What size nut width are you?

[Cato]

7 hours ago, T-Bay said:

I have an eye out fora Precision with Jazz width neck which I know they do but seem very rare.

Precision Deluxe Special.

It's a PJ rather than a straight P, but they're in production at the moment and older models appear on the used market pretty regularly.

[DaytonaRik]

As a former guitarist - the smaller the better!  Thunderbird is 38mm and fits like a glove.  My LTD 414 is 39 and a bit and feels just dandy, but the T'bird tops it all the way

[nilebodgers]

3 hours ago, LeftyJ said:

I'm most comfortable on Jazz style nut width, but I play any neck type. I have big hands, so I'm fine with either. String spacing at the bridge is a more important factor for me than at the nut. I play all kinds of basses with all kinds of spacings. I have 5-strings with 16.5 mm and 19 mm spacing at the bridge, and 4-strings with 19 mm and 20 mm spacing, and all kinds of nut widths and neck profiles. My '81 Ibanez Musician and Roadster have very wide necks (1 11/16", roughly 42-43 mm) and I get along comfortably on them, but I also play a '75 Jazz Bass reissue which is 1.5". 

Plus 1 to the bridge spacing being the most important factor. I had an old Aria SB700 and I just couldn't get on with it due to the very narrow bridge spacing. The 19mm P/J spacing is perfect and I'm not that sensitive to nut width or neck shape if the bridge is right.

[BigRedX]

But the bridge spacing figure is only a part of the picture. It's pretty meaningless without the corresponding nut spacing and scale length.

[phil.c60]

I don't know, I've never had them out of the bag.......

[mcnach]

20 hours ago, thebrig said:

I’ve tried almost every bass out there over the years, and my favourite is definitely a Precision bass, but I feel so much more comfortable with a Jazz width nut, but not too keen on the Jazz sound, so I always go for a Precision and put a Jazz neck on it.

So it made me wonder why are we all so different when it comes to nut width preference, even a standard P bass nut of 41.3mm is a bit too wide for me, and the thought of getting to grips with some of the older P basses that have a 44.5mm scares me rigid, but is it all in my mind, could I eventually get used to a wider nut width? because if I could, then I wouldn’t be so restricted when I’m gassing for a new Precision.

And why I’m on this subject, why don’t Fender give you the option to choose the neck width? there must be loads of people out there who would like a Precision with a 38mm nut, and there must be many people out there who would like a Jazz with a 41.3mm nut, considering that these basses are mass produced, surely the choice of nut width could be offered as a option.

I know there are some P’s that come with a 38mm nut, but why can’t it cover the whole range?

Anyway, my main point is, why do some of you guys prefer a wider nut, and others prefer a narrower nut?

 

42mm is the minimum I like... 43-44mm best. I like the Jazz sound but dislike the thin necks... so I've messed about a fair amount with basses to get a Jazz with a wider neck. My latest is a Jazz where I ordered a neck for it... 42mm, not the best but comfortable enough. The thing is that I started out with the thinnest necks I could find, and my preference has changed over time.

[makatak]

38mm all the way, anything wider feels like a railway sleeper. Grew up  on Soundgears and Jazz basses so it`s just conditioning I suppose. I do like the fact that my Sterling Ray 34ca and Sadowsky MV4 have has a 38mm nuts !

[mcnach]

23 hours ago, BigRedX said:

 

I think a lot of musicians get unnecessarily hung up over specifications on paper. I just ask myself "is this instrument comfortable to play?"

 

 

Of course. But a lot of people realise that nut width contributes significantly to their "is this comfortable to play?" verdict.

I use anything from my ridiculously narrow Jazz clone at 35mm to my Classic 50s Precision at 45mm... But I'm always going to prefer the 43mm-ish ones, regardless of depth, it turns out. 

[mcnach]

15 hours ago, BigRedX said:

But the bridge spacing figure is only a part of the picture. It's pretty meaningless without the corresponding nut spacing and scale length.

 

Not really. It pretty much dictates how it will feel when plucking. It's part of the picture with regards to how a bass feels, but to call it meaningless when in isolation sounds ridiculous to me.

