# Hows it hanging?



## Bevo (Nov 24, 2006)

Punk rock low?

Tech Bass high?

I played with a few posistions and found that with my bass low so I finger around my belt (stop it) and the neck around my shoulder is the most comfortable.

I also found a 3 inch wide leather strap to be the most comfy.

What works for you?

Bev


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## Hamm Guitars (Jan 12, 2007)

For the most part I like it slung low, but the guitar really kind of dictates where it hangs with me.

For example, my uncut Teles are allways 'off the hip' on the side as if I play them for a long period of time in the front I start wearing a hole in my fore arm.

I like my pick arm to be straight at the end of a strum.

As far as straps go, I have always liked the 'seatbelt' straps as they slide around easily.


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## violation (Aug 20, 2006)

Low... always low.

There's a few people around here who have it up to their chest haha looks funny as hell.


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## jane (Apr 26, 2006)

Punk rock low... actually, just so that my left hand can comfortably reach the 1st fret and my right hand is close to straight. (So kind of a little below my stomach).


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## Jeff Flowerday (Jan 23, 2006)

I respect anyone who wear's the guitar so they can actually employ proper technique. I always thought wearing it around your knees was a little gay and funny as hell.

:rockon2:


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## jane (Apr 26, 2006)

I draw the line at where you can't reach the guitar comfortably/while standing up straight (and really... around the knees would be a little uncomfortable to play). I find it uncomfortable if the guitar's up too high... but maybe i'm just short


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## flashPUNK (Feb 16, 2006)

I've been told I play too high, but yeah, I like to be able to play properly... not to mention, avoiding wrecking my wrists from playing too low, I'd like to have some longevity to my career (if thats what it turns into).


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## Jeff Flowerday (Jan 23, 2006)

flashPUNK said:


> I've been told I play too high, but yeah, I like to be able to play properly... not to mention, avoiding wrecking my wrists from playing too low, I'd like to have some longevity to my career (if thats what it turns into).


If your avatar is any indication that's not too high at all. :rockon:


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## Jeff Flowerday (Jan 23, 2006)

jane said:


> I draw the line at where you can't reach the guitar comfortably/while standing up straight (and really... around the knees would be a little uncomfortable to play). I find it uncomfortable if the guitar's up too high... but maybe i'm just short


If it works for you it works for you. :rockon2:

Slung low I can lay down the chords but lead work becomes more of a challenge. Twisting my wrist around like that gets tiring real quick and it makes low string runs difficult.


.02


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## adamthemute (Jun 18, 2007)

I guess I hold it not to high but not to low. Between John Lennon and Billy Corgan.


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## Lester B. Flat (Feb 21, 2006)

Sit down with your guitar, hold it against your body and stand up. That's where it should be. You low slingers will be out of business by the time you're forty.


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## violation (Aug 20, 2006)

Lester B. Flat said:


> You low slingers will be out of business by the time you're forty.


James Hetfield has been kickin' it for 44, Zakk Wylde for 40, Marty Friedman for 45, :tongue:


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## Lester B. Flat (Feb 21, 2006)

violation said:


> James Hetfield has been kickin' it for 44, Zakk Wylde for 40, Marty Friedman for 45, :tongue:


Slash is a low slinger but he keeps his neck up, maybe theses guys do, too. Got any pics? Anyway, my message is 'better safe than sorry'.


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## violation (Aug 20, 2006)

James' neck is low (don't know how he has it that effin' low), Zakk has the neck pretty high, Marty is kind of in between the two. 

They usually only keep it low for rhythms though... leads are a different story. Like Zakk will prop the guitar up on his leg / knee area, Friedman puts his foot on a wedge and kind of balances the guitar on his leg, etc. 

Another one that comes to mind is Sully Erna of Godsmack... he's not old but he has it INSANELY low. Then again Godsmack's guitar work isn't exactly hard, lol. Drop C and a lot of chords done with 1 finger, lol.


