'The Comfort Factor'

[Gareth Hughes]

Aside from string spacing the most important thing for me is being able to comfortable play in first position without bending my wrist too much. I reckon about 70% of my gigging time is spent there so of it gets sore quick I know all about it.

This comfort factor is a variable quantity tho given that what works for me might not for another. I'm a small guy - 5'9", with shortish arms and small hands so what I've found that works best is having the strap button coming over the 12th fret, halfway into the 11th fret. I have the strap hang down vertically, not pulled to my right. Doing this I do lose a little access to the upper frets but that's the trade off, but I reduce the angle in my left wrist.

My basses are J-shaped. When I'm standing I like them to hand just an inch or two to the left of where they would be when I sit.

This set up might not work for giants like Melvin Lee Davis tho as the high frets would be an awkward twist in the other direction.