[BigRedX]

48 minutes ago, mcnach said:

 

Not really. It pretty much dictates how it will feel when plucking. It's part of the picture with regards to how a bass feels, but to call it meaningless when in isolation sounds ridiculous to me.

Actually unless you pluck right next to the bridge, the other measurements are just as important. 

My standard plucking point is about 120mm away from the bridge when playing with a pick, and 140mm - 180mm if I'm playing finger style depending on where I'm anchoring my thumb. At those distances the taper of the string spacing from bridge to nut is a significant factor.

The last time this subject came up, I wondered why I was so unconcerned with string spacing figures until I measured the spacing at the point where I was actually plucking the strings. This was when I discovered that on all my regularly-used basses, the distance from the low B to the G string was the same to within 1mm at this point (63 - 64mm), despite the fact that the string spacing at the bridge was quite a bit different on each bass.

[Dad3353]

39 minutes ago, BigRedX said:

Actually unless you pluck right next to the bridge, the other measurements are just as important. 

My standard plucking point is about 120mm away from the bridge when playing with a pick, and 140mm - 180mm if I'm playing finger style depending on where I'm anchoring my thumb. At those distances the taper of the string spacing from bridge to nut is a significant factor.

The last time this subject came up, I wondered why I was so unconcerned with string spacing figures until I measured the spacing at the point where I was actually plucking the strings. This was when I discovered that on all my regularly-used basses, the distance from the low B to the G string was the same to within 1mm at this point (63 - 64mm), despite the fact that the string spacing at the bridge was quite a bit different on each bass.

So you don't play the mandolin, then..?
Some folks are quite happy to adapt and 'go with the flow', others like to find things exactly the same (to the point, occasionally, to manic OCD in extreme cases...). It matters, then, to some, and not at al, or not much, to others. Going from guitar to bass to db to banjo means one can't have identical set-ups, and many do that without tears . Different folks; different strokes..?

[Nicko]

My American special precision has a 1-5/8 (41.3mm) slim C neck, and my Squier CV 70s has a 1.65 (41.9mm) modern C.  I struggle with a Jazz neck width as it seems a bit cramped, but dislike the really chunky neck profile on some of the PBs.  I hadn't considered whether its because of the nut width, or whether the nut width also adds extra meat to to profile, but I suspect it does because I've tried some modern C profiles that feel too big..

[TrevorR]

For me it’s not so much the width. It’s the profile. Fave necks... Jazz at about 38mm, Wal Mk 1 at about 42 but softly V shaped. 

Least fave... P bass and Stingray clubby necks, Ricky which just feels funny and, worst of all, D shaped, flat backed Warwicks. Yuk!

[bootleg]

Variety is the spice of life. So I guess I don't have a preference and I have quite small hands.

[musicbassman]

My 1982 Squier '57 style Precision (yes, one of the very first, with the large Fender logo) is 43mm, so very slightly less than the expected 1 3/4"

..........and it's very nice to play, thankyou!

[BigRedX]

6 hours ago, Dad3353 said:

So you don't play the mandolin, then..?
Some folks are quite happy to adapt and 'go with the flow', others like to find things exactly the same (to the point, occasionally, to manic OCD in extreme cases...). It matters, then, to some, and not at al, or not much, to others. Going from guitar to bass to db to banjo means one can't have identical set-ups, and many do that without tears . Different folks; different strokes..?

Sorry, I don't see what you point is in regard to my reply to mcnach - especially in the context of the whole conversation.

Did you quote the wrong post?

He said that string spacing at the bridge (for him) was an important measurement, and I replied that the string spacing at the bridge was only a part of the overall picture. This is because the spacing between strings is not constant along their length, and virtually no-one plucks right at the bridge, so unless you also know the scale length of the instrument and the spacing at the nut, the string spacing at the bridge tells us very little about what the strings do spacing wise between the bridge and the nut. 

I then pointed out that for me, it turns out that the important measurement (in so far as I have an important measurement - on the whole I'm very easy going about instrument specs) was the spacing at the point where I pluck the string and (hopefully) implied that this measurement could not be derived from the string spacing at the bridge alone. In fact I only discovered that this was the case for me when I wondered why I didn't seem to have a problem playing instruments with very different string spacings at the bridge, and that might be the reason.

