Touch & Gear Relationship

[chaosMK]

For years I've pretty much been exclusively using a 35" scale Cirrus and a tube amp. I play pretty aggressively(modern prog metal) and use a fairly percussive style of attack and a lot of slapping for B string notes, with things set up so that the tube stages pleasantly absorb what would normally be clipping or stuff you'd want to compress.

I started experimenting with other high end gear and I realized how much my playing style had a relationship to what I'd been using.

Switch from a 35" scale to 34 (huge difference in string tension), plug into a solid state (or hybrid, most have a very weak gain stage on the front end) and suddenly I have no choice but to severely lighten up for things to sound good.

Has anyone else ever noticed this?

[JimmyM]

Sure. If the strings are lower and/or looser, you would need to lighten up. Don't notice it so much when I use different amps, but basses, sure. You can compensate a bit by raising the action, but then your action will be higher and that might not be acceptable (it's not to me).