Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Anyone else experience this after playing for awhile? I just started feeling this a few months ago. I've been playing for 18 years and it only happens with my 4003. I know the body has sharp corners and that's probably what's causing it, but how do I get rid of it? I may have to trade it for something else...

nope ... never ...

if you want contoured get a 4004 ...

Hmmm...never had that problem. If you are resting your arm on the body edge it could be cutting off some circulation I guess. I would figure that you have tried readjusting your arm position but that may be dificult to get used to. Try lowering the bass a little to take some pressure off of your forearm. Try getting an '80's era arm/sweatband.....maybe that will provide enough cushion. A more drastic idea would be to find a 4003s (no binding) since it has a more rounded edge.....you could even reshape one slightly to make it even more comfortable. Just a thought to keep you in the Ric family. Good Luck !

I never get numbness, but I do get a blister from time to time (between that & the T-bird it's pretty much a callous at this point).
That binding is beautiful, but unforgiving.
I've done the '80s armband thing - only at practice though & it IS a Rolling Stones armband! Not sure I'd do it live...


Hurts so good.

I'm not saying that a "Loverboy edition headband" on your arm is the way to go but having a numb hand or getting another brand of bass may be even more painful.

Position is everything.

I have the bass low enough so the heel of my palm is always resting on the front of the body, and no part of my forearm rests on the edge. I never have pain or numbness.

I wear mine LOW as well, never been a problem for me...But it sounds like that might be something to look at.

RMD

repetitive motion disorder, commonly mistaken as carpal tunnel syndrome. Has nothing to do with circulation.

What part of your hand/arm presents with 'numbness'? is it the thumb/pointer or pinky/ring.

is there any burning or parasthesia?

if there is impairment-time to call the clinic-before nerve damage occurs.

I used a Tele for a while & it was so painful, that I had to stop using it. Now-a-days my 360's have no such problems & my 350 is worn a little lower, to stop that forearm on the 'sharp bit' that you seem to be suffering from. However, I have played Ric basses all my life, without a problem. Could it be the height that you play at, or could it be a pick v fingers thing that effects the position of your arm. Being a finger player, my arm seems to 'arch over' a little more than some pick players I've seen.

Andrew,
Is the pain on the top or the underside of the forearm? Which movement of the wrist/hand makes this worse?
It sounds like either there is a degree of temporary neuropraxia, which is the mildest form of nerve damage or compression of the nerve.
The median nerve affects the thumb and first two fingers and the ulnar the ring and pinky fingers. You may be changing your hand/wrist position very slightly because of the binding and this could be the factor that,s making the difference.
Off to the doctor like Jared says, as online diagnosis is a risky buisness.
I just stayed at a Holiday Inn last night....

You can take a small piece of fine sandpaper and round the edge of the binding down a little ...

when I play with a pick rest my hand on the tailpiece ... when I play with my fingers then my hand is all over the place ...

Andrew, follow Andrew and Jared's advise. I suspect this has nothing to do with the binding at all. I have the same issue at times and I mostly play my 4004's. I usually feel it after a long session of using my dumb - so it's more to do with positioning. Also don't know how old you are but I find it takes longer for me to loosen up these days than it did 18 or so years ago. It sounds more like a carpal tunnel (like) issue than binding to me. Speaking through experience. I have it just below the elbow near the top of my forearm. It’s all about the hand position!Go check it out!

Good luck & cheer!

on a similar note ... I developed Rheumatoid Arthritis back in 1997 ... It got so bad I could hardly play at all ... I went to several doctors and they gave me a bunch of toxic drugs with a lot of bad side effects ... and I was still in a lot of pain ... so I pursued a nutritional/natural healing plan ... now I am about 97% cured without drugs ... I do see a natural doctor twice a year and I take several nutritional suppliments ... and I can play really fast all night without pain ... and I am much healthier as well ...

hey Andy I like your typo ... using your dumb ...

I use my smart all the time!

I use my dumb, sometimes with a p_ick!