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6 string bass for small hands!


Terra
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Hey guys, I'm such a user, I only log in when I want something! I'll return the favour soon, promise :)

So,

I'm looking for a 6 string bass, preferably less than £1000 but with a narrower neck than the standard 54mm.

I've not got tiny hands, I can play a 6er but I find it fatiguing after a while so if I can find a thinner neck I'd be very happy.

The ESP basses look pretty damn nice, what do you guys think?

Cheers :rolleyes:

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I very much doubt you'll be able to find a bass with a narrower and thinner neck than the Ibanez SR506. But thats got a 54mm neck width at the nut and its far from standard most basses have a thicker neck than this the only other basses with similar neck spacing (I don't think any go bellow 54mm apart from customs) are the ibanez, ESP, Schecter and peavey grind basses, the modulus is quite thin if you can find one, and so are the carvin necks. Plus the Yamaha RBXJM2 has a thin string and neck spacing.

But then again all those basses mentioned above have a 16-16.5mm string spacing. Been looking for a bass with a 16mm string spacing for awhile but I may settle for a 16.5 spacing and the ibanez for the thinner neck as well as having the smaller widths.

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The Warwick Corvette 6 has a 52mm nut. The ash version I had sported a fairly chunky neck, so your best bet in your price range is either the ESP or the SR506 - of the two, the SR506 has by far the thinner neck profile. They've got both an ESP 6 and an SR506 at the Gallery in Camden at the moment (which makes for a quick and easy comparison!)

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Thats the Yamaha RBXJM2 and according to views on talkbass it is the same width as the 506 which has a 54mm neck.

Ooo didnt realise the corvette was only 52mm at the nut I know it has a 16.5 mm string spcaing though and it has a thickness at the nut of 20mm.

It always suprises me why larger brands dont advertise the exact specs of the instruments for neck sizing as for a 6 string instrument thats quite important. Yamaha don't seem to publish any of them which are useful its all through users measurments to find details.

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[quote name='josh3184' post='586129' date='Aug 31 2009, 10:27 PM']Ibanez SR series might be a good choice from what I hear...[/quote]
+1, although I owned the 4 string SR900 the neck was almost pencil-like at the nut and I should think that the 5 and 6 string versions probably follow a similar design pattern.

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[quote name='Sugden' post='586476' date='Sep 1 2009, 01:17 PM']Thats the Yamaha RBXJM2 and according to views on talkbass it is the same width as the 506 which has a 54mm neck.

Ooo didnt realise the corvette was only 52mm at the nut I know it has a 16.5 mm string spcaing though and it has a thickness at the nut of 20mm.

It always suprises me why larger brands dont advertise the exact specs of the instruments for neck sizing as for a 6 string instrument thats quite important. Yamaha don't seem to publish any of them which are useful its all through users measurments to find details.[/quote]

I used to own an RBXJM2. Also being an Ibanez SR 6-string owner, I can say that the neck of the Yamaha 'looked' narrower than the the Ibanez but 'felt' wider when playing. The Ibanez was definitely much easier to play and I have relatively small hands. I think the ratio of the neck width at the nut to that where it meets the body on the Yamaha, compared to the Ibanez, was greater, explaining why it looked narrower.

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If your tapping does it really make THAT much difference? Id worry more about sound and playability if you wanted it particularly for tap. I personally love the trb1006 but iirc it wasnt particularly thin. A grand will get you a LOT of bass. Check out the for sales regularly!

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There are a lot of people with smaller hands that have played big basses, Suzy Quattro, Gail Ann Dorsey etc. This is just a suggestion, but maybe if you altered your left hand technique, move your hand more rather than anchoring and stretching, you'd have a bigger choice of basses.

Edited by chris_b
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[quote name='basexperience' post='594715' date='Sep 10 2009, 01:25 PM']I'd almost put money on that. He's a tiny chap! :)[/quote]

While he's not particularly tall, he's got pretty big hands. His first signature Yamaha bass had a fairly wide neck and while I think the RBXJM2 was narrower, it still wasn't as streamlined as an Ibanez neck. The new EBMM Bongo Bass 6-stringer that he uses now, from what I've been reliably told, also has a reasonably wide neck.

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[quote name='xgsjx' post='594834' date='Sep 10 2009, 03:57 PM']If tapping's your game then why not try...

[url="http://danceworldgroup.bcentralhost.com/danceworld/Frames%20Pages/Low%20Heel%20tap%20shoes%20FP.htm"]These[/url][/quote]

PHEW! I was worried that was going to be a chapman stick then.

I've always thought the ESP guitars and basses felt quite "big" so you might have trouble with a 6 string.

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[quote name='geilerbass' post='594728' date='Sep 10 2009, 01:35 PM']While he's not particularly tall, he's got pretty big hands. His first signature Yamaha bass had a fairly wide neck and while I think the RBXJM2 was narrower, it still wasn't as streamlined as an Ibanez neck. The new EBMM Bongo Bass 6-stringer that he uses now, from what I've been reliably told, also has a reasonably wide neck.[/quote]

I've just taken a ruler to the neck of my RBX6JM(1) and it's a touch under 50mm wide at the nut and 16.5mm string spacing at the bridge. Not sure how that compares to the RBX6JM2.

The neck is fairly thin/shallow, and from memory is thinner and a good deal narrower than the TRB6II I used to own. Not as slinky as the neck on your Ibanez from the brief go I had on it before that gig in Streatham though.

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i've got a lovely ibanez sr3006e... not sure of the spacing but it's a very pleasant neck to play, was my first ever 6er and the only one I properly agree with because I too have small hands! lets me do everything from crazy driving ska basslines to chilling back with the jazz/trip hop... and everything inbetween.

fast forward to 50 seconds in this clip to hear some 20 seconds of the bass going through a nice sound system - who said a 6 string couldn't swing? note the fatness of the low B too... very solid. :) [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ibeOM7cht3E"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ibeOM7cht3E[/url]

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I have an ESP in the for sale section-would suit small hands definately-like mine, was looking for trades but could sell if interested?-very nice basses too

[url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=60397"]http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=60397[/url]

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  • 11 years later...

The string spacing is 14.5mm on the GVB 36 which is really easy on my stubby fingers and it reduces the neck width quite a bit. The other thing I have seen done by some bassists is to get a five string bass kit and put an adjustable 6 string bridge where the string spacing can be changed and a custom made six slot nut.  I know that such bridges are out there but they are hard to find and a good guitar maker can make the six string nut.  

Edited by newby6string
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