String spacing, neck depth/width/shape etc etc.

[bubinga5]

Ive heard this a lot, and its not a rant, just an observation on the physicalities of playing bass. I don't mean to be insensitive to other bass players as everyone is different in there technique and playing style. And I certainly have plenty of flaws in my own playing. 

 Ive played a lot of basses over the years. 24 fret, 35 inch scale.  Short scale. 18mm 16mm 20mm string spacing 6 string 5's 4's , necks from a C to a D and V shaped. . Ive heard, I can't play an 18mm spacing bass because I'm used to 19mm spacing. Its 1 mm. Surely your hand can adapt to 1 mm. Neck shapes. Surely your human hand can adapt to a slightly different neck shape. Im not claiming to be the best bass player on BassChat, but if any bass is put in front of me my hand can (eventually) adapt to neck depth, shape, string spacing. 6 string 4 string. I will admit that a 16mm 5 string bass isn't the easiest to slap on. . Is it being fussy/un adaptable or just what players want to stick with because they have been playing certain instrument dynamics/measurements for so long..? 

Edited February 25, 2019 by bubinga5

[Lozz196]

I kind of know what you mean, my preference is for Fender Precisions with standard Fender spacing, whatever that is, but I can pretty much play what I need to on any bass. No idea what it was but at one bass bash there was a fanned fret 5 string and I was amazed at how quickly I adapted to it. Now I’m no virtuoso, don’t play anything remotely difficult so this may have a bearing on my opinion but although I have a preference any bass will do.

[Cato]

I adapt to  things like different string spacing spacing or neck depth really quickly.

Different  string tension really throws me though. I 've got an old Washburn Status which I keep mainly for sentimental value and don't play that much anymore.

Despite being strung with standard gauge double ball end GHS boomers the tension on those strings is much higher than on any other bass I own and I find my right hand fingers almost tripping over the strings on stuff that I can normally play without thinking.

 

[EMG456]

I don’t get this either.

Way back when I was just starting, I found it impossible to play a different bass to what I was used to (Rick) but I wanted to use a Precision because I liked the sound for some types of songs. So I persevered and then fell into the “I can only play these songs on that bass” trap. That was pretty much shot when I had to sell most of my basses to be able to afford my first Steinberger. That was virtually my only fretted bass for the next 8 years so everything was played on it!

Now I have again lots of different basses and I enjoy them all- 34,33, 32 inch scales, 4/5/6/8 strings, fretted/ fretless, headed/ headless, different neck widths, tapers and depths/ profiles, active/ passive. I just take whichever ones I fancy to the gig and use them.

I suspect the thing is, if you’re used to playing a wide variety of different instruments, it’s easy to adapt within seconds. If you exclusively play one type of instrument, it’s more difficult to adjust quickly.

[chris_b]

6 hours ago, bubinga5 said:

Is it being fussy/un adaptable ..? 

Yes.

The only thing I insist on is either 18mm or 19mm at the bridge. So far I haven't met a scale, neck shape or nut width etc that is a show stopper. For some reason, only that bridge measurement matters!

Edited February 26, 2019 by chris_b

[Stub Mandrel]

I agree, it amazes me how people complain abut strings being too close together for fingerstyle. Have they never fingerpicked on an acoustic guitar with a set of 13s on it?

My Fender Performer is super narrow, but plays like a dream.

Try playing mandolin 🙂

[walshy]

Yeah I agree. Never ever thought of string spacing etc when buying or playing any bass. Don’t find anything an issue to bash a tune out. Even the fan fretted Dingwall basses I’ve had didn’t take any real adapting to. 

[thodrik]

I think that when people say 'I can't play with 18mm string spacing' it is just shorthand for 'I could technically play on 18mm string spacing but it isn't my preference and I would prefer to play something else'. I think that it is mostly personal preference rather than a case of bassists being fussy or not being adaptable or any idea that a bassist who doesn't like narrow string spacing is somehow a less talented bassist than someone who does. The context behind someone saying 'I can only play bass on Fender Precision basses might actually be 'I have been playing loads of types of basses for years but have finally discovered that the dimensions and sounds of a Precision are perfect for me, so why bother playing something else?'.

I'm sure that if most of the players on this site swapped basses for a weekend of gigs, most of us would be able to 'make do' with someone else's bass for a weekend without the gig suffering. We probably wouldn't enjoy it as much though as playing with the instruments we are used to and have chosen through our own personal preference. It would be a fun experiment though.

