Can weight gains affect bass playing?

[hendixclarke]

Over the years, and with age, we bass players gain weight. Looking at Stanely Clarke these days, you can get the picture. Does adding or loing the pounds affect your playing in good or bad ways?

[terryc]

too many after gig takeaways(curries, kebabs, chinese meals)
If your belly sticks out it is easier to see the settings on the controls as the bass is tilted towards you.
Not affected my playing..then again I am pretty slim!!!(yes really!)

[elwoodblue]

holding the bass tight against you...I bet the resonances become very personalized.
...affected also by on your veneers (clothes).
 
good question

[cozmik_cowboy]

I mostly play guitar, but my experience is that weight does affect playing.  80-100 lbs. ago I usually sat with my left knee crossed over the right to play - now I can't can't even cross an ankle over a knee, and the change in position (added to the further reach around the guitar due to my belly) is, indeed, detrimental to my already fecal chops.  Standing, esp. with my electric, I've had to move it higher, since if I wear it where I like it, it rocks on my belly - it was about Bobby Weir height, now it's more like B.B.  That stabilizes it, but also angles it in a way I'm not really comfortable playing.  I realize, of course, that all of this is within my power to reverse, but what can I say - I'm a complete food slut.
 
Peter  
ps - In support of this, I would also point to the decline in Mr. Garcia's playing over the last 10 years/100 lbs. of his life.  Though I would, of course, gladly surrender almost any body part not depending from my shoulders to play like his worst day.

[jazzyvee]

Good question indeed but I guess, if your instrument barely touches your body due to you being very slim and so the body hangs vertially then you would absorb much less of the vibrations of the instrument when playing so that if you had a bigger belly and maybe manboobs or female boobs over the top, large hands gripping the neck and bracing against the instrument during playing, I would expect some of those extra parts touching the bass may absorb some of the resonances and have an effect on tone and sustain. How much of an influence would be hard to quantify.
 
But as to increasing weight affecting your playing i guess that would depend where the weight was and if it impeded the normal movement of your fingers/arms/wrists as you play the instrument.
 
I don't propose to increase my weight to help with your enquiries.
Jazzyvee

[lbpesq]

I liked Phil's tone better when he was heavier!  (But I really don't think the two are related).
 
Bill, tgo

[eligilam]

Jazzyvee wins for funniest post ever, but hendrixclarke wins the prize for world's best thread starter.  
 
My two cents: if you gain too much weight, you likely have higher high density lipoprotein (bad cholesterol) levels, which can be associated with serious coronary artery disease and heart attack, stroke, and adult-onset diabetes.  The end result of these processes is, potentially and respectively, death, death or neurologic deficit, and amputation of multiple limbs.  These can adversely affect the fluidity of one's bass playing.

[keavin]

Anthony jackson is one Badass  fatass  bassplayin ass......

[hendixclarke]

For those who are gaining the extra pounds, should consider playing more often and longer sets, and better yet bust a sweat.

[jazzyvee]

Yes I agree Keavin,the man is a monster of a player but, do you think he would be a Better Baddass, skinny-ass Bass player if he lost weight and became a size Zero model bass player? :-)
 
Jazzyvee

[hendixclarke]

Back in the day, (70's) it was cool to be skinny and jammin a bass. These days, the fatter the person the fatter the sound. It's like, watching a fat man play a tuba is acceptable.

[terryc]

hendixclarke..I once tried busting a sweat by dancing around the stage but almost 14 pounds of Alembic MK made my back and shoulders ache..standing still is the best option!!
On a serious not I have to agree with eligilam and I did fall into the trap of after gig meals as said in earlier post.
It is easy to become unfit and very hard to become fit..it takes a lot of effort and determination to do physical exercise

[funkyjazzjunky]

You are less likely to have back pain if you have strong abdominal muscles to help your back support the weight of your bass

[olieoliver]

F-J-J you are 100% correct!
 
Works the abs, lose the back pain, (in most cases).
 
Olie
(AMFPT certified)

[tbrannon]

Don't forget the hamstring, glut and hip stretches!
 
The majority of back pain can be relieved/eliminated by strengthening the abs and loosening up the major muscle groups that attach to the pelvis.