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## esp_dsp (Feb 27, 2007)

i cant play with my guitar low.. i miss all the notes so up high it is


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## GuitaristZ (Jan 26, 2007)

wearing your guitar low is for sissies...












I wear my guitar high, and im proud of it

^^possible bumper stick content...


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## I_cant_play (Jun 26, 2006)

it really does make a difference whether you're playing lead or rhythm. For rhythm stuff I can have it pretty low as long as it's just open chords or riffs or whatever. If I need to play barre chords or leads I gotta have it at a medium height. If it's too high I feel weird, if it's too low my wrist hurts after 3 notes..


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## Michelle (Aug 21, 2006)

Good points Lester, that seems to be the way I do it, I can let it hang a little lower with guitar but with a long-scale bass, I need it higher. I use 5 or 6" wide strap, (leather with cool conchos), really saves the shoulder.


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## Gunny (Feb 21, 2006)

At the belt for me (bass). There's no right or wrong to this. Looking at old Beatles pictures, George played with the instrument fairly high. That's just not my preference for guitar or bass.
I think playin' a bass with the body almost under your chin is a little silly looking, but that's just me.
I also chuckle when I see a bass player usin' it where the instrument body is at the crotch and the neck almost straight up. Again, just not for me.
And KORN style slingin is what I call something for the skateboard crowd.
I agree with 3" strap for bass. 
Finally, a dear friend of mine [drummer] used to answer the question "How's it Hanging?" with "Like grapes, only fewer"


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## ENDITOL (Feb 5, 2006)

With the guitar body around my waist or higher...around there. Angling the neck up helps for stretches and runs etc.


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## flashPUNK (Feb 16, 2006)

flashPUNK said:


> I've been told I play too high, but yeah, I like to be able to play properly... not to mention, avoiding wrecking my wrists from playing too low, I'd like to have some longevity to my career (if thats what it turns into).





Jeff Flowerday said:


> If your avatar is any indication that's not too high at all. :rockon:


Heres a recent photo.. i guess not too high.. but its not exactly low either.
Keep in mind, i'm not a tall guy either... 5'5"


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## stratovani (Jul 1, 2007)

Like a lot of geezers I like my guitar sitting right on my gut - makes seeing the fretboard a lot easier, and at my age I no longer give a damn what people think about my guitar's position!


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## bluecoyote (May 18, 2007)

*Dedicated Followers of Fashion*

My position is about middlin' Just high enough to rest my elbow on the body and the back of the body under my ribcage. No real science in the position other than it feels right. 

In the 1960s I used to think that Peter Quaife's (The Kinks and who lives in Burlington. Ont.) high position of his Ricky bass was very very cool and I emulated that for a few years posing in my front of my bedroom mirror! Man, I was so bloody sexy!


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## NewGuitarGuru (Oct 14, 2006)

flashPUNK said:


> Heres a recent photo.. i guess not too high.. but its not exactly low either.
> Keep in mind, i'm not a tall guy either... 5'5"


Looks good to me, that's about where I keep it. It's good for what I do, methinks.


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## Tarl (Feb 4, 2006)

I'm about belt line now but used to be lower. As I have aged the strap has shortened.....or perhaps my belly has enlarged....whatever.


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## Bevo (Nov 24, 2006)

Good one, never thought of that but I guess if you have a large Molson muscle it could cause you some difficulty.

Got a visual on that and it looks like your wrists would also be bent at a sharp angle if your guitar was verticle. The reach on your left hand will also be out there unless you angled it in but then the body...oh brother!!!!

I think I will skip my beer an have water..
Bev


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## Robboman (Oct 14, 2006)

Here's me strangling my Suhr, my right hand is about belt-buckle height.

When I first learned guitar in my teens I only ever played sitting down on a strapless acoustic. I remember when I got my first electric and strap, I tried to set it way low because I knew that it was supposed to look more cool that way. No way. Functionality beats image every time for me.

Fortunately today theres more guys like Tom Morello (who seems to be pretty cool despite wearing his axe higher on his body than almost anyone.


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