Single Cutaways. Why?

[Doddy]

[quote name='thisnameistaken' post='791040' date='Mar 30 2010, 08:18 PM']I just think it's a weird thing to like about them, because it doesn't seem to be of any benefit. I've seen bassists hook their thumbs over on lower notes but not (as far as I can remember) up the dusty end. Certainly not *only* up the dusty end. And most bass players only spend a tiny fraction of their time that far up the neck anyway.[/quote]

Maybe it is a weird reason but it's one of the things I like about playing them. Yeah a lot of players do put their thumb
over the neck down low aswell. Without turning this thread into technique talk,it's not a good idea to do it.
I play up the neck quite a lot so being able to keep the same technique over the entire range of the instrument
is important.

[urb]

[quote name='thisnameistaken' post='791009' date='Mar 30 2010, 07:51 PM']You can play properly on any instrument, there's "no need" for bad technique on any decent bass.

Sorry I can't see any physical benefit of it. The bass gets heavier because there's more wood, so if anything it's bad for you.[/quote]

I totally agree with you - and for the record my SC is amazingly lightweight so it the logic of more equals more weight again depends on the brand of bass - but there are plenty of SCs I've seen that really don't do it for me either. As it happens it was Martin's take on the design that made me want to order a Sei in the first place ...

M

[Conan]

[quote name='warwickhunt' post='791026' date='Mar 30 2010, 08:04 PM']I'm in the minority I suppose! .... my main gigging bass of the last 3 years has been a SC.

Oh and it balances perfectly and clocks in at not much more than 8lb in weight. [/quote]

Now that I [b]do[/b] like! The Les Paul shape is fine, and works on a bass too IMO! So maybe its the [i]size[/i] of the SC....

[thisnameistaken]

[quote name='Doddy' post='791050' date='Mar 30 2010, 08:26 PM']I play up the neck quite a lot so being able to keep the same technique over the entire range of the instrument
is important.[/quote]

Can't you do that on any bass? I can understand having a preference for thru-necks or bolt necks or set necks or whatever, since that actually affects how you have to play the bass because it determines what's under your thumb at the end of the neck, but the presence or lack of the upper bout of the bass wouldn't make a difference would it?

[Doddy]

[quote name='thisnameistaken' post='791059' date='Mar 30 2010, 08:30 PM']Can't you do that on any bass? I can understand having a preference for thru-necks or bolt necks or set necks or whatever, since that actually affects how you have to play the bass because it determines what's under your thumb at the end of the neck, but the presence or lack of the upper bout of the bass wouldn't make a difference would it?[/quote]

I can do it on any bass you give me,but I prefer to do it on my singlecut as any temptation to
grip the neck is eliminated.

[Lfalex v1.1]

[quote name='geoffbassist' post='790741' date='Mar 30 2010, 04:06 PM']I don't get it. They ruin a basses balance and I doubt anyone can hear a difference in tone.

I think they will date really quickly, remember 80's headless basses?
:-)[/quote]


Uh-oh!
Technically the Status Streamline is a single-cut (of sorts). And it's dinky. And headless. And I own one! Fortunately it avoids the "stigma" associated with the 1980s by 2 decades or so...

Dons *unfashionable* coat.
Leaves.

[purpleblob]

[quote name='paul h' post='790887' date='Mar 30 2010, 06:12 PM']I like some. I don't like others.[/quote]

Precisely my view.

I like the Fodera MG, I love the Sei Series I and dislike the series II. I hate most of the Warwick's in terms of their looks, but that SC's not too bad. However as I got rid of my Warwicks as they really didn't suite me, I doubt I'll be rushing out to get one of those. But ultimately it's all about personal taste.

[Dood]

[Dood]

[Dood]

[Dood]

;o)

[ThomBassmonkey]

Hate to be the one to point out the obvious but if you don't like it, just ignore it.

Lefty basses look hideous to me but that's ok, I can deal with having sore eyes from time to time.

There's 2 styles of SC, Gibson style and a more modern style, I like that more companies are taking on the modern style, I don't think it looks particularly nice, but if I want to buy a high end bass, it gives me more choice.

[BigRedX]

Just like the double cut design there are some nice looking single cuts and some that just need to be burnt!

Personally I don't get on with them because of my rubbish technique, and in fact that's one off the reasons why I love my Gus basses, because they let me wrap my thumb around the top of the neck all the way up to the 20th fret!

