FuNkShUi Posted August 13, 2015 Share Posted August 13, 2015 When looking for a bass, the spacing at the nut never really bothered me. So i was wondering, what is it about the spacing that actually bothers you? Is it harder to play if there is less or more space? Or is it just a personal preference thing? When i see people saying that the spacing is 1mm or 2mm too big/small, is an extra 1mm spacing even noticeable?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CamdenRob Posted August 13, 2015 Share Posted August 13, 2015 (edited) Its generally the spacing at the bridge which is the issue... I find if it's too tight (less than 18mm) I keep catching other strings with my plucking hand. I had a corvette fiver once that must have been less than 16mm and it was far too tight for me. I know some ibanez basses that are down at 15/14mm. Edited August 13, 2015 by CamdenRob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FuNkShUi Posted August 13, 2015 Author Share Posted August 13, 2015 Ah ok. That makes a bit of sense to me. I always assumed people always meant at the nut, and i thought if it was tighter, surely it made the fretting easier/less work? So, if your perfect bass comes up and it has everything you've ever wanted, and your WAL doesn't exist, would a 17mm bridge put you off? Is it enough to cause you to walk away? Or would you try and get used to it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CamdenRob Posted August 13, 2015 Share Posted August 13, 2015 (edited) Yeah it would put me off definitely... on a sixer the difference from 18mm to 17mm would be 5mm across the range between the B and C strings, drop that to 16mm and its a whole centimeter difference. Edited August 13, 2015 by CamdenRob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skol303 Posted August 13, 2015 Share Posted August 13, 2015 [quote name='CamdenRob' timestamp='1439472811' post='2843139'] I had a corvette fiver once that must have been less than 16mm and it was far too tight for me. I know some ibanez basses that are down at 15/14mm. [/quote] [font=Helvetica][size=3] [size=4]Yeah the Corvette I have isn’t especially roomy. I think the factory spacing is 16.5mm; mine is adjusted as wide as the bridge will allow (without pushing the outer strings too close to the edge of the ‘board) at around 17mm or so.[/size][/size][/font] [font=Helvetica][size=3] [size=4]To be honest, I’ve only really started noticing string spacing since practicing slap. It doesn’t seem to make a great deal of difference when I play fingerstyle - I’m consistently sloppy no matter what the spacing is at the bridge [/size][/size][/font] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CamdenRob Posted August 13, 2015 Share Posted August 13, 2015 [quote name='Skol303' timestamp='1439473592' post='2843160'] [font=Helvetica][size=3][size=4]Yeah the Corvette I have isn’t especially roomy. I think the factory spacing is 16.5mm; mine is adjusted as wide as the bridge will allow (without pushing the outer strings too close to the edge of the ‘board) at around 17mm or so.[/size][/size][/font] [font=Helvetica][size=3][size=4]To be honest, I’ve only really started noticing string spacing since practicing slap. It doesn’t seem to make a great deal of difference when I play fingerstyle - I’m consistently sloppy no matter what the spacing is at the bridge [/size][/size][/font] [/quote] Yes sadly it was too tight for me... which is a shame as it sounded awesome. It was one of the $$ ones in a turquoise finish. I always keep half an eye out for a four string version. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marc S Posted August 13, 2015 Share Posted August 13, 2015 Yes, definitely the spacing at the bridge is most important for me I used to prefer much slimmer necks (mostly when playing with a pick) But found I couldn't dig in so well, when playing finger style So string spacing at the bridge is important to me... In my 1st spell of playing (many years back) I owned a 70's Precision Which had a chunky neck, at the nut end. This tended to make my left hand tired (aside from which, the bass itself was v heavy) So I moved towards slimmer necks, notably on Ibanez basses.... Nowadays, playing more & more finger-style, I much prefer wider spacing at the bridge and I suppose the spacing at the nut at least gives you an indication of taper Again, this can be important for the left hand, when you play down the bottom end quite a bit That early 70's P put me off Fenders for a long time ... until I discovered the neck on my RW Jazz As well as being an awesome neck that somehow feels very aged and worn-in It's got ideal (for me) string spacing at the bridge and a nice taper at the nut, for maximum comfort for my left hand.... I guess if the specs mention spacing at the bridge, it should also quote spacing at the nut too..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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