Worlds Easiest Playing Basses?

Re: Worlds Easiest Playing Basses?

I would try one to test out, but I have way to many basses for my old lady to justify buying another lol!
 
Re: Worlds Easiest Playing Basses?

Johnny the Kid said:
It's good to see a company that takes the time to explain their product to the market. Thanks for the comments and I look forward to trying an Artisan Bass Works bass at some point in the future.
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I couldnt have said it better.
I appreciate the input Scott! To me, the interaction with the maker speaks volumes. One Major reason Im on this forum and mostly use Seymour Duncan pickups. Your basses score a big plus for your pickup selection alone.. ; )
I understand what some of the seasoned guys are saying as far as moving the neck up or down, but as a fairly new bassist, I play kind of neck high as my finger strength isnt as developed and I want to fret cleanly.
 
Re: Worlds Easiest Playing Basses?

BloodRose said:
I couldnt have said it better.
I appreciate the input Scott! To me, the interaction with the maker speaks volumes. One Major reason Im on this forum and mostly use Seymour Duncan pickups. Your basses score a big plus for your pickup selection alone.. ; )
I understand what some of the seasoned guys are saying as far as moving the neck up or down, but as a fairly new bassist, I play kind of neck high as my finger strength isnt as developed and I want to fret cleanly.
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This is actually true for me. I play my Stingray pretty high up as far as angles go. I play my guitars in the same way. Look at pretty much any photo of Brent Hinds playing and I play at the same angle. So I actually could understand playing one of those basses. The problem is I have yet to find a better neck than a Stingray.
 
Re: Worlds Easiest Playing Basses?

Thanks for the comments everyone. We love Seymour Duncan prodcuts, our tone is excellent all around largely because of them.

It seems it comes down to aesthetics. I understand with our Classic Series basses (J style), which was in the OP, the neck being angled is just too much to take in for some. I get it, you have been looking at straight neck J and P basses forever and here we come along and angle the neck.

We offer several different body shapes, as well as custom designs, most of which don't appear so different as the shapes are designed to work with the angle. A fender style body was designed for a straight neck, so the two had to be married together, rather than be engineered from the start to accommodate the angle.

Here are some pics of various basses, the first few are the Classic Series we have been discussing, and the rest are designed for the angle, which I believe have a more easily acceptable aesthetic.


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artisan-bass-works-Kernbrantley.jpg


zz.jpg


untitled.jpg


ansir tech imperial.jpg


ansir by Brent pics 305.jpg


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artisan-bass-works-mastino.jpg
 
Re: Worlds Easiest Playing Basses?

FWIW - that neck is actually at the correct angle, ergonomically, for the human body. When I studied classical guitar at the Conservatory, I was taught when you raise your hand to the neck, your knuckles should be parallel with the neck for maximum reach and least tension on muscles of the hand and arm, which typically results in the neck being at about 45 degrees. Problem is, then the contour of the body doesn't match your torso.
 
Re: Worlds Easiest Playing Basses?

Maybe newer players might be interested, but if one has been playing for several decades (as I have), the concept of the angle might be a dealbreaker in and of itself.
 
Re: Worlds Easiest Playing Basses?

Hey Scott, thanks for posting the pictures.

I gotta say, they look less strange when someone is actually holding and playing them than they do in isolation. I think that is largely because the players hand and forearm obscure the enormous upper portion of the body. But even so, they look like someone set them on a slanted surface on a hot day and they melted a bit.

Am I correct in assuming the big upper body is necessary for the right balance and neck angle?
 
Re: Worlds Easiest Playing Basses?

dg27 said:
Maybe newer players might be interested, but if one has been playing for several decades (as I have), the concept of the angle might be a dealbreaker in and of itself.
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If the player is close minded and resistant to anything different from what they are used to, which some are, I agree.

However, we have a customer who bought two basses this week who is 70yrs. old and describes what music he plays as 40's, 50's, and 60's with a touch of seventy's but no funk or slap bass. So, in the case you describe, the length of playing appears less important than one's personal makeup.

IMO, why be resistant to new innovations? We always seem to be embracing/clamoring for the newest latest this and or that, why in our bass guitars must we stop at a design from a generation ago? We give all due respect to Leo Fender, but do not accept that his designs are perfect immune from refinement. You may not like how it looks, we've been over that, but it is an improvement to the design regardless of whether or not you find it visually appealing.


