Twunkbass Posted January 30, 2022 Share Posted January 30, 2022 So through several conditions I as a 25 year old basically have the back pain of an 80 year old, which is obviously a slight issue on stage . My ibanez 5 string is luckily very light, and I wear a back brace thingy. Still after half an hour I'm struggling. Recently i've seen matt heafy from trivium has his own harness strap contraption which seems great, but is very expensive. I use just a basic nylon ibanez strap. Anyone have any experience with dual straps/harnesses? Or any lumbar tips in general Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leroydiamond Posted January 30, 2022 Share Posted January 30, 2022 I used this when I was suffering from back and shoulder pain https://www.bestbassgear.com/gruvgear-duostrap-signature-black-leather-ergonomic-double-strap.htm There is also a cheaper non leather version, but the leather version is the one to go for. It took a bit of getting used to, as it is more like a half harness, half strap. However once I got accustomed to it, it was a winner. It distributes the weight of the instrument over both shoulders and in my case, worked a treat. It is expensive but made of the very best of materials. Can also be used as a regular strap. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sykilz Posted January 30, 2022 Share Posted January 30, 2022 My sympathies, I wrecked my back in my early twenties ( 52 now !!) and had to try various solutions, I found a normal decent but wide strap helped a lot, but also swapped from playing a Washburn 5 string to a shorter scale bass. I was playing metal, so everything was down the far end of the fretboard, and the extreme reaching of my left hand was causing a lot of the fatigue. Might be worth a try, but I'm well aware that everyone has their own private problems with back pain. Good luck!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Jack Posted January 30, 2022 Share Posted January 30, 2022 If you have significant medical issues with your back, then I'm not sure a twin strap will help you. I use them extensively because they balance the load much better and improve my posture, but they don't actually reduce the weight! Have you considered playing a bass you don't carry ... DB or Upright? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveXFR Posted January 30, 2022 Share Posted January 30, 2022 My back is a bit of a mess after falling off a cliff (a bad day rock climbing). Pilates is seriously helpful. Building core strength really helps take the load off of your spine. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maude Posted January 30, 2022 Share Posted January 30, 2022 What about one of those waist strap/belt contraptions. Removes the weight from your shoulders but may or may not still cause problems by adding the weight lower down. Worth looking at maybe? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
la bam Posted January 30, 2022 Share Posted January 30, 2022 I found wearing the bass much lower (cooler) really helped. When I swapped straps back to a normal height the pain came back. Agreed on core strength. That's the best thing. I was told my back was doing all the normal work and all the work of the stomach muscles, hence pain. Building up the core means each set front and back is more likely to do what it's supposed to do instead of over compensating. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boodang Posted January 30, 2022 Share Posted January 30, 2022 Is playing sitting down an option? I do most of my gigs on a drum stool these days. I got a back injury from surfing and yoga / core strength exercises helped a lot. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveXFR Posted January 31, 2022 Share Posted January 31, 2022 Core strength is the way to go. Get your core muscles built up through gentle exercise and your back will be doing so much less work. Its made a huge difference to me in everything I do. Pilates may not seem like a very manly exercise but it really works well. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul S Posted January 31, 2022 Share Posted January 31, 2022 17 minutes ago, SteveXFR said: Core strength is the way to go. Get your core muscles built up through gentle exercise and your back will be doing so much less work. Its made a huge difference to me in everything I do. Pilates may not seem like a very manly exercise but it really works well. This. But also different back injuries can bring their own individual issues and what helps one doesn't necessarily help another. In my case, long term I've had a weak sacro-iliac joint and used to see an osteopath who specialised in treating said joint - the local hospitals and doctorswould refer patient to her. One time when I hurt my back more seriously I saw her again, both assuming it was the same area that was injured, and ended up in worse pain than when I went in.