Edited February 26, 2019 by thodrik

[AdrianP]

I've got a few basses right now. Fender, Ibanez, Yamaha plus a J&D tuned to Eb. I can pretty much get along with all of them in terms of string spacing. But the thing that I do find difficult is a flat fretboard with un-rolled edges. I really love the sound of my Yamaha BB424 but find the sharp edge to the fretboard intrusive in that I am always aware of them when playing. I much prefer the very obvious rolled edges on my USA Standard Jazz.

[4000]

I'm afraid this falls into the same category as whether the weight of a bass matters. It does if it does, and if it doesn't to you then you may not get it. I've found over the past  decade that most Fender-type necks cause me problems with nerve pain, muscle cramps etc, but I do have prolapsed cervical discs which affect the nerves in my arms and hands. Beyond that,  surely it's up to the player and if it matters - or not - then that's their call? I don't see it as anything strange anymore than why someone prefers the look or sound of one bass over another. Personally I much prefer playing a relatively slim, more or less parallel neck (i.e. not like a Jazz) with nothing over 17mm string spacing. Why? Because it's more comfortable to me. Sure  could adapt, but why should I? I could  wear size 11 shoes too, or maybe 9s at a push, but 10s are generally more comfortable. End of.

Oh, and with regards to 1mm strings spacing, go and talk some accomplished fingerstyle guitarists. 1mm can make all the difference when fingerpicking something technical.

 

 

 

Edited February 26, 2019 by 4000

[BigRedX]

I play lots of different stringed instruments with different numbers and types of strings, different scales lengths, different neck profiles, different string spacing at the nut and the bridge, and I can adapt to nearly all of them. If I was a one instrument player then I might be a bit more picky, but I'm not so the vast majority of the time these things don't really matter.

Wat I do find strange is the people who fixate on particular specification of an instrument without taking in the instrument as a whole. String spacing at the bridge is one of those very peculiar specifications where it tells only a small part of the overall picture. IMO without also knowing the string spacing at the nut and the scale length it tells you very little about the bass an its playability.

Personally I've pretty much stopped looking at the numbers in specifications and just focus on the important things. Do I like how it looks? Do I like how it feels to play? Do I like how it sounds through my rig when I play with my band? If the answer to those three questions is "yes" then the numbers themselves don't matter.

[Guest MoJo]

31 minutes ago, AdrianP said:

I've got a few basses right now. Fender, Ibanez, Yamaha plus a J&D tuned to Eb. I can pretty much get along with all of them in terms of string spacing. But the thing that I do find difficult is a flat fretboard with un-rolled edges. I really love the sound of my Yamaha BB424 but find the sharp edge to the fretboard intrusive in that I am always aware of them when playing. I much prefer the very obvious rolled edges on my USA Standard Jazz.

I have 'rolled my own' so to speak with great results. I just used the shaft of a screwdriver blade. Ran it along the sharp edges with light pressure altering the angle of each pass to give a nice rounded edge and it made the fretboard a lot more comfortable to play.

[ahpook]

Well, I suppose I count as inflexible. My preferred string layout is a Jazz bass with an un-notched Badass bridge which gives a bridge spacing of a bit over 17mm.

Anything other than this feels odd to me....I can adapt, but I'm never as comfortable as with the above set-up.

 

Edited February 26, 2019 by ahpook

[Horizontalste]

Adaptability & choice overlap in this debate I think, I'm sure we can adapt to most things, different environment, vocation, relationships & so on, its part of the human condition & if forced upon us we will in time adapt.

However, we do have a choice in whether or not we are prepared to make the effort to adapt, because let's face it, most people are creatures of habit & will resist change. It's how our brains work.

I've said recently on here that I prefer 19mm spacing, its something I've grown comfortable with over the years, that doesn't mean I don't ever play my basses with narrower spacing.

I will flat refuse to adapt to metal though, I'd rather eat my own fingers & pour cement down my ear holes before I play that poo 😜 no offense metal heads!

 

[Stub Mandrel]

Interesting

. My Performer is 16.4, 5-string is 14.5, lawsuit P-bass and Jaguar both 18.

[dmccombe7]

String spacing was something i'd never paid much attention too but when i went back and checked almost all my basses have been 18mm spacing. 

Few yrs back i thought i would try 6 string basses and bought an ESP which had 16 or 16.5mm spacing and it completely thru me. I kept missing strings or hitting the wrong strings. When i played the bass a lot and no other bass i got used to it reasonably quick. It didn't cause me a problem going back to 18mm spacing for some weird reason. Now i tend to go for 18mm spacing on my basses. 

With regards the different necks i can adapt to most basses altho i found the Precision and Musicman necks a bit wide for me but i can adapt quite quickly to them. I just feel much happier with my slim Jazz or Warwick Thumb NT necks.

