Help? My neck and shoulder is killing me.

[Geek99]

[quote name='Skinnytwotimes' post='292210' date='Sep 25 2008, 09:35 PM']Any advice? Thanks.[/quote]
I have had just this problem recently and it has disappeared. I was playing a Stingray clone, I now, courtesy of OldGit, own a Japan Fender Jazz Bass and the problem has disappeared. I would suggest you have a geometry problem - the angle that your hand is extending to the bass, or the thickness of the neck, are giving you pain. I changed bass and the problem went away. I think my problem was worse because I have quite short arms, but the jazz bass configuration was the answer to exactly this problem.

[Delberthot]

I've been using one of those brooklyn gear straps - bit similar to the comfort straps - for a couple of years now and they really do work.

My gold bass is one of the heaviest I have ever played with the Mahogany body, Wenge neck and Ebony fretboard but I never get back or shoulder pain when playing. I remember back to the bad old days of playing my Stingray 5 string with a standard leather strap with no padding and halfway through the night I would actually take the strap off and put it over my other shoulder.

I also find that I move my bass around quite a bit as well: if I'm playing mainly on the bottom 5 frets then I'll slide the bass to the right and vice versa for high bits.

I even find myself shifting the bass mid song for certain bits.

They say that you should adjust your strap so that when you are sitting down practicing, when you stand up your bass should still be in the same position. But then again I don't practice which is something I really need to address but that's another story.

If none of this works then a lighter bass such as a P bass lyte as previously mentioned, a Bass Collection which are featherweight basses but pack a mean punch or, if you want something made, one of those hollow jazz bodies that warmoth do.

If you get a lightweight wood body done this way with a light neck and lightweight tuners such as Hipshot Ultralights or the rarer to find Gotoh Resolites that i have on my '54 P bass then you'll be laughing

Edited September 28, 2008 by Delberthot

[Geek99]

further to my post above, you dont metnion whether you are playing sitting or standing, or what model you have. I have found that playing sitting down, having the bass on your left leg, with that leg raised (like a classical guitar player) makes it easier to reach.

[Captain Bassman]

[quote name='BigBadBass' post='293337' date='Sep 27 2008, 11:09 AM']sounds really stupid but make sure your disributing weight evenly on both feet, that really makes a difference. if you putting more weight on one foot you spine isnt straight.[/quote]

+1000 to this.

For the last 6 years I have suffered quite regularly from muscle tightness and pains in my left shoulder often resulting in severe headaches over my left eye. It's caused by overcompensating for a lower back problem (unilateral sacralisation of the L5 vertebrae, apparently...WTF??!!). I'm only 41 and pretty fit for my age too!!!

It's not all aggravated by gigging but the upshot is that I really have to pay close attention to my posture, both sitting and standing, at all times...especially when gigging. The tendency to lean more heavily on one foot or unconsciously raise my left shoulder whilst playing a gig can result in extreme discomfort in my left shoulder and neck the next day.

I see a chiropractor once every 6-8 weeks and this relieves the discomfort and puts me back in shape for a while but I guess it's just something I have to put up with.

My advice;

* pay close attention to your posture when playing or practicing
* if it doesn't ease up or gets worse go see a chiropractor or osteopath
* make sure you stretch out your back and shoulders properly after every gig
* keep as fit as you can, especially if you're over 40!

Good luck!

[redd]

Ive had back and neck pains over the last 10 years, something that came from an old injury whilst messing around with chainsaws. various chriproactors and physio sessions later and i still get the pain. The main pain that guitarists get according to my chiro is because we hunch over our instruments whilst sitting. Im six foot 1 and have stupid long dangly arms and if i play anything of a shorter scale than a spector or a warwick thumb boy do i suffer!

my chiro has given me loads of exercises that keep it at bay now which is cool.

[lowhand_mike]

posture for sure helps, i have lower abck probs cos of a bike accident and i am now well aware of posture while playing.
but as you are also new to it it will be something your body will get used to just make sure your posture is good and it should happen quicker.
i found sit ups and chin ups good for strengthening my core muscles and shoulders which in turn aided in posture and standing playing for 2 hours plus i tend to shift my bass around a bit while playing and have a fairly wide strap.

[WalMan]

Try something like a [url="http://www.slider-straps.com/"]Slider strap[/url]

Until it was replaced a couple of years back I was having increasing problems with my left shoulder (which disintegrated with arthritis) so that even with a comfort strap I could only manage 3 or 4 numbers with my Wal (fair enough not the lightest of basses) before my left arm went numb.

I got a Slider strap, which distributes the weight of the bass evenly across both shoulders, and was able to play two hour long sets with not too much problem.

I found the old one in my study last night so PM me your address and I could stick it in the mail if you want to try one out - I still have a second one in my case against future problems

[EBS_freak]

Another solution -

[url="http://www.darestrap.com/guitar.html"]http://www.darestrap.com/guitar.html[/url]