Does this damage my guitar and how?

[VomitHatSteve]

A technique I sometimes like to use when playing (electric bass) is to hit the body of the instrument to make the string(s) resonate. It sounds really cool, but I've been told that this can damage the instrument.

Is that true? Does punching my bass damage it? If so, what am I actually doing? Does this hold true for all guitar-type instruments (i.e. can I punch my bass but not my guitar)?

[TelePaul]

Originally Posted by VomitHatSteve

Does punching my bass damage it?

Cmon dude, do you really have to ask? There's a huge difference between slapping your instrument a la John Martyn or Rodrigo y Gabriella and punching it...

[Light]

Solid body? Don't worry about it. You might need to repair the bolt holes for the neck someday, but I wouldn't worry about it.


Light

"Cowards can never be moral."
M.K. Gandhi

[Dani Pace]

Don't wear any jewelry when you do it. When I was younger I uses to "slap" the strings a lot (on guitar) until one day when I noticed a lot of "ring dings" in the finish just above the pickups. Of course if you don't care about the finish, disreguard this comment.

[tc4b]

Originally Posted by VomitHatSteve

can I punch my bass but not my guitar)?

In my experience what most often needs punching is the vocalist. You can achieve some good resonance, but, I'm afraid, they break very easily.

[joeym]

Originally Posted by tc4b

In my experience what most often needs punching is the vocalist. You can achieve some good resonance, but, I'm afraid, they break very easily.

*GULP...!*
I'd better watch out next time....oh wait, I don't sing in a band....phew.....

[VomitHatSteve]

Originally Posted by TelePaul

Cmon dude, do you really have to ask? There's a huge difference between slapping your instrument a la John Martyn or Rodrigo y Gabriella and punching it...

Yeah, I wasn't really sure how to describe how I hit the bass. I'm not really punching it, but I'm not slapping either (since I don't want the slapping sound to be audible).

It's more of a thwacking with the side of my fist

Thanks for your input, everyone.

[jfrog]

Originally Posted by VomitHatSteve

Yeah, I wasn't really sure how to describe how I hit the bass. I'm not really punching it, but I'm not slapping either (since I don't want the slapping sound to be audible).

It's more of a thwacking with the side of my fist

Thanks for your input, everyone.

so...the consensus is: Punching bad, thwacking OK?

[Zaphod B]

Originally Posted by VomitHatSteve

Yeah, I wasn't really sure how to describe how I hit the bass. I'm not really punching it, but I'm not slapping either (since I don't want the slapping sound to be audible).

It's more of a thwacking with the side of my fist

Thanks for your input, everyone.

I've done the exact same thing on every solid-body guitar I've owned. Sometimes the strings just need a little nudge to start resonating (like if you want to invoke feedback without picking any strings).

There has never been any harm to the guitars.

[muttley600]

Look you guy's beating on your guitar is not good. Leave it to us qualified technicians and luthiers.

I suggest that if it is a crucial part of your performance art you emploY an experienced tech who can appear on cue and deliver said blow in a safe and non destructive manner and then slink away almost unseen.

[Minion]

Sometimes it is worth it to possibly dammage your instrument in the pursuit of getting a cool sound ...we all have to make sacrifices and so do instruments....

[Zaphod B]

Originally Posted by muttley600

Look you guy's beating on your guitar is not good. Leave it to us qualified technicians and luthiers.

I suggest that if it is a crucial part of your performance art you emploY an experienced tech who can appear on cue and deliver said blow in a safe and non destructive manner and then slink away almost unseen.

I would gladly do so, if I could find someone who work work for beer, beans, and canned spam.

[Anfontan]

I would give the neck a slap when I was gigging a few times a night whenever I wanted the strings to resonate in G or Em. Usually whenever break time was close and I wanted to check the time on my wristwatch-as long as you didn't slap too hard the tuning wasn't affected.
Especially Strats & Teles-------They love a good spanking!!
Dammit-I sound like True!

[Zaphod B]

Originally Posted by Anfontan

Especially Strats & Teles-------They love a good spanking!!
Dammit-I sound like True!

Careful - True has eyes and ears everywhere!

[true-eurt]

Originally Posted by Anfontan

Especially Strats & Teles-------They love a good spanking!!
Dammit-I sound like True!

So do Italians!!!

Originally Posted by Zaphod B

Careful - True has eyes and ears everywhere!

[VomitHatSteve]

Originally Posted by muttley600

Look you guy's beating on your guitar is not good. Leave it to us qualified technicians and luthiers.

I suggest that if it is a crucial part of your performance art you emploY an experienced tech who can appear on cue and deliver said blow in a safe and non destructive manner and then slink away almost unseen.

If only my church had sound techs...

We'd draft them into running the mixing board. (It's a church, our band is perpetually understaffed.)

[Waffleness]

Everytime you hit your guitar, a kitten dies...

But it souds cool, so screw the kittens.

[godbody]

I thought I was one of the only ones who hit his bass! I do it once in a while, but I'd be afraid to keep it up all night long, just cuz I can't afford to replace my main ax.

BTW, I literally registered minutes ago, and this is my first post.

[DrewPeterson7]

If it's a solidbody, I'd be more worried about hurting your hand than hurting the guitar.

[VomitHatSteve]

Originally Posted by DrewPeterson7

If it's a solidbody, I'd be more worried about hurting your hand than hurting the guitar.

I've found that is a concern. I usually find myself switching up my technique as a song progresses to bruise a different part of my hand.

[Farview]

Originally Posted by VomitHatSteve

Yeah, I wasn't really sure how to describe how I hit the bass. I'm not really punching it, but I'm not slapping either (since I don't want the slapping sound to be audible).

It's more of a thwacking with the side of my fist

Thanks for your input, everyone.

Rudy Sarzo has been doing it for 30 years... He even had Washburn make him a bass with a bulleye on it so he knew where to hit it.

[tbone88]

I hit my bass sometimes. It's a friggin' chunk of wood for pea sakes!! Sounds real cool too.....once again it's a chunk of wood and what will you do to one of those by lightly creating resonance with the side of your fist? Sounds real cool too...

[jrhoden]

Originally Posted by tc4b

In my experience what most often needs punching is the vocalist. You can achieve some good resonance, but, I'm afraid, they break very easily.

no no no you've got it all wrong i think you mean drummer not vocalist

but...i agree...just dont wear jewelry and dont beat it like mike tyson and you'll be ok