain what the point of them is, and what you gain from them being there?

[discreet]

Could be quite wrong, but I had it in my head that they were there to prevent you from digging in too hard when playing fingerstyle. Something about getting your fingers tangled up in the strings, losing your footing, falling off stage and landing on the Mayor's wife just as he was judging the sandcastle competition, or something. Ah, noon! Time for my meds. Thank you, please.

[Grangur]

This is what Gary Willis has to say about it.

http://www.garywillis.com/pages/bass/bassmanual/theramp.html

[JapanAxe]

If you play more-or-less straight fingered, your plucking fingers can go too far into the strings and slow you dow. On rare occasion this can have catastrophic results, as described by Discreet above.

As I play with curved fingers (rather like a pianist), the thumb of my plucking hand prevents my other fingers from doing this. I can then mock ramp-users for being unable to play without artificial assistance.

EDIT: Afterthought - it must be a bit like an upright bass player plucking over the end of the fingerboard.

Edited January 17, 2015 by JapanAxe

[Woodinblack]

Well, that would be something you would definitely want to avoid. I guess I am lucky I haven't done any gigs for the mayor yet!

[Woodinblack]

I am trying to build up speed in my picking hand at the moment, as I noticed in songs like 'Hit me with your rhythm stick' and Hysteria when it comes to playing at full speed I start losing synchronisation with my fingers, and they aren't quite fast enough, whereas if I do it with just 'one finger like a plectrum' I can do it fine, but want to do it with two fingers.

I do play with curved fingers, although they do dig in more the faster I get.

[discreet]

[quote name='Grangur' timestamp='1421495844' post='2661945']
This is what Gary Willis has to say about it. [url="http://www.garywillis.com/pages/bass/bassmanual/theramp.html"]http://www.garywilli...al/theramp.html[/url]
[/quote]

Very interesting what he has to say about playing hard, attack and dynamics. I had recently come to this conclusion independently.
It only took me about forty years to figure it out.

[Woodinblack]

It does make sense, although I would imagine it would take a lot of practice to get comfortable. One of the things I had a problem with on the dingwall is that where the pickups are at an angle, there isn't a consistent place you could put your hand where it was either over a pickup or not. Like if you put your thumb on the pickup (as I do - and as Mr Willis seems to be referring to), you have 3 strings where you are over the pickup, and two where you are not, and it is a bit of a weird thing.

[chris_b]

[quote name='JapanAxe' timestamp='1421495912' post='2661949']I can then mock ramp-users for being unable to play without artificial assistance.
[/quote]

Pretty much this.

If "digging in" is bad, don't do it.

Learn how to play with control and you can still use as many dynamics as before.

[Kev]

I found a ramp to be a good practice tool in learning a lighter touch. It wasn't for me, I am now rampless and playing heavier than ever

[Cosmo Valdemar]

I always thought it gave you far more area on which to rest your thumb, as opposed to just using the pickup covers.

[stingrayPete1977]

I get almost all of a 1.0mm Dunlop pick right through the string gaps when playing town called mallice

[Roland Rock]

[quote name='Cosmo Valdemar' timestamp='1421558135' post='2662677']
I always thought it gave you far more area on which to rest your thumb, as opposed to just using the pickup covers.
[/quote]

Me too

[EssentialTension]

[UglyDog]

[quote name='chris_b' timestamp='1421540649' post='2662632']
Pretty much this.

If "digging in" is bad, don't do it.

Learn how to play with control and you can still use as many dynamics as before.
[/quote]
I would imagine Gary Willis has 'learned to play' fairly well by now the way I see it, if it's good enough for him it's certainly good enough for me and it has revolutionised my playing. But thanks for the tip, I consider myself duly mocked and will go away and learn how to play properly.

[Woodinblack]

[quote name='UglyDog' timestamp='1421578805' post='2662788']
I would imagine Gary Willis has 'learned to play' fairly well by now the way I see it, if it's good enough for him it's certainly good enough for me and it has revolutionised my playing. But thanks for the tip, I consider myself duly mocked and will go away and learn how to play properly.
[/quote]

I wondered that about Gary Willis.. well sort of, TBH honest I have no idea who he is, but lots of people seem to like him and he has his own custom bass so he must be doing ok

But really I would like to know (hence the thread), what exactly it has revolutionised? Is it just the sound / speed or is it something else? Why do I need to do it to help my playing?

[chris_b]

UD, I'm glad it worked for you.

But as Gary Willis was selling them at the time, pushing the ramp idea looks more like a marketing opportunity to me.

[chris_b]

To me it looks like a solution in search of a problem.

[Woodinblack]

[quote name='chris_b' timestamp='1421580044' post='2662806']
UD, I'm glad it worked for you.

But as Gary Willis was selling them at the time, pushing the ramp idea looks more like a marketing opportunity to me.
[/quote]

Here http://bassmusicianmagazine.com/2014/03/the-evolution-of-bass-ramps/ Gary Willis says that it wasn't patented because he didn't want to be a patent troll and there is no profit involved due to the different size of pickups etc, so it seems unlikely it is anything to do with marketing.

[EssentialTension]

[quote name='JapanAxe' timestamp='1421495912' post='2661949']
... it must be a bit like an upright bass player plucking over the end of the fingerboard.
[/quote]
I often pluck over the end of the fingerboard on an electric too

[discreet]

If you think a ramp will help you then try one. If it works for you, fine. If it doesn't, you tried it so move on.

[discreet]

[quote name='stingrayPete1977' timestamp='1421566644' post='2662686']
I get almost all of a 1.0mm Dunlop pick right through the string gaps when playing town called mallice
[/quote]

Er, so... you break a few strings, then?

[fretmeister]

I like them. I only have 1 bass set up that way, but I'd be happy to have more.

[UglyDog]

[quote name='Woodinblack' timestamp='1421579813' post='2662802']
But really I would like to know (hence the thread), what exactly it has revolutionised? Is it just the sound / speed or is it something else? Why do I need to do it to help my playing?
[/quote]
You don't [i]need[/i] it as such. In my case, I read about it and thought I'd give it a try -- experimented with a piece of wood carpet-taped to the front of my bass -- and essentially it's stayed there ever since. As has been said, it gives the same feel as playing over the pickup but without playing over the pickup, stops me from digging in too much, means that I get a more even tone across strings and so on. But what the heck -- I'm not going to justify my decision because TBH I don't feel the need to. All I will say is if you're curious and think it might work for you, try a temporary one like I did. The worst that can happen is that you'll take it off again. It might be the best thing you've ever done, it might be the most pointless. Who knows? Up to you at day's end.

[stingrayPete1977]

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1421584261' post='2662869']


Er, so... you break a few strings, then?
[/quote]

Just one about ten years ago