* It transpired I had done something completely different - prolapsed disc - and what she had done was actually quite dangerous. So I would recommend, if you haven't already done so, find out exactly the cause of the problem as the treatment can vary or even conflict. But, yes, whatever the issue pilates, yoga - anything that concentrates on the core muscles and spine will help generally. I end every afternoon with a 30 minute set of stretches working from my neck downwards (no more stiff neck, either!) and most mornings will go for a walk, which seems to help reset my spine to default somehow. However, for me, the single biggest factor is a lightweight bass. These days I aim for 8lbs. I tried a duo strap but couldn't get on with how it felt - more like a girdle than a strap and, despite the adjustment built in for different wearing positions, never managed to get it feeling comfy. But that was me - I tend to play my basses with the body angled back on my hip rather than flat on. *As an aside, this was the day before I went on a holiday to Tenerife. The flight was horrible - we hit some turbulence and that was really painful! 2 days in, and faced with the prospect of not being able to do anything at all, I had to seek out an osteopath with the help of the holiday rep who did all the ringing round. The guy I saw (who luckily spoke near perfect English) was meticulous - sent me off for an MRI scan the next day (just Euro 200!) and I went back with the results the same day. Some deep tisssue stuff unlocked the muscles and resulted in being able to do some walking, so the holiday wasn't a complete write off - plus my holiday photographs included the MRI scans 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
odysseus Posted January 31, 2022 Share Posted January 31, 2022 Definitely some core work to help if possible. I don't know the OP's situation, but some work on the glutes and hamstrings might help - strengthening these other areas of the posterior kinetic chain can reduce the load on your back. Hip-thrusts, Romanian deadlifts, rear leg raises possibly? I've got a herniated disc at the base of my spine and a crushed T6 vertebra, and these exercises have made an enormous difference to my back health. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
la bam Posted January 31, 2022 Share Posted January 31, 2022 24 minutes ago, odysseus said: Definitely some core work to help if possible. I don't know the OP's situation, but some work on the glutes and hamstrings might help - strengthening these other areas of the posterior kinetic chain can reduce the load on your back. Hip-thrusts, Romanian deadlifts, rear leg raises possibly? I've got a herniated disc at the base of my spine and a crushed T6 vertebra, and these exercises have made an enormous difference to my back health. Agreed, I find really stretching the calves / hamstrings (touching toes) helps free up the tightness. Most of my pain comes when I'm tight and havent done any stretching or exercise. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SumOne Posted January 31, 2022 Share Posted January 31, 2022 (edited) I've had a motorbike accident and fallen down a cliff (not at the same time!) so have some back and shoulder issues. As already said - core strengthening and stretching/ mobility exercises help, and a light /ergonomic Bass. Also good technique: Edited January 31, 2022 by SumOne Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveXFR Posted January 31, 2022 Share Posted January 31, 2022 7 minutes ago, SumOne said: I can't watch Scott's bass lessons. Is it a 10 minute video with some jazz noodling, an explanation of his day so far and then in the final minute he tells you to never hold down the low end without stretching? 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SumOne Posted January 31, 2022 Share Posted January 31, 2022 33 minutes ago, SteveXFR said: I can't watch Scott's bass lessons. Is it a 10 minute video with some jazz noodling, an explanation of his day so far and then in the final minute he tells you to never hold down the low end without stretching? That's about it, he also calls you a groove hacker and asks you to subscribe though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveXFR Posted January 31, 2022 Share Posted January 31, 2022 28 minutes ago, SumOne said: That's about it, he also calls you a groove hacker and asks you to subscribe though. I forgot about that. Probably something about how James Jamerson did his stretches 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Supernaut Posted February 1, 2022 Share Posted February 1, 2022 On 31/01/2022 at 08:15, SteveXFR said: Core strength is the way to go. Get your core muscles built up through gentle exercise and your back will be doing so much less work. Its made a huge difference to me in everything I do. Pilates may not seem like a very manly exercise but it really works well. This! Please get into this now before irreversible damage is done. Strengthening your muscles works wonders but it takes a few weeks before you notice any differences. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EBS_freak Posted February 1, 2022 Share Posted February 1, 2022 As above. Work on your core. I had catastrophic back failure resulting in 5 surgeries. My saviour was swimming. Just front crawl and backstroke. Nothing else. If your core is not good enough to get your backside to the surface of the water, get yourself a pair of buoyancy shorts to help you until you can - it's certainly a lot easier than a pull buoy. (You may be self conscious wearing them - but believe me, nobody gives a hoot when you are swimming). I did pilates - but do go somewhere to do it... as it's easy to do it wrong and not get the benefit. It's deceptively difficult - simple moves but needs to be very slow and controlled. That's where the strength comes from. No strap is going to address the problem... it's just a sticking plaster that is delaying what could be in the post. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