All my basses currently have 18mm spacing including 5 and 6 stringers

Dave

[itu]

When there was only vanilla ice cream, nobody asked for strawberry.

I have played many very good sounding basses, but there have been different issues that have prevented me buying many of those. I have had the possibility to acquire the bass I like, not the the one that does not fit. My preferences are that 19 mm spacing (all of my basses do not have this), wide but shallow neck, 4 or 5 strings, light SS string set, 34 - 36" scale and light weight. This narrows the selection available but there are so many alternatives nowadays that I do not complain. I could play some 12 pound Jazz or Höfner B-bass or Steinberger L-2 but they do not represent me the optimal.

I have studied playing while young but practically I am a weekend warrior nowadays. A suitable instrument helps me to go to gigs and rehearsals. I enjoy my instruments, because I feel like at home with them and I can concentrate on the details of the playing in stead of doing a workout. Sometimes I forget the quality of my instruments but visiting a local shop or playing someone else's instrument reminds me of my own, personal equipment.

[chris_b]

We are all trying to get through our lives with the least hassle and some are fussier about "stuff" than others. It's a first world problem, but why not try to be as comfortable as we can?

I flew off to a series of gigs where I was lent a 5 string bass. When I got there I found it was a Yamaha something-or-other. I played it that night and discovered it was around 15mm-16mm! I had never thought about this before, all my basses were Fender-ish and in 30 years the subject of string spacing had never occurred to me. I had 4 gigs in 3 days and was just about OK by the last gig. That's when I discovered I can play a song without even knowing the chords but this one small difference was enough to ruin my day!

[EliasMooseblaster]

I'm not particularly fussy - I've never even thought to measure the string spacings on my basses - but then I have the advantage of long arms and big hands. Conversely, I remember hearing an interview with Joanne Shaw Taylor, who explained that she mostly stuck to Fender guitars because they suited her smaller hands, and had trouble finding Gibsons with a neck profile she could get her fingers around comfortably.

This reminded me of an Aria bass I owned years ago: it had a two octave neck and quite a small body, which meant that the lower frets were quite a long way away if you sat down to play it. My sister tried to play it a couple of times and had to quite literally lean sideways to reach the low F. Spare a thought for those bass players of smaller stature!

[dmccombe7]

My Thumb bass is a bit like that. If sitting down its a stretch. 

[Delberthot]

I honestly don't know what the string spacing, neck dimensions or weight is of my bass but it's right for me and that's all that matters.

The thing that is most likely to affect my playing is where my right hand sits on the bass. This could be the pickup cover on a Rick or old Fender, the $$ pickups on a Warwick ( I always found that my thumb tried to get in between the two pickups), or if the poles on a pickup are straight cut like older Musicman basses and so on.

Possibly the most challenging basses I have owned have been my Yamaha TRB6 II  fretless with a neck that also doubled as an ironing board. The other being the 12 string basses I owned as I always play with my fingers so the act of fretting 3 strings at once and playing 3 strings at once was pretty tricky to get used to

[Davo-London]

High action anyone?  This is my pet hate.  I will not play a bass or guitar with high action.  Oh well, then there's neck thickness from front to back.  Don't like baseball necks.  Oh, now I've started ...

Davo

[dmccombe7]

6 hours ago, Davo-London said:

High action anyone?  This is my pet hate.  I will not play a bass or guitar with high action.  Oh well, then there's neck thickness from front to back.  Don't like baseball necks.  Oh, now I've started ...

Davo

I can play with a high action but i find it very limiting. Currently running my Jazz at just under 2mm.

I get cramp if i'm playing too long with a high action

Dave

[Guest MoJo]

23 hours ago, Delberthot said:

I honestly don't know what the string spacing, neck dimensions or weight is of my bass but it's right for me and that's all that matters.

The thing that is most likely to affect my playing is where my right hand sits on the bass. This could be the pickup cover on a Rick or old Fender, the $$ pickups on a Warwick ( I always found that my thumb tried to get in between the two pickups), or if the poles on a pickup are straight cut like older Musicman basses and so on.

Possibly the most challenging basses I have owned have been my Yamaha TRB6 II  fretless with a neck that also doubled as an ironing board. The other being the 12 string basses I owned as I always play with my fingers so the act of fretting 3 strings at once and playing 3 strings at once was pretty tricky to get used to

I could imagine if you were changing the strings on that TRB6 and you lay it on it's back, strings removed, Goose and Maverick would attempt to land on it

[Delberthot]

This is the fellow right here