My Yamaha Broadbass BB735a brings me incredible joy to play – I love this bass! Downside: It’s heavy. I have a 3" Ernie Ball neoprene strap on it, but playing while standing for even five minutes gets my shoulder really sore. (I’m still pretty new, and only really play sitting down – haven’t gigged.)
Those of you with heavy basses… What strap do you use? And, those of you with heavy basses who stand and play… Do I just need to grit my teeth and get used to it, or is there a way to wear the strap/bass, etc.?
This is one of the reasons I love my Ibanez: it is super light and can hang off my shoulder for hours. My Carvin is like your Yamaha… it’s much heavier, and my trapes gets sore after a bit.
I find that hanging the strap on the shoulder bone - instead of the trapes - alleviates some of that soreness for a while.
I went thought the B2B course with a Yammie BB735 and yes it’s heavy. I ONLY play standing (I can’t play while sitting).
I was recovering from my throat cancer radiation and chemo treatments back then, and had lost 60 lbs as a result of the treatment and the feeding tube in my stomach. The loss was mostly muscle, so you can just imagine how difficult that was on my back muscles and shoulders. But I got through it.
I used (still do) a Levy’s Leather 4.5 inch strap and it really helped to relieve the pressure on my shoulder and redistribute the weight so it wasn’t as centralized on my back. It was still difficult, and I needed lots of breaks, but I got through the course and even managed to record a few covers with it.
I’m fine now, and owe it to that very wide leather strap. I would definitely recommend it to you.
Straps are a crap shoot. There are thinner ones that are uber comfy and wider ones that aren’t, and vice versa, and different for all……and what @TNKA36 said princess, your a badasss now.
The Gruv Gear Solostrap Neo 4” is very comfortable.
One thing to keep in mind is that it’s slippery, which can be a little problematic if your bass is susceptible to neck dive.
It’s also relatively short, so consider getting the extension if you are tall. I’m a long-bodied 6’2” and without the extension I have it at its longest setting to achieve a waist-high bass position.
It might take your body a little while to get used to handling a large heavy bass. Try standing for a few minutes at a time, and increasing the duration progressively as you get stronger and refine your technique.
There’s a good book on injury prevention for bassists by Randall Kurtz. You can find it on Amazon.
Yeah after I bought the SBV I realized I probably wouldn’t be playing the BB much.
The BB is a truly fantastic bass. Amazing tone and playability, and really versatile. Extremely well made too. There’s nothing wrong with it - it just wasn’t me. I like light basses in flashy or bright colors, and the BB just isn’t that.
I use those Levy’s straps on my Les Pauls. It doesn’t stop them from being heavy, so I keep a stool nearby and swap them for a different guitar, frequently. That’s as honest a truth about playing with a heavy instrument as I can give, I guess – it’s an endurance thing, but it’s absolutely trainable.
My Squier Modified Jaguar is on the heavier side, too. I like straps no thinner than 3 inches because it’s comfortable and helps that big fat headstock from pulling the neck on the bass downwards, thus screwing up my posture and making the bass seem heavier than it is.
Straps can be as personal a thing as a guitar, so try a few of see what you like. Oh, and – Get a dealer with a good return policy, and swap out what’s not working!
Look into a Gruv Gear John Patitucci strap. It’s got neoprene padding under the leather (super comfy!) and adjusting it is so much easier than any other strap I’ve encountered.
I actually looked at that one a couple years ago when I was shopping for a wider more comfortable strap, but it’s only 3 inches. I ended up going with (2) of these 4.5 inch ones instead. Also quite pricey, but my back and shoulders are very grateful that I spent the money.
I don’t know what it is but I haven’t found a two piece strap that works for me. I’m always super aware of of where the two pieces are joined together against my lower (right) back and it drives me nuts. That’s why the strap I linked to works so well for me.
I use the Levy 4.5 inch strap on my heavy ass Jazz bass. Glad I spent the money. But I wanted something not as wide for my other basses. So, I bought these along with Ernie Ball strap locks for my Ibanez and my Ray34. They feel wonderful and adjust so easily.
