Greg.Bassman Posted October 22, 2018 Share Posted October 22, 2018 (edited) Hi all. Just wondering how neck thickness [distance front to back] and shape [‘modern c’ or 'd' for example] affect feel and playability? What are some of your playing experiences? Thanks. Edited October 22, 2018 by Greg.Bassman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheGreek Posted October 22, 2018 Share Posted October 22, 2018 Personal preference... My dream bass for many years was a Wal MK1 - when I finally bought one I couldn't get on with the neck profile - sold (well traded TBH) it on shortly after... The Elwray Bass currently doing the rounds - nice bass - has many attributes that I would normally go for...neck profile is too flat for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grahambythesea Posted October 23, 2018 Share Posted October 23, 2018 I started on short scale basses, Höfner and the like, probably quite chunky by today’s standards , graduated on to a Precision which initially felt massive, but soon became my norm. Then I switched to 5s with Jazz proportions which now feel comfortable and normal. For a short while had a Washburn fretless 5 electro acoustic that had a tree trunk as a neck. That’s the only bass I never really adjusted to, and that I think is the answer, you adapt to what you have! 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheGreek Posted October 23, 2018 Share Posted October 23, 2018 22 minutes ago, Grahambythesea said: you adapt to what you have! ..If you persevere. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Japhet Posted October 23, 2018 Share Posted October 23, 2018 I'm partial to a chunky neck. Thinner necks are a bit easier to play quick stuff on but I find they make the palm of my fretting hand ache on a long gig, especially with a short front to back profile. I've never noticed much difference in necks with different radius to be honest. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lozz196 Posted October 23, 2018 Share Posted October 23, 2018 3 hours ago, Japhet said: I'm partial to a chunky neck. Thinner necks are a bit easier to play quick stuff on but I find they make the palm of my fretting hand ache on a long gig, especially with a short front to back profile. Pretty much the same for me, I prefer a chunkier. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gilmourisgod Posted October 24, 2018 Share Posted October 24, 2018 I have small/average size hands, so chunky necks put me off, never liked P necks, but a Jazz feels great. The Ibanez necks feel great in my hands. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lw. Posted October 24, 2018 Share Posted October 24, 2018 All about personal preference. Playability is just a combination of what your hands & mind like - I've played a huge variety of basses & my go to bass is a precision with wide spacing & a soft-v neck profile. I can play songs on that that I can't on my others - I assume it's a mental thing plus having the space for my fingers to move. You'd think closer strings & thinner necks would make you be able to play faster but that hasn't always been the case in my experience. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mangotango Posted October 26, 2018 Share Posted October 26, 2018 On 24/10/2018 at 12:23, Gilmourisgod said: I have small/average size hands, so chunky necks put me off, never liked P necks, but a Jazz feels great. The Ibanez necks feel great in my hands. This. And then I acquired a Bass Collection SB 301, and found the perfect match for me. Even the 5-string is perfectly manageable. So I got one of those too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris_b Posted October 26, 2018 Share Posted October 26, 2018 Up until now the depth of the neck has never had an effect on my playing. It seems my left hand doesn't require much consistency in the necks I play. I just adapt to a wider grip and to wider spaced strings at the nut and on the fret board. I guess we can all relearn, but the one thing my right hand needs, is for the strings to be 18mm or 19mm at the bridge or that will affect my playing. After so many years playing Fender type basses I'm locked into that one. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marvin Posted October 26, 2018 Share Posted October 26, 2018 I don't worry about nut width on a neck, it is actually how 'thick' it is i.e from back to front. I used to have a Rockbass Corvette (one of the first ones). It was a 38mm standard jazz style nut width but the neck was like a baseball bat. I found it almost unplayable and made my hand hurt. It was also complicated by how those basses hang, which makes the first fret feel a thousand miles away. My current basses have very playable necks regards their girth Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T-Bay Posted October 26, 2018 Share Posted October 26, 2018 I have tried loads but the slim Thunderbird neck is just perfection for me. I had a precision and it felt like trying to play a cricket bay in comparison. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pea Turgh Posted October 26, 2018 Share Posted October 26, 2018 I like wide and shallow. Narrow gives me hand cramps. I have daddy long legs hands though. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Highfox Posted October 26, 2018 Share Posted October 26, 2018 5 minutes ago, Pea Turgh said: I like wide and shallow. Narrow gives me hand cramps. I have daddy long legs hands though. That's just cheating lol. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NancyJohnson Posted October 29, 2018 Share Posted October 29, 2018 My hands are pretty big so honestly never really experienced issues with neck profiles or string spacing. That said, I didn't get on with the neck on the Rickenbacker 4003 I owned...no taper, fat, nasty. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EliasMooseblaster Posted October 29, 2018 Share Posted October 29, 2018 Judging by variation in responses, it's probably fair to say that some people are more picky about it than others! It's never really bothered me personally, but obviously I can understand why you wouldn't want to own an instrument if the neck was uncomfortable to play, let alone if it actually made your left hand cramp up! I think I've only tried one bass, if memory serves, on which the neck was so small and fiddly that I couldn't see myself ever getting on with it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andruca Posted October 29, 2018 Share Posted October 29, 2018 Personal preference. I have HUGE hands (I cover 11" with one hand spread) and still can't play thick necks nor too wide spacing 5ers. I mean, I can, just won't. SO used to Stingray 5ers that almost any 5er feels hard to play for me. Only like the sharpest of C profiles. The other thing I can't stand is fingerboard radius, the flatter the better. I'm the most picky person about this I know. I have a hard time understanding why manufacturers won't publish specs such as front-to-back thickness @ frets 1 and 12. In the internet age, where sometimes you don't get to try all you buy, such a spec would have saved me from buying a couple hand thrashers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geek99 Posted October 29, 2018 Share Posted October 29, 2018 Big palms with small fingers, I can do 10” easily I’m pretty much able to adapt to anything. I used to shy away from p basses but now I love them i think within reasonable physical limits most people should be able to adapt pretty quickly to different sizes Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BreadBin Posted October 29, 2018 Share Posted October 29, 2018 (edited) I don't mind depth, but anything too narrow I struggle with. Jazz profile is no good for me. Bridge spacing I am quite fussy about too - again narrow is bad. Edited October 29, 2018 by BreadBin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deedee Posted October 30, 2018 Share Posted October 30, 2018 On 26/10/2018 at 12:54, chris_b said: Up until now the depth of the neck has never had an effect on my playing. It seems my left hand doesn't require much consistency in the necks I play. I just adapt to a wider grip and to wider spaced strings at the nut and on the fret board. I guess we can all relearn, but the one thing my right hand needs, is for the strings to be 18mm or 19mm at the bridge or that will affect my playing. After so many years playing Fender type basses I'm locked into that one. Exactly this for me. I used to avoid narrower nut widths but I’m loving my EBMM Sterlings after years of playing mainly Stingray/Precision width necks. However, a narrow spacing at the bridge and I’m knackered. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quatschmacher Posted November 10, 2018 Share Posted November 10, 2018 (edited) On 30/10/2018 at 01:26, Deedee said: Exactly this for me. I used to avoid narrower nut widths but I’m loving my EBMM Sterlings after years of playing mainly Stingray/Precision width necks. However, a narrow spacing at the bridge and I’m knackered. Sterlings actually have a slightly narrower string spacing at the bridge (1/16” less) than Stingrays according to the EBMM specs. I found the difference a plus when I compared. Edited November 10, 2018 by Quatschmacher Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deedee Posted November 10, 2018 Share Posted November 10, 2018 13 minutes ago, Quatschmacher said: Sterlings actually have a slightly narrower string spacing at the bridge (1/16” less) than Stingrays according to the EBMM specs. I found the difference a plus when I compared. If there is a difference, it's certainly not discernible. Feel great to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quatschmacher Posted November 10, 2018 Share Posted November 10, 2018 2 minutes ago, Deedee said: If there is a difference, it's certainly not discernible. Feel great to me. I definitely felt it, more so when anchoring my thumb on the E string and playing the G string. I have shortish fingers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MacDaddy Posted November 15, 2018 Share Posted November 15, 2018 Thin J, flat D profile, works for me. But I have small hands. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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