h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Why are all bass players lanky?

probably so they are in proportion with the instrument, since its neck is a good deal longer than that of a standard guitar.

Although Geezer Butler isn't that tall.

Having attempted to play the bass in my dim and distant past,
(although not distant enough some would say,) I feel obliged
to add at this point, that one must have fairly long and flexible
fingers. Therefore being short, fat and podgey would probably
be a distinct disadvantage to a would be bass player.

It would also be prudent to add, at this juncture,
that one can never have too many commers in a scentence,,,,,!

I, completely, and, utterly, agree, with, (what,), you, said there.
However, there is a point where punctuation, when! let? "loose; can cause much confusion.

Many bass players are not tall people. Geddy Lee is not a tall people. My bass teacher, Ross Thayer, is not a tall people, either. He's just a bit over 1.5 m [5 feet].

Tall people have an advantage - they can reach more notes at one time. If you are not a tall people, and you have a burning desire to play bass, you are already 2 steps ahead of most other bass players. Harness that desire, and practice the right things. Good bass players are always in demand.

Aloha

As bass player and a tall people is it therefore possible that my playing would improve beyond all expectations if I stand on a box?

As long as you don't fall OFF the box...

I'm a tall people but I've got diddy hands so I play a baby bass baby

so which baby bass and how baby!
at the moment I'm on my trusty old Yamaha but have borrowed the bass of my teenage dreams a Rickenbacker 4001 in black
Though my present fantasies revolve around a Warwick Thumb

I have played several Warwicks, and most of them have had Wenge necks. I found that I always felt like I was going to get splinters off them because the grain is so open. Weird.

I'm still playing a Precision that I've had since mid 1982, and a 5 string Sei Flamboyant which I had made about 3 years ago.

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Mike Rutherford - the lankiest Bass player I can think of at present..... unless you know better!!

Because tall people generally can kick short peoples butts, and because bass-players generally dont like eachother, there arent many short people left who can take the daily beatings, so they become guitarists instead.

Nirvana - now there's a tall Bass player!!

Zombiewoof.

As for Bass players kicking short peoples asses, the only time I ever kicked a short guys arse, was for pouring half a pint of beer into my foot pedal, having jumped up on stage to sing down my mic before my band went on. He didn't go on to be a guitarist, he went on to be a small crumpled painful heap on the floor.

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Sorry Budgar, can't condone that sort of behaviour just for fun. Does that make you the H2G2 school bully?

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I am not tall people, clocking in at only 5'6", but my fingers are lanky, so I can manage to play a full scale bass.

I do fulfil all the other stereotypes though. I'm a frustrated guitarist, I work in IT, and I'm too thick to figure out how to change my nickname from "Researcher 154471".

It's funny how things turn out... I am now learning to play the bass, and I'm not in the slightest bit tall...
Oh, and Researcher 154471? You can change your name via the 'preferences' button at the top of the screen.