Ramps?

[mikekaperys]

I know this is sometimes quite a conteravesial subject, but do any of you guys play with a ramp? What's your opinions of them?

I have one (home made) fitted on my SR506, it makes the bass effortless to play, it practicly plays itself. But I have had to adjust my playing style quite a lot.

Do you guys have them on your basses? Do you think they make a tonal differance?

-Mike

[MacDaddy]

Yup. Attached you can see my all in one ramp/thumb rest/pup cover on my Shuker.

for me makes all the difference. My playing style comes from classical guitar so I haven't had to adjust except for having shorter nails.

[mikekaperys]

That looks awesome!
Loving the scalloped frets too.

Kinda debating with myself wether to leave mine on it take it off. It doesn't look too good.

[BigRedX]

Here's mine:



This is the only bass I own fitted with a ramp. It suits how I play this bass. When I first stated playing fretless, I found myself playing over the fingerboard quite often and I liked how it modified my plucking technique, but the sound wasn't always the right one. So when I had the Sei built I had the pickups and the ramp between made as an extension of the fingerboard to give a single surface to pluck against.

It works perfectly on this bass. It wouldn't work on my others so they don't have a ramp.

Edited March 2, 2013 by BigRedX

[White Cloud]

Personally I think that if you are a finger player of any real ability a ramp makes perfect sense!

[Dingus]

I have personally never felt the need for a ramp , but back in the days before ramps I remember a couple of bass players I spoke to telling me that they always played directly over the pickup not for the sound but because they didn't feel comfortable without feeling the pickup under their plucking fingers . I couldn't understand why back then , and still don't now . Presumably a ramp is a remedy for people who share that percieved sensation of discomfort without something underneath their plucking fingers .

[mikekaperys]

BigRedX, that looks awesome!
Love how it's all one piece.

Mines basically just a chunk of wood painted black and matte glossed to match the black pickups.

[ezbass]

My Ibby Gary Willis came with one and I find it quite comfortable and it definitely adds to the aesthetic. I used to have a Roscoe Beck sig model and I fitted the supplied transparent one to that, no obvious aesthetic added there but a massively long thumb rest. I don't mind either, with or without.

[John Cellario]

Never actually tried a ramp so am wondering, if you play with the plucking hand over the p/up, which is the same height as a ramp, does it give the same feel?

[Dingus]

[quote name='John Cellario' timestamp='1362245265' post='1997529']
Never actually tried a ramp so am wondering, if you play with the plucking hand over the p/up, which is the same height as a ramp, does it give the same feel?
[/quote]

I think the reason a lot of people go for ramps is precisely because it give a consistant feel under the fingers when you play in between the pickups .

[BigRedX]

[quote name='Dingus' timestamp='1362249497' post='1997608']
I think the reason a lot of people go for ramps is precisely because it give a consistant feel under the fingers when you play in between the pickups .
[/quote]

Exactly this.

For me ramp or no ramp is the same argument as pick vs fingers or flats vs rounds. Sometimes you need one sometimes you don't. So I have a bass with a ramp and several others without.

[Prime_BASS]

I want a ramp made for my sandberg so that when I'm not playing over the pickup it gives the same feel.

[Dingus]

I read somewhere that Neil Murray ( hugely underrated and absolutely superb British rock bass player ex - of Whitesnake , Black Sabbath , Gary Moore ect ) makes his own ramps from built- up layers of gaffer tape . Sounds like it would work if you wanted to experiment with how a ramp might feel .

[fretmeister]

[quote name='Dingus' timestamp='1362255300' post='1997719']
I read somewhere that Neil Murray ( hugely underrated and absolutely superb British rock bass player ex - of Whitesnake , Black Sabbath , Gary Moore ect ) makes his own ramps from built- up layers of gaffer tape . Sounds like it would work if you wanted to experiment with how a ramp might feel .
[/quote]

I've done that. Works pretty well.

[JamesBass]

I guess like most things it's all about preference and style, personally I don't see the need for a ramp with my playing, I tend to move my hand around A LOT during playing, sometimes I'm half way up the finger board, other times I'm over the neck pick up, sometimes just behind the neck pick up, sometimes mid way between neck and bridge pick ups, other times I'm over the bridge pick up and occasionally I'm right up agains't the bridge. I don't mind where I play, it just happens naturally, helps vary things up for me and keeps me on my toes without realising it. I'm not quite sure how other guys feel "uncomfortable" without anything below their fingers? Just sounds odd to me?

[bigsmokebass]

I've never used one or really had any use. Personally i think they can ruin the looks of any guitar they're on but at the same time can be comfy to play with.

I'd love to try the Ibanez Gary Willis Sig for this feat but nothing i'll be investing in any time soon.

BSB

[Conan]

Never used one. Never felt the need for one. Not that I'm against trying one mind.... just never had the opportunity.