[Dad3353]

12 minutes ago, BigRedX said:

Sorry, I don't see what you point is

My point, such as it was, was exactly that. String spacing is only a factor for some folks, not all, as is demonstrated by the playing equally well, and with equal comfort, instruments with very different spacings, of which I listed a few. Some folks (yourself included, it would appear...) prefer to find the spacing the same; others just play whatever the instrument has, and adapt their technique to that.
For my part, I've never even thought to measure the spacing on any of my basses or guitars, and if I have to play someone else's drums, I seldom find it necessary to raise or lower the snare. I just go with whatever's there, and change accordingly (within limits, of course...). Maybe I'm just not fussy..? 
No big deal, no criticism; merely an observation.

Edited February 7, 2018 by Dad3353

[phil.c60]

My Hot Rod Precision is 41.9. I found that when I started playing I wanted a slim neck so I had a Squier P-Bass special as a starter instrument that had a Jazz neck. As I progressed I found the Jazz neck a bit skinny as I have quite large hands so I bought the Hot Rod about ten years ago and have stuck with it ever since. It's comfortable for me. So much so that I sold a 79 Jazz I acquired as I tried gigging with it and found it too narrow for me (and too darn heavy too!).

I recently bought a USA G&L L2000 and that's 44.25 by my measurement  - I'm currently gigging it it and I hadn't noticed the difference until I read this thread, although when you stand them side by side you can see it. I find that just as easy to play, and it has a slimmer neck which I did notice and is very comfy. I'll pick up the P later and see how that feels after a few weeks of playing the L2000!

[Mickyk]

On 06/02/2018 at 10:00, casapete said:

One of the best options for a Precision with a slimmer neck is the Deluxe active model. Great basses IMO.

https://www.gear4music.com/Guitar-and-Bass/Fender-Deluxe-Active-P-Bass-Special-MN-3-Colour-Sunburst/1N4M?utm_campaign=bEngine - Fender&utm_medium=paid_search&network=google&adgroup=41346780886&matchtype=b&utm_term=%2Bfender %2Bdeluxe %2Bactive %2Bp&device=c&creative=245719922121&adposition=2t1&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIvpb70IOR2QIVC54bCh1Dlgw6EAAYASAAEgKVhfD_BwE

Thanks for the link ,i've been toying with the idea for a while now about acquiring something like this,but the price is putting me off slightly ?any suggestions of something close as this but cheaper.I currently play a Yamaha 424 x which has a 40 mm nut width i believe and now i'm used to this width but don't really want to increase the nut width but love the p bass sound as i'm old school,anyway i'm blabbering now.

[ivansc]

My original P bass and my reissue of it (63 rosewood fingerboard) measured/s 42 wide and just as importantly 19 deep.  wide but shallow suits me perfectly.

[Telebass]

Always a Precision man, age and arthritis have led me to the way of the 38mm Jazz nut. Have a slim 2014 American Special Jazz neck on a standard 2003 MIM Precision body.

Other bass is a 40-mm width Yamaha. 

[Kevsy71]

For me would be a 41mm nut,  ideally on a Fender C profile neck with 9.5 or greater radius. That's not to say I can't play others - just that that's the one I feel most fluent with.

[Hendrik60]

38? 44.5 mm? I have small hands, but I have a Roger Waters Sig with a 44.5 mm nut. I took some time to get used to it,  but IMHO it's all about playing with the right technique.... nothing more.

[Silvia Bluejay]

Interesting topic. I play mostly 5-stringers at 45mm max, but the main difference I notice is, as mentioned above, with the string spacing at the bridge. Usually the wider the bridge, the wider the nut, but not always.

When I visit music shows (remember those?) I pick up a lot of basses, and I'm usually surprised at how easy I find adapting to different shapes of the neck and different nut widths - but more than 16.5mm string spacing at the bridge, and it goes straight back on the stand.

[Deedee]

42-44mm for me. My Aria SB-R 's at 43mm are bang on and for me the most comfortable necks (along with Status).

I've had some lovely basses with slimmer necks (EBMM Sterlings etc) but I get pains/cramps across my hand after a period of playing which I just don't get on wider necked basses. I do have long spindly fingers though so perhaps that's it.

Edited June 12, 2020 by Deedee