Problems with my Playing Style and the Binding

[crawlspacestefan]

Hey, guys. I bought my very first Rickenbacker in May, and I've been loving it, for the most part. I have, however, encountered one problem and I was hoping perhaps you guys may be able to provide some advice.

The problem is this: I have really only played Fender P Basses, and I developed a playing style (I should probably mention I play with a pick) where I sort of plant the underside of my forearm on the body of the guitar and then proceed to attack the strings primarily with a wrist motion. This worked just fine with my P Bass because of the natural contour of the body. On my Ric, however, I seem to be running into a bit of an issue. Because of the sharp edge of the binding I'm experiencing qutie a bit of pain when I play this way. I even swelled up all huge and red. I didn't really have the problem when I still had the pick up cover because I planted myself more on that than I did the body of the instrument. So, I'm thinking about replacing it. But I I prefer the sound and feel of the strings right above the treble pick up. I've temporarily solved the problem by wearing a sweat band on my arm, but in so doing my vanity is compromised.

Has anyone else run into this problem, or am I a complete freak?

Thanks, guys!

-Stefan

[teeder]

I recommend contouring the body edge!

family 816.gif (11.16 KiB) Viewed 1824 times

Actually, the binding bothers me too. That's why I prefer to play "S" styled Ricks that don't have binding.

Oh BTW, welcome!

[winston]

My advice............relax your arm (or wear long sleeves or a sweat band). You do not need to attack a Rick with an aggressive pick motion btw to get it to sound great in the mix.

Personally I prefer binding on all my Ricks, besides the cool factor it saves my guitars from wear and tear.

When I play bass I usually rest my hand on the pickup cover.

Again it's all a matter of making small adjustments to your playing style.

[winston]

I recommend contouring the body edge!

Too funny Kevin.

[ken_j]

Welcome to the RRF Stefan. An "S" bass or a 4004 would solve this problem.

[antonius]

Hi Stefan,
No you are not a freak. If you are used to resting your arm there heavily it will hurt on a 4001/4003 with the binding. But if you just study what you are doing and see if you can adapt your playing style and posture slightly then you'll forget that it was ever a problem pretty quickly. Perhaps you can experiment with the length of your guitar strap or see where you are anchoring your picking hand, or look at the how your army hangs down and where the weight of it is distributed. There will be a solution for you. I sometimes rest my forearm on the binding of my 4001 too, but only very lightly, and it is never a problem. When I got my 1970 Gibson Les Paul Custom guitar I found that the edge of it used to dig into my ribs and hurt because it was different to my bass in shape but it was and is such an amazing guitar that I persevered and altered my playing style and posture and that problem soon went away. If you like the feel and sound of your Rickenbacker my advice is to persevere and adapt. Good luck

[berth]

Has anyone else run into this problem, or am I a complete freak?

I more or less have the same playing style, but also adapted to it more or less since I play Rickenbacker for quite a long time now. First an S model (4000) and since a year or 13 models with binding. You can adapt to it mostly. But I can feel my arm more when rehearsing 3 hours with a model with binding than I can with an S model.

[cjj]

I recommend contouring the body edge!

The attachment family 816.gif is no longer available

Actually, the binding bothers me too. That's why I prefer to play "S" styled Ricks that don't have binding.

Oh BTW, welcome!

Funny, but the wrong tool. One of these will do a better job, and, if you use it elsewhere on the body & neck, you can increase the value of your instrument by doing a real "pro" relic job too!

Seriously though, try adjusting the strap to raise or lower the instrument and change the angle of your arm. I play with my bass kind of low down so my arm is straighter and have never had an issue with the binding. But, that too is a different playing style and will require some adaptation.

Welcome to the RRF!

[woodyng]

#1 to the s and 4004 models, as much as I admire the look of the more "upscale" 4001/2/3 models,I prefer the simpler models slung over my shoulder. And they are not hard to find.....come to Rickresource,the fountain of ric-mania!

[songdog]

My advice............relax your arm (or wear long sleeves or a sweat band).

+1 on the sweat band (see picture at right). Works for me

Has the added benefit of keeping (some of) the sweat off the finish. "If you don't sweat, it ain't rock & roll."

[anoukane]

I also use a sweatband.
Maybe Mr Hall should give a sweatband with every Rickenbacker instead of a polishing cloth

[cjj]

Eh, polishing cloth, a little duct tape... instant sweat band!

[rickenbrother]

Welcome to the forum, Stephan! When I got my first 4001 many years ago, I thought the edge of the binding would bother my arm. It never did. Maybe besides using a sweatband, you should alter the playing position of your arm and/or Rick. That's easier to do when standing. Lowering your Rick on it's strap should help the situation somewhat. Maybe your playing technique makes you force your arm into the edge of the bass without you realizing it.
I wear a long arm band on my right arm when playing where it will be hot. Doesn't matter if it's a Rick with binding or rounded edges.

[cassius987]

Remember that no matter the bass it's best not to let your arm touch while playing at all to avoid long-term health issues. I am guilty of this myself but I've never noticed a difference due to the binding so I can't be of help there.

[crawlspacestefan]

Wow! Thanks for all the replies, guys. I really appreciate you all taking the time to welcome me, introduce yourselves, and to provide advice.

The sweatband thing is working for the time being, but it's not exactly perfect (mostly for reasons of vanity). I had rehearsal last night and I tried to be conscious of all areas of my playing style. I noticed that at the very least I do play quite hard (I've always known this to be true, and even almost was proud of it). I made an effort last night to try to calm it down a bit and it does end up sounding just as good. I guess it's just a passion thing, or something. Like, if you're playing some aggresive-ish music, it's hard not to play it aggresively, you know? Anyways, calming down my picking technique will probably afford me additional options in other areas.

I have tried a little experimentation with the height of the guitar, but I will certainly try even more so. I like the guitar higher than lower, typically. Right now it's sort of in a middle ground that isn't perfect either. If I play too low I find that it's a bit taxing on my left wrist, so I think I'll try to raise the guitar up first.

Regarding the S models: It was such an ordeal getting this bass (we all of those stories, I imagine!) and it's so beautiful and brand new that I'm not willing to part with this guitar (yet, at least - hopefully never). I just need to make it work for me, you know? I'm sure that it's possible. The adaptation process will likely make me a better player, too! I will keep an eye out for an S model, though - but I can't imagine ever seeing one here. There are very few Rics around.

Joshua/cassius: You mentioned a danger in resting one's arm on the instrument. I've not heard this before, although I'm predominately self taught so that isn't necessarily a surprise. Could you explain, a little?

Thanks again, guys. This seems like a great community.

Cheers,

-s.