Not directing at you dg27, just using your comment as an opportunity to speak on the topic.
 
Re: Worlds Easiest Playing Basses?

BlueTalon said:
Hey Scott, thanks for posting the pictures.

I gotta say, they look less strange when someone is actually holding and playing them than they do in isolation. I think that is largely because the players hand and forearm obscure the enormous upper portion of the body. But even so, they look like someone set them on a slanted surface on a hot day and they melted a bit.

Am I correct in assuming the big upper body is necessary for the right balance and neck angle?
Click to expand...

You're welcome!

In answer to your question, When we angle the neck, it is also offset. This means the bridge/strings/controls are all lowered. If we make the body symmetrical, the angle is nullified. Thus, the body must be asymmetrical, meaning the top cannot be a mirror image of the bottom. Worded differently, the top necessarily has more mass as there must be some angle of incidence. It's also about giving your arm a place to rest and maintaining a shape in the case of the "F" style.

"They look melted," "CNC guy was stoned," "My eyes are burning," I've heard it all. My all time favorite internet comment was "Go home Jazz bass, you're drunk!"
 
Re: Worlds Easiest Playing Basses?

beaubrummels said:
FWIW - that neck is actually at the correct angle, ergonomically, for the human body. When I studied classical guitar at the Conservatory, I was taught when you raise your hand to the neck, your knuckles should be parallel with the neck for maximum reach and least tension on muscles of the hand and arm, which typically results in the neck being at about 45 degrees. Problem is, then the contour of the body doesn't match your torso.
Click to expand...

Thank you for posting this!

This is exactly correct and why the original design, while OBV incredible, was not perfect. This is the root of the ergonomic benefits of the angled neck.
 
Re: Worlds Easiest Playing Basses?

scott@artisanbass said:
IMO, why be resistant to new innovations? We always seem to be embracing/clamoring for the newest latest this and or that, why in our bass guitars must we stop at a design from a generation ago? We give all due respect to Leo Fender, but do not accept that his designs are perfect immune from refinement. You may not like how it looks, we've been over that, but it is an improvement to the design regardless of whether or not you find it visually appealing.
Click to expand...

There are a lot of people who are Leo Fender Jazz or Precision purists, and they drive me up a wall. Everyone is entitled to like what they like, and I have no qualms with someone liking something I personally find very strange (I don't find Fenders strange btw). But when a new bass player asks what kind of bass should he get, there are a number of people who respond as if a Precision or a Jazz are the only possible choices. Drives me nuts.

Your basses fall into the strange category for me, but I'm willing to withhold judgment until I get a chance to play one. And even if I don't like it, I can certainly see why others would. And I really appreciate it when people think outside of the box in an effort to improve something.

Dingwalls with the fanned frets are another example. I don't like them personally (I tried playing one, and my wrist just can't bend like it requires), but other people swear by them.
 
Re: Worlds Easiest Playing Basses?

dg27 said:
Call me shallow, but looks are an issue for me.
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That is our society in general. Marketing is huge, and a lot of that is aesthetics.

I play a lot of different basses that people don't like the look of; that doesn't make them close-minded or resistant to change. They just don't like them, period. Personally, I like them and they work for me, and that's what's more important. But, if I didn't like the look of them, I wouldn't play them. It's that simple.
 
Re: Worlds Easiest Playing Basses?

As someone who is not a Bass player per se I would be willing to try a bass like this. Do you have regular 6 string guitars with this concept or no?
 
Re: Worlds Easiest Playing Basses?

I agree with you guys, an appealing look is important for all the reasons stated. My comment was in the context of yes aesthetics are important, putting that aside, the angled neck does work regardless of the particular aesthetic appeal of one design or another. They are just manifestations of the concept of an ergonomically/anatomically designed instrument.

The reason our J styled basses exist is because there was a demand for them. We offer other body designs and custom design as well. We hope to be able to meet the demands of any customer one way or the other. In addition, and for no additional cost while supplies last, we will design into your design, an angled neck. Everyone wins!
 
Re: Worlds Easiest Playing Basses?

I agree that they look much less "offset" in the photos where they are being played. Some of the others you put pics of look gorgeous!
 
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