And for those who advocate the use of a single cut to promote good playing technique, unless you're playing one of these:

you're a wimp and not serious about maintaining your perfect style ;-)

[yorks5stringer]

Here's one I made earlier, I kept the single cut feature fairly short however.....

[attachment=46071:S5000495.JPG]

[Conan]

[quote name='dood' post='791096' date='Mar 30 2010, 08:58 PM'][/quote]

Not bad..... but it's still a sperm whale!

[dougal]

Sign me up for "weird" then.

Mine:


I think it's mostly an aesthetic thing: it might add a small %-age to the weight but (probably) less than a high mass bridge.

[theosd]

Just gonna throw this in here from the 'Bass Guitars' section:




I love orange. Shame I'm, as someone in the other post said, "off" Musicmans (can't I just say Music[i]men[/i]??)

[thisnameistaken]

Actually I think Dood's design isn't so bad. I wouldn't be seen dead with it myself, but in terms of compositional balance it seems to work. Similarly the angular design where the wood continues over the top of the headstock, that genuinely looks like an original design and not just a "Me-Too" single-cut lets-make-basses-look-like-sluggish-sea-creatures nonsense drawing. I quite like that too.

So there are possibilities for this design aspect to work, but compared to double-cutaway designs it's just not as good. So why are all the bespoke builders developing single-cut ideas these days?

I never did really get fashion.

[thack]

[quote name='Soliloquy' post='790907' date='Mar 30 2010, 06:30 PM']You may just as well say "Fender P bass or jazz bass why". You don't like 'em but who cares ? Many people do which is why companies like Warwick are building them.[/quote]

Was just startin a conversation. I know the reasoning, im just challenging it. Just wanted to hear the honest and hilarious comments everyone has come up with, for or against.

I personally think Fenders are overrated too (now there's can of worms).

[thack]

[quote name='Doddy' post='790960' date='Mar 30 2010, 07:22 PM']It means that you can't do the whole thumb over the neck,heavy grip thing that a lot of
players do. You have to have your thumb in the centre of the neck when playing in the
upper register of a singlecut bass.[/quote]

Surely if you practice good technique, you shouldn't need a single-cut to force your thumb down?

[thisnameistaken]

[quote name='thack' post='791434' date='Mar 31 2010, 02:09 AM']I personally think Fenders are overrated too (now there's can of worms).[/quote]

Yeah I think they're pretty but the sound doesn't suit me. I think you have to play a certain way to make a Fender sound right. I suppose that's what comes with such a long history.

[Doddy]

[quote name='thack' post='791437' date='Mar 31 2010, 02:11 AM'] Surely if you practice good technique, you shouldn't need a single-cut to force your thumb down?[/quote]

No you don't need one.
Like I said,there are alot of players who put their thumb over the neck when they play,and you
cannot do this on a singlecut. I have had people play mine and struggle in the upper register because
they tend to grip the neck with their thumb over the top. So when I said that it facilitates good technique,I
am saying that you basically have to use a 'correct' hand position up the neck as you cannot physically
reach your thumb over the top. If you have your technique together,it's not a problem,but for some people
it is.

[endorka]

[quote name='warwickhunt' post='791026' date='Mar 30 2010, 08:04 PM']my main gigging bass of the last 3 years has been a SC.

[/quote]

For some reason this really works in terms of aesthetic balance for me, whereas many of the other singlecuts do not. I think it is because there is a general slope of the whole instrument towards the direction of the singlecut, so it seems consonant and in proportion. It seems to be part of the design, not something that was kludged on afterwards. Love the headstock design too - it reminds me of the NS Design EUBs :-)

Beautiful instrument!

[Gamble]

I've played Urb's Sei and it's lush, I've played Dougal's and it's lush (but I can't remember who made it and I really want to know!), I haven't seen "The Doodle" in the flesh yet but I've been assured by a man who has that it's lush - and the pics of Peted's unfinished Shuker look lush.
I like 'em, have done since I first saw them - probly because they're a bit different. I do understand the "unbalanced" look some people are talking about, but I think the biggest mistake that gets made is not having a dramatic enough "waist" on the bass. They need a nice curve along the top for it to look really good, just like any twin cut bass.

[Gamble]

Oh yeah, and here's mine!