Jump to content
Why become a member? ×
Please Support Basschat

Beer gut woe..

Dandelion

By Dandelion,
in General Discussion

 Share

Recommended Posts

Dandelion Proficient

Dandelion

Posted
Posted

I have a problem with the beer gut. When I stand and play, the gut causes the bass to find a position where I can't see the fretboard. I could shorten the strap and play with the bass hanging under my chin but that is not the aesthetic that I am after. Apart from loosing weight, is there a solution to this? A fancy strap or something? 

 

Or a girdle... 

fleabag Grand Master

fleabag

Posted
Posted

Make some kind of pad, maybe sponge would do ( just ask Waddo for piece of his brain  :) ) and tape it to the bottom half of your bass body rear.  This will kick the bottom

of the bass outwards.  How thick you make the sponge is down to how much you need the bass to tilt

  • Haha 2
Misdee Mentor

Misdee

Posted
Posted
2 hours ago, Dandelion said:

I have a problem with the beer gut. When I stand and play, the gut causes the bass to find a position where I can't see the fretboard. I could shorten the strap and play with the bass hanging under my chin but that is not the aesthetic that I am after. Apart from loosing weight, is there a solution to this? A fancy strap or something? 

 

Or a girdle... 

I had exactly the same problem about 30 years ago. It took me a while to admit to myself that my belly was the problem.  For a long time I blamed the strap I was using at the time. 

 

Eventually a combination of self-loathing and vanity enabled me to overcome my "stomach problem", but I'm still fighting to maintain my boyish figure every day. 

 

Would deliberately balancing the body of the bass on your  upper belly elevate it to about 45 degrees, making it easier to see the fretboard? Just a thought.

  • Thanks 1
PaulThePlug Grand Master

PaulThePlug

Posted
Posted (edited)

Whats the Bass?

Move, or add a strap button to the neck heel / back of pocket... SG style, it moves the bass round, and hang more central, but nut will be further away...

 

I want to turn up some neck plate screws that have a strap button on the end...

'Prolly best with a machine thread in to neck collet nut inserts...

Edited by PaulThePlug
Leonard Smalls Grand Master

Leonard Smalls

Posted
Posted

The simple answer is to play jazz and/or funk...

Alternatively, just hoik the strap and make like guitar matey from Idles. Cool is how you carry it off, not by copying 

SumOne Grand Master

SumOne

Posted
Posted
9 hours ago, YouMa said:

Stop consuming so many carbohydrates and burn some calories.

 

Harsh, but this is the solution not only to this dilemma but other Bass related ones (sore back etc) and potentially more serious non Bass related ones further down the line too.

 

I'm sure Yoda or some other equally esteemed religions figure would have an inspiring saying about the difficult path leading to the best destination. 

  • Like 1
Misdee Mentor

Misdee

Posted
Posted (edited)

Losing weight is very difficult, and keeping the weight off after you have lost it is even more difficult. And the older you are, the more difficult it becomes. You have to be really dedicated to the project or it just won't work.

 

It might help if we knew what kind of bass the O.P is using. If it's something unusually light and insubstantial then that might give an insight into the potential remedy.

 

Maybe a bass with a slightly curved body, like a Warwick or Spector, might help. Or a bass with a body substantial enough to flatten an unruly gut, like a Yamaha BB or Jaydee Supernatural. Or a Music Man Stingray.

 

There's plenty of  bass players who proudly sport a big belly and play a wide array of basses perfectly well. I'm sure this problem is solvable without resorting to diet and exercise.

 

 

Edited by Misdee
  • Like 1
funkgod Experienced

funkgod

Posted
Posted (edited)

be like me, drink more beer, then you can use the bass like a lap steel guitar, easy

sorry, i could not resist, its like a form of tourette's, i just cant help myself.

🙂

Edited by funkgod
  • Haha 3
mr4stringz Mentor

mr4stringz

Posted
Posted

Shame to see there are a few comments that immediately went down a route the OP was clearly trying to avoid. Given that, maybe it’s not surprising they’ve not been forthcoming with further info.

 

I’m sure the OP feels far more enlightened now some have suggested losing weight. Im sure that had never occurred to them before. 🙄

  • Like 5
Old Horse Murphy Grand Master

Old Horse Murphy

Posted
Posted

I agree with using the side fret markers more than the front ones. It's always worked for me and actually I don't ever recall using the front fret markers when playing (similarly they don't always appear on basses such as Sandbergs, Warwicks and Status). 

 

If that doesn't work, is it worth doing what BB King used to do and tuck the bass more under his arm than across his front? It seemed to work for him and he was a stout chap. 

 

Alternatively, it may be a case of shortening the strap, which I've seen a number of bass players who are built for comfort rather than speed do. 

  • Like 2
Waddo Soqable Grand Master

Waddo Soqable

Posted
Posted (edited)

What about some kind of "sideways" slinging posture so the bass is twisted round to the right hip, kind of.... might look quite cool too... 

 

Edit, I've just tried this and it works very well in my ( poss crazy) opinion 😁

Edited by Waddo Soqable
  • Like 1
Dan Dare Grand Master

Dan Dare

Posted
Posted
1 hour ago, Trueno said:

My Warwick Thumb BO had the perfect curvature to accommodate a gut.

 

Spectors are quite good in that regard, too.

  • Like 2
knirirr Experienced

knirirr

Posted
Posted
1 hour ago, Waddo Soqable said:

What about some kind of "sideways" slinging posture so the bass is twisted round to the right hip, kind of.... might look quite cool too... 

 

Edit, I've just tried this and it works very well in my ( poss crazy) opinion 😁

 

Is this the sort of thing you mean?

 

AlbertCollins1990.jpg

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Restore formatting

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
 Share
Go to topic listing

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...