Ramps on Bass's

[JohnnyBlackhands]

What exactly is the purpose of a ramp on a bass? I have tried googling, but didn't come up with anything that I was looking for.

I'm curious, only because I'm getting a bass with a ramp uninstalled, and was wondering what benifits/annoyances they add

[Sade]

It supposedly makes fingerstyle "easier" and more "efficient." I find this to be a load of crap, however.

[Mr. Pickle]

whats a ramp?

[Spaceman Spiff]

Basically, they are supposed to prevent you from digging your fingers in when you play fingerstyle. Some people tend to have a bad technique where their fingers will go down too close to the body of the bass, so the ramp will correct this and allow you to play faster and with better technique.

I've never used one, so I couldn't say if it works or not, but I know Quatre has one on his fretless, so he would be able to tell you how helpful it is.

Personally, I don't see it being a disadvantage in any way, but the idea of it makes sense to me. To know if it really works, you'll have to wait for someone who has experience on a bass with a finger ramp to answer.

[fingerstyle]

Fingerstyle is easier and more efficent when played with an ultra light touch. Finger ramps allow you do do this easier by creating a barrier, so that you cant scoop your finger to far underneath the string.

[Mr. Pickle]

anyone have a link or a pic or something?

[fingerstyle]

anyone have a link or a pic or something?

Search for Gary Willis' signature bass on Ibanez.com

[Sade]

I play with a VERY heavy, and almost "pop" like three finger technique. I hate ramps.

[JohnnyBlackhands]

Ok, I can see where it's coming from...
I play with my fingernails, or the flats of my fingers when I don't want the trebly click from them, don't really need the ramp I wouldn't think.

I can't wait to play the bass that's gonna be on its way to me soon. Hot damn

[Omega Red]

i play over the pickups a lot, i really like the feel and the refrence point under my fingers. when i dont play over a pick up i tend to let me fingers get too far into the strings, and they waste motion because they get too far back into the area between the strings and the body.

there are sweet spots on the strings where the string feels really comfortable, and your fingers are able to play the string. one my fretless the sweet spot is not on the pickup like it is on my fretted. diffrence of scale. the sweet spot is just in front of the rear pickup, so i put a ramp on it to simulate the feel of that pickup being there with out having to move the pickup or compromising the sweet spot of the bass. after playing on one long enough i've developed some techinques where i absolutely need one.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v368/quatre03/Basses/100_0181.jpg

[Mr. Pickle]

ohh, those.

thanks

[fingerstyle]

Here's something that relates to the use of finger ramps that I found in a Gary Willis instructional book of mine.


The more force you use to play a note on electric bass, the more the tone suffers. PLaying hard will generate a big gnarly attack, but that just creates a bigger difference between the attack and the volume where the string wants to settle in and vibrate.

Note played hard...
creates louder attack...
but quicker decay...

Turning your amp up and playing softer will still make the speaker act as if there was a big attack, but the note that follows immediatly afterwards will be much louder, have more fundamental, and sound bigger for a much longer duration. This si especially true for a fretless.

With amp turned up...
speaker reacts the same...
but the sound stays luder with more fundamental, lasts longer...

Besides having a big effect on tone, playing softer has several other beneifts:
-Since your right hand doesnt have to work as hard, it can be more efficient and faster.
-Since the strings aren't being struck as hard, they don't have as bog of a vibration pattern, so you can lower the action, and this makes the bass easier to play.
-Once you lower the action, you get the strings closer to the pickup, and the ickup 'see's more string, and this will give you a fatter tone as well.

The most important benefit of playing softer is the headroom you leave yourself for dynamics.

The finger ramp is designed to control your fingerstyle playing so that you play softer.

[sanray]

I have played over the the soapbars on my 6 and I can't play, I think I like to dig in

[Spaceman Spiff]

Once again, I have never played with one, but I don't exactly feel like I would need one. I only have a fretted bass, but I tend to play fingerstyle over the pickups, neck or bridge, depending on the tone I'm going for. However, when I am not playing over them, maybe I just trained myself, I still find myself playing with the same precision as when I am right above the pickups.

[EADG]

Quatre, does the ramp affect your double thumbing at all?

[Son of Magni]

A few days ago I was watching the Shadows and Light DVD. I noticed that Jaco always plucked over the pickups. Which is pretty limiting when you just have 2 jazz pups. Personally since usually I rest my thumb on a pup, I tend to pluck between the pups. But when I pluck over the fingerboard it does seem to give more control, though it's too close. So I think I should try a ramp.

I was thinking of making a one-piece ramp and thumb rest. Like a carved/contoured thumb rest with a slab that goes down between the pups. Using scrap Claro Walnut or Macassar Ebony it would look really nice.

[kilian]

http://members.lycos.nl/tigerarmy/thumbrest.jpg
What quatre says about the sweet spot is absolutely true. That's why I have that little thumb rest at that weird spot there. It works for me to get a nice sweet fingertone with a good growl/warmth balance. Sometimes I do dig in too much.. but I don't think I can get a ramp on my bass.. :lol:

[Left Shoe]

ill let you know once i get both of mine back with their new ramps :thumb:

[HaVIC5]

I never have had the need to make use of a ramp or thumb rest for finding this "sweet spot" - I always anchor my thumb on the strings and for playing on the low string I do floating thumb. The ramp seems more like a training device that isn't necessary when one's fingerstyle is made more efficient, and really isn't too necessary in the first place.

[EADG]

I never have had the need to make use of a ramp or thumb rest for finding this "sweet spot" - I always anchor my thumb on the strings and for playing on the low string I do floating thumb. The ramp seems more like a training device that isn't necessary when one's fingerstyle is made more efficient, and really isn't too necessary in the first place.


I rest my thumb too, but then again you can't really rest it during fast passages. I think another main purpose of a ramp is just to make you more comfortable. I know I'm not at times when I play in certain spots.

[HaVIC5]

Granted, but I really don't come across too many fast passages on my B string.

[Omega Red]

Quatre, does the ramp affect your double thumbing at all?
i dont thumb on my fretless, but i use my thumb between the neck and the neck pickup. the ramp is between the bridge and the neck pickups. so they're in totaly diffrent spots. if anything it helps my poping fingers because i dont have to be restricted to poping over the pickups. which means i can pop with 3 fingers if i have to. my 4 finger rolling is greatly imporved due to the ramp.

[Machines]

I've played both the Ibanez GWB35 and a Custom Shuker singlecut string fretless , both had ramps.

I feel they really get in the way of the playing, and its like they're for people who can't control their fingers properly (!).

Some people may love them, but I really hate them.

[Omega Red]

I've played both the Ibanez GWB35 and a Custom Shuker singlecut string fretless , both had ramps.

I feel they really get in the way of the playing, and its like they're for people who can't control their fingers properly (!).

Some people may love them, but I really hate them.
it not for controle, its for feel. atleast for me. it just feels good to have that refrence point, my fingers have to work less to do the same. the less effort you play with the better. you'll be able to play longer. thats why i use it. it also depends on the setup of the bass. some people like it really shoallow(just under the strings) others like it a bit deeper, its a matter of prefrence

[EADG]

People fear what they do not understand...

[Phalanx]

I have one on my bass, very comfortable