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Old 09-28-2010, 09:16 AM
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Ken Smith Ken Smith is offline
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Cool ok..

Quote:
Originally Posted by Thomas Erickson View Post
Obviously the spacing and arch are the main things, and fingerboard width will play a part, but I'm curious what people think about how far the G sits inside the edge of the fingerboard. I suppose this applies to the E too, especially with a beveled fingerboard, but since most of the playing higher on the fingerboard is on the higher strings I think it is more noticeable if the G is closer or farther from the edge.

Personally I go back and forth; some days I find it easier to play in thumb position when the G is close to the outside, and others I like to have a lot of fingerboard under the string to work on top of. Maybe the type of string factors in too, now that I think of it. I do prefer tighter string spacing and more arch to the fingerboard, so that gives me more room to play with how the whole arrangement sits over the board; perhaps it's just those basses with wide spacing where the G is right out to the edge that I particularly dislike...
I think the overhang (inside spacing to edge or outer strings) depends on many factors. On some basses you have no choice. Take for instance a bass that was originally 3-string and has a narrow taper from end to end. Putting 4 strings on that will bring the outer strings closer to the edges. Now you just have to do the best you can and get used to the tighter overhang. If not, the neck comes out, the block widened or changed (the top off for the new block), a new neck grafted and tapered to demand and then fingerboard, bridge and set-up. A huge job costing thousands of dollars to alter a 3-string converted neck width.

On some basses the fingerboard fans out quite a bit. Go measure a 12 fingerboards on 12 different basses measuring them at the nut and end at the 34" point. You will see quite a variation I am sure.

Now, depending on the bass itself, overall size, upper bout width, rub depth, rib taper in the upper bout, neck pitch in block, neck stand over body, bridge arch etc. each bass will play differently from slight to extreme with the same player.
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