Wrist Tendonitis issues - instrument options?

[thisnameistaken]

I've never liked P necks though. Same reason I don't like Stingrays. I might give it another go but I've always preferred something slim - I prefer a neck that is deep but not wide, if you see what I mean. My Thumb has the best neck I've ever come across.

Maybe I'll try a P again properly next time I'm in town.

[leroydiamond]

[quote name='thisnameistaken' timestamp='1326967282' post='1504312']
Back story: I've had tendon problems in both wrists for the last couple of years but since I finished my last bass guitar gig in July last year and have only played double bass since then my wrists have gradually recovered and I haven't had any pain/scratchiness from either wrist for a couple of months.

Last night I had a jam with some new musicians I'm trying to shoe-horn into a band, and I played my Thumb bass for about three hours. Woke up this morning and my left wrist is not feeling too great.

So I'm thinking I may have to shift my beloved Thumb bass and look for something more comfortable to play. I would rather not go with a short-scale bass if I can avoid it, but apart from that obviously my primary concern is a bass I can actually play on a daily basis. I'm a little bit worried that I was often playing a Jazz during the period I started with wrist problems but perhaps with a strap adjustment I can get a Fender working OK.

Any suggestions?

I'm also tempted to look at fives, but that's probably a silly idea.
[/quote]
I remember being at a gig and the bass player wore the bass so that the strap went over his shoulder and up between his legs and attached to the heel of the instrument which required the bass to sit in a vertical position in a similar fashion to that of the double bass. The player in n question told me that after years of playing double he struggled to settle with the position of the guitar and adapted this alternative strapping arrangement and found it an effective option

[funkypenguin]

Out of interest, do you have this problem when you're playing seated?? I get tendonitis in my right wrist occasionally and I find warm water massage before and after playing and a thorough warm up really help

[thisnameistaken]

[quote name='funkypenguin' timestamp='1327085583' post='1506331']
Out of interest, do you have this problem when you're playing seated?? [/quote]

Yes. With the Thumb it's just as bad seated because the body is so small the neck ends up just as far away as it does on the strap.

[quote name='funkypenguin' timestamp='1327085583' post='1506331']I get tendonitis in my right wrist occasionally and I find warm water massage before and after playing and a thorough warm up really help[/quote]

Thanks man I'll give that a try. My wrist is feeling much better today, felt a bit swollen this morning but not bad right now, I've also got some DB practise in and it didn't affect it so I can still play something at least!

It's funny all this talk in the DB forum about how you should get lessons because you can hurt yourself playing it, but it's positively therapeutic compared to bass guitar for me.

[thisnameistaken]

The thing that really bothers my wrists is this: Hold your hands out infront of you, flat, palms facing upwards. Now try to touch your fingertips together flexing only your wrists. That. You can imagine my fretting hand is in that position quite a bit when playing my Thumb.

Actually I did get a little grief from my plucking hand when playing DB at first, because I was plucking using precisely that action of my wrist to drag my finger across the string. Geoff Chalmers made me change it, thankfully, and I've had no problems since.

[uncle psychosis]

I have no idea how experienced you are---but have you considered going to a bass teacher? (an actual, proper bass teacher, not just someone who dabbles a bit). You might find that they are able to help you change your technique a bit to put less strain on your wrist. Even if you're really fastidious about your technique you might find that a second opinion useful.

[skej21]

I have students who come to me all the time complaining that they get sore wrists or can't play quickly at the bottom of the neck or have issues with cramp and fatigue.

Then they get the idea that they'll get a teacher to sort it out, turn up for a lesson and get their bass out. 99% of them then proceed to get their bass out and I ask them to put the strap on and stand up.

Surprise surprise, they have the bass practically around their ankles and wonder why they have problems.

Either that, or they practice sitting down without the strap taking the weight of the bass, meaning they alter their technique (for the worse!) because the bass is slipping into odd angles or they're responsible for taking the weight of the neck and trying to practice.

I simply suggest that it's a good idea to ensure you avoid such pitfalls. Both of the aforementioned problems can be solved by simply adjusting your strap so that it holds your bass in a sitting 'on your knee' position whether your sitting down or not. This then means your muscles are being worked the same way when you sit down to practice AND when you're gigging.

Edited January 20, 2012 by skej21

[borisbrain]

I had some similar difficulties and found that exercising with a Powerball gyroscope helped.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/b/?ie=UTF8&node=397989011&tag=googhydr-21&hvadid=4156228543&ref=pd_sl_2nobjl47yo_e

Bestaluck,

BB