Fast neck nonsense

[Basvarken]

Someone came along on Facebook today who had sanded the neck of his bass with waterproof sandpaper until it was dull.
And he claims that the neck is now 10x faster.

I often come across such claims. And I think it's weird people think a matte sanded neck makes you play faster.
You'll see them quickly slide their hand back and forth along the neck a few times (without actually playing). And being surprised at how soft (smooth) it feels, they immediately conclude that it also makes you play faster.

I think that's nonsense.
Nobody plays in such a way that, when you have to slide from first position to -let's say- 19th position at lightning speed, it would make a demonstrable difference.
And, in general, at those extreme intervals, you move your thumb by taking it off the neck and putting it down a bit further.
And even if you would actually slide it, a matte neck would not provide a demonstrable speed gain.

How the neck feels is a matter of taste. Some like the feel of a matte sanded neck. And if you like that, I think a bass plays better for you.
Some people with sweaty fingers may not like a high-gloss neck because the thumb can't slide as quickly. I can actually only notice that effect when I squeeze really hard. And that is not the intention anyway if you want to play nicely.


What would make a difference?
In my opinion the speed of playing happens at the front of the neck, on the fingerboard.
If you want a significantly faster playing neck, you need to drastically lower the height of your frets. The flatter the frets, the faster the neck in my experience.
But you rarely hear anyone about that.

*end of sermon*

[Pilgrim]

I won't argue with your premise, but for me the most limiting factor is my left hand.  There are a number of note patterns in stuff I play that I have to simplify because my left hand just isn't fast enough to do the fingerings.  My right hand may not be great, but it's faster than my left.

However, that's purely a matter of dexterity and speed.  As you note, the finish on the neck is irrelevant.

[morrow]

Yup .

[Dave W]

I once played an American Vintage Tele in a store with a nitro finish that had a lot of drag. Fender solved that problem at least a decade ago. Aside from that, my finished necks don't play any different than the lightly finished ones.

[gearHed289]

Back in the 80s, I considered a matte-finished neck to be a necessity. I got over it eventually though. Most of my basses have glossy finished necks and that's fine with me. If I had something custom built, I'd probably go for a matte finish on the neck just because I like the way it feels. "Fast" and "sustain" are two very over-used words in guitar marketing.

[morrow]

When somebody tells me about “great sustain” I generally think “ foam mute” .

[ilan]

For speed, low action is the key factor imho.

I think that by "fast" people mean dry-feeling - so your hand glides in long shifts and doesn't get stuck like when you play a game on your iphone and your index finger is a little wet. Personally, my palms don't sweat at all (which is also why I have 2-3 years old strings that still sound like a fresh set) so glossy necks feel as "fast" to me as satin necks.

Violins, cellos and upright basses all have the back of the neck sanded to a satin feel as a standard. An upright with a glossy neck would feel weird.

[Chris P.]

Fast or not: lacquered necks can feel a bit sticky, so I always rub them up with some steel wool. It gives the satin feel. I'm not a fast player, this doesn't makes me faster, but it feels better. I'm a big fan of satin finshed necks.

[exiledarchangel]

You could always add some grease on the back of your neck, if speed is your thing...

[Rob]

You could always add some grease on the back of your neck, if speed is your thing...

That's why you are excilled.

[uwe]

My right hand may not be great, but it's faster than my left.

With me it's the other way around. We should get together some time and between the two of us we could create one very good bassist and one to be discarded.

My right hand simply doesn't have the physical chops for me to ever play in a speed metal band doing fast sixteenth notes, even if it is just one root note. It's like I have an electronic engine control magically cutting in.

[Pilgrim]

With me it's the other way around. We should get together some time and between the two of us we could create one very good bassist and one to be discarded.

My right hand simply doesn't have the physical chops for me to ever play in a speed metal band doing fast sixteenth notes, even if it is just one root note. It's like I have an electronic engine control magically cutting in.

Never could play sixteenth notes.  Since my pick technique is nonexistant, I peddle along finger style and continual eighth notes are a big challenge over a 4-minute tune.  Tunes like Runnin' Down a Dream and Jack the Ripper cause great hand fatigue if one plays finger style.