velvetkevorkian Posted February 1, 2022 Share Posted February 1, 2022 On 31/01/2022 at 09:11, Paul S said: find out exactly the cause of the problem as the treatment can vary or even conflict 💯 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4000 Posted February 1, 2022 Share Posted February 1, 2022 I’ve played seated for the past decade or so (I’ve had back problems since the ‘90s). It started because another member of the band at the time when we first got together had a serious health condition and had to sit, he simply couldn’t stand. The cajon player was also sitting, obviously, so the rest of us thought “what the hell”. It can bring its own set of problems but it’s definitely a vast improvement in most ways. Of course we were lucky being an acoustic band; we weren’t exactly required to be the RHCP onstage anyway. YMMV. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LeftyP Posted February 1, 2022 Share Posted February 1, 2022 I also have back problems and at the age of 71 they are only going to get worse not better. That is why I play a short scale, hollow bodied bass which tips the scales (weight ones!) at a tad over 7lb (3.28Kg). It still has some neck dive, even though I changed the stock tuners for Hipshot Ultralights, and that puts pressure on my left shoulder. A wide strap helps but I still have problems after a long practise session. I play at church and we only sing about three songs at the moment, with plenty of space in between, so I can cope with the back issue. I don't really understand why bass guitars are so big and heavy. There are other threads on this forum about tone woods affecting sound but I think the electrics, amplifiers, speakers and room characteristics have much more influence on how your bass sounds. I don't think anyone in our congregation would notice if I was playing a custom Fodera or and old tea chest and broom handle jobby - as used in the old skiffle days. Why haven't the bass manufacturers embraced carbon fibre? In cycling the black threads have taken over and bikes are amazingly light these days. Surely using carbon fibre in parts (or all) of a bass would save a lot of weight. Even making the tuning pegs out of it would stop neck dive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Dare Posted February 1, 2022 Share Posted February 1, 2022 1 hour ago, LeftyP said: Why haven't the bass manufacturers embraced carbon fibre? In cycling the black threads have taken over and bikes are amazingly light these days. Surely using carbon fibre in parts (or all) of a bass would save a lot of weight. Even making the tuning pegs out of it would stop neck dive. Cost (a single reel of carbon cloth can easily cost thousands), complexity of manufacture (carbon has to be laid up in/on a mould and baked in an oven to cure/harden it, which is labour intensive and difficult to automate) and the fact that, although it has great tensile strength, it does not take impacts or abrasion well. Instruments tend to suffer knocks and bangs - manufacturers would be hard pressed to offer any kind of guarantee. Add that to the cost/complexity of manufacture and it wouldn't be worth it for the small weight saving. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iconic Posted February 3, 2022 Share Posted February 3, 2022 On 30/01/2022 at 23:55, Boodang said: Is playing sitting down an option? I do most of my gigs on a drum stool these days. I got a back injury from surfing and yoga / core strength exercises helped a lot. I was going to suggest the same thing😎 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Twunkbass Posted February 10, 2022 Author Share Posted February 10, 2022 Thanks for the tips! I have core exercises but I've been slacking on them. I have some general lower back problem, but the issue is I also have fibromyalgia ,so my brain takes the moderate pain signals from my spine and tells me that I've been run through with a sword during a flare up. I've been meaning to try out swimming for years now but covid threw a wrench in it. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bass_dinger Posted February 10, 2022 Share Posted February 10, 2022 On 31/01/2022 at 19:05, SteveXFR said: I forgot about that. Probably something about how James Jamerson did his stretches I am told that he was known to lay on the floor of the studio while he played - clearly, he took his back care seriously! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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