Son wants Bass - Small hands

Flamencology said:
Honestly, I don't think that either one should matter, provided that healthy technique is there.

Exhibit A:



I think that this forum, as a collective, spends way too much time thinking about this kind of stuff. I don't know, maybe it's a guitar thing. We wouldn't be having this conversation if we were talking about an adult with small hands taking up the piano, or a child taking up a contrabassoon.

Your hands are amazing things, and they stretch and make adjustments and develop muscle memory. A newbie will do fine. It's the experienced players who panic and think "OMG, this is new and foreign, I need to be sticking with what's old and comfortable!". So they go through the old buy-and-sell routine and everyone posts "I'll give it 6 weeks."
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Well the electric bass was invented to make the upright bass more portable and so it could be amplified. In the upright world, you have 4/4, 3/4, 1/2 and 1/4 size. All with different scale lengths. There must be a reason for that.
 
Chad said:
Well the electric bass was invented to make the upright bass more portable and so it could be amplified. In the upright world, you have 4/4, 3/4, 1/2 and 1/4 size. All with different scale lengths. There must be a reason for that.
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Yes, but those are played by children. You wouldn't a 3/4-size instrument to someone who's taller than 4'8" or so.
 
Chad said:
Actually, 3/4 is considered the standard size for bass. Almost nobody plays a 4/4 bass.
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I sit corrected. Assumed that it'd be the same way for cello sizing.

But standard is standard; a 3/4 bass would fit for pretty much anyone from 5' to borderline giant.
 
fair enough. Just don't want it to get too harsh on a simple thing like this. We can save that for the pick vs. fingers discussion.

I am thinking let him play on the basses I have for time being. Every bass feels different anyway. If he masters the Jazz he will be at a standard size to move around from and find what he likes. The jazz or the Bg-29 will surely give him some range to try it out.

Besides, his fav two bands are Beatles and Rush. If he sticks it out having a black jazz that looks like Geddy's might spur him on.
 
Blanchard's mates at Luna make a short scale P bass. But, as the actress said to the bishop, it's more about the girth than the length.

I'd vote for the jazz, mostly because it is after all there.
 
Found an Ibanez gsr190 at a local pawn shop. They asked him 99. I checked it out, and tone knob did nothing and had a huge electronic buzz. I figure a tone pot and wiring time. Showed store manager and demo it thru 2 amps with 3 different cables. So out the door for 75. He seems happy and if stolen at college will be disappointed, but not devastated.

Now gotta scour pawn shops for a little bitty bass amp with headphones out.
 
I might point out that Luna began as a company that was designing guitars more suitable for a woman's body and hands; Yvonne's mother is a bass player and was the inspiration for the company. Luna basses might be just right.
 
Thanks or all the insight and help guys. He is happy as can be. All the ideas here helped us find the right fit for him at this time.
 
My hands aren't that big and my #1 is a Fender Jazz. I'm not sure if the P bass has the same neck or if it is smaller. Since my hands aren't very big I use my pinky finger to reach, e.g. say moving up 2 strings and 2 frets to grab an octave I will use my pinky instead of ring finger. Years ago I didn't think my pinky was very coordinated plus I have what is called a trigger finger or double joint, but, I have trained it and it works as well as any of my fingers. Now, if I could train my right hand to do something....anyways, after training my pinky and lot's of hard work I like the scale of a bass over a six string and that's one of the big reasons I am a bass player now.
 
CBHScott said:
The Squier Vintage Modified Short-Scale Jaguar basses are excellent for the low coin IMO:

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This! I just got one and it is super comfortable and plays great!
 
I will have to llok out for something like that if he sticks with it and learns on the ibanez.
He is focusing a little too much on tabs and stuff for my taste right now. I would rather he get solid not just ape others, but maybe that will come in time. Right now he is actually doing ok on a lot. He is using tabs to learn a lot of Beatle stuff he and his friends are working on.
 
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