Shoulder ache

[E_MaN]

Ive been playing for 3-4 years and I havn't had any problems until I've started playing a stingray where my right shoulder hurts. I'm not sure whether I'm tensing it up or something my it starts to ache quite quickly. Any suggestions?

[mikeh]

I had the same thing after not playing using a strap for a while. I ended up buying a strap similar to a Comfort Strapp off ebay, really does the job. Really wide neoprene *spelling* material.

MIke

[Buzz]

Warm up exercises before putting on the 'Ray, just simple streches and rotations to loosen it up.

And a wider/padded strap to help with the weight if it's an issue.

[E_MaN]

Its my right shoulder so it cant be a strap problem. But i'll try warming up. Any other ideas?

[ARGH]

get a mate to check your posture....that could be bad!

Stingers are heavy beasts,also is your point of pivot (i take it as read that you play fingerstyle) different...
Mine played up when I went from a P bass to a Active jazzish thing with different pickup positioning...

Edited November 10, 2007 by ARGH

[lee4]

Definately check your posture.Tty raising the neck and lowering the body.All that 'body under the chin'style a la Mark King will cause untold joint problems later on.Warm up,stretch,and do'nt hunch up.

[Viajero]

I get something similar - pain in the right shoulder and back, especially if sitting down for a long gig. I think it must be posture, having my shoulder forced back and up by the need to play in the usual position. Good to know it's not just me!

[stingrayfan]

Try a lighter bass for a while. I didn't really notice how heavy my Ray was until I started playing other basses. Now I pick it up and it feels like it weighs a ton.

[Jean-Luc Pickguard]

+1 for the neoprene strap. My '81 precision feels like it is made of concrete and was pretty much unplayable for anything longer than 30 mins until I got a neoprene strap. I have a couple of comfort straps and a couple of fender branded neotech ones - They really do seem to help with heavy basses. Failing that you can spread the load with a leather strap at least 3" wide, but the noprene will be more comfy.

[martthebass]

[quote name='stingrayfan' post='86791' date='Nov 11 2007, 10:30 AM']Try a lighter bass for a while. I didn't really notice how heavy my Ray was until I started playing other basses. Now I pick it up and it feels like it weighs a ton.[/quote]

Ditto I moved from a Stingray to a Sterling, didn't help the shoulder ache on long gigs as much as I thought it would. The comfort strap is a good idea - also strapping it higher up (if you're the type who wears it on your hips) can help. In the end I cured the problem by buying a MIA precision which was about
1.5 pounds lighter.

[bassninja]

My Thumb V has caused some trouble in my left shoulder (probably years of neglect and bad posture too). Comfort Strapp helped a bit but it don't really like the 'sagginess' of it.

A good 3" wide strap with a Tesco seat belt cushion (about £3) is helping at the moment.

Best thing I did was to visit a chiropractor, though.

[E_MaN]

Thanks for all the ideas!!! I think I'm hunching my right shoulder...looked in th mirror at my posture...Try and rectify that!!! How heavy are Jazz's compared to stingrays?

[theosd]

[quote name='Buzz' post='86656' date='Nov 10 2007, 09:20 PM']Warm up exercises before putting on the 'Ray, just simple streches and rotations to loosen it up.[/quote]

Rotating your arm is actually detrimental to the joints; just stretch it in each direction.

[WalMan]

Is a SUB much lighter than a 'Ray?

Compared to my Wal the SUB 5 weighs nothing at all!?

+1 for the Comfort Strap and if it gets really bad you could try a [url="http://www.slider-straps.com/"]Slider strap[/url] (which goes over both shoulder & crosses at the back), or even a [url="http://www.darestrap.com/guitar.html"]Dare strap[/url] which looks like it does much the same thing.

I have only used a Slider strap, needing something to spread the weight before I had my left shoulder replaced. The Dare looks like it would put the guitar in a better playing position. I found the Slider pulled the bass round a bit so that it was a slighty awkward (make that different to what I was used to) position, BUT it meant I could carry on gigging!!