32" scale basses

[Deleted member 365158]

Ibanez put out a medium scale in their 80’s Roadstar II line.
They are out there but not too common, i picked up a body on accident thinking it was a full scale. I put a 32” scale aftermarket neck on it and really like how it plays. I prefer 34” scale but the 32” is comfortable too, i have a 30” Scale Harley Benton as well but dont care for it too much, that could be the particular instrument though and not necessarily the scale.

 

[Killing Floor]

Fender scale is 34” so any big brand is going to follow that standard.
But there are a skajillion 30-32” basses available. More now than ever. I don’t need the scale relief because I have ape arms and can palm a basketball. But I do have a 30.7 that’s a blast to play and I get the love. Shorter scales are great.

Answer - play what you like.

 

[yberwaffe]

My next bass will be a medium scale 5. Not sure when that’ll be, but that’s the plan. I’ve played 34” for decades, only because it seems to be the default. I’m not a big dude, and ergonomics are increasingly important.

Ibanez EHB1005SMS ?
32-30" multiscale.

Too bad they don't make:
1 - a normal 32" 5 string
2 - better pickups (those pickups are way too dark sounding)

 

[abarson]

Does the bass world consider 32" shortscale or is midscale an actual classification?.

Medium is actually actual.

 

[B-Mac]

It's a CB-60SCE. It's a cheapie, but it's nice for practicing, which is all I use acoustic bass guitars for.

That makes two Fender Medium scale ABG’s I didn’t know existed.

 

[lermgalieu]

My short scale experiment ended the other day with the sale of my last SS bass. I can see the appeal, but they are actually more difficult for me to play than long scale.

 

[Smooth_bass88]

34” scale has been the standard for like 70 years. That’s why.

 

[rockscott]

I get a precision tone out of my birdsong that will match any fender longscale! Dont get me wrong, im not bashing fender, i have owned more fenders over the years than any other bass, im just defending shortscales!

 

[Tim Skaggs]

32” scales are out there, but not hanging in pawn shops like 34”.

The 70s - 80s Gibson Explorer bass was a 32” scale for some time. I don’t know if later Epiphone versions were 32s. I had an ‘84 Gibson explorer I traded off that I sure which I would have kept. If played & sounded great, and it had a Gibson roller bridge that I think was made for Gibson by Schaller. It didn’t have the infamous Gibson 3 point bridge, which was a good thing….

 

[GreyBeard]

If it sounds and plays good, it is good.

 

[funkinbottom]

Ibanez put out a medium scale in their 80’s Roadstar II line.

Their Mezzo bass 4 and 5 string are 32" scale. Spector Bantam 5 is a 32" also.

 

[Bajo Clarkko]

Here’s an ‘88 Squier P Bass with a 32” scale converted to a Fretless. Plays and sounds just fine.

 

[etoncrow]

I have a 30" Epiphone Allen Woody Rumblekat, a 31" Birdsong Mesquito, a 31" Birdsong Cortobass and a 31" Birdsong Hy5 (5 string). I also own a Roscoe, Fender P and a Warwick. I find the shorter scale basses more comfortable to play without sacrificing anything in sound.

 

[mrperkolator]

not as many string options at 32. fewer options than 30 I have found. That may dampen it for a few people. It's fine if you use rounds.

 

[Old_Noob]

I recently acquired an ibanez gaxb 150 32 scale. I really like the scale, but dont care for bass so much

 

[bassclef112]

In 2000 I ordered my Alembic Mark King Sig Std untried. It came as 32" std lgth, my first experience with it. I was a little concerned, not sure how it would feel/play. I fell into it immediately! Great to play.

Since then I always meant to get another medium scale bass and finally, during our Covid lockdown in 2020, I picked up a Yamaha Motion B MB-II. Just a killer @ 32" An excellent grab for me!

 

[woodyng2]

I tried out this Rivolta Combinata bass last January.
I absolutely love the look, it sounded great, and the 32” scale length felt good.
The too-narrow width of the neck, and lack of body contours did it in for me,
though, so I sent it back.

 

[Inara]

All of the Maruszczyk and Mensinger basses are available in 32" scale, at least all the ones offered by Public Peace. The configurator at Link Removed is addictive. Disclaimer: I own a 30" scale Mensinger Cazpar fretless 5 string, but have not played any of their 32" scale basses. My Cazpar is amazing.

 

[Gyver]

I don't know, but I am quite fond of my 32" Spector Euro Bantam 5. The only problem is finding strings, there are very few short or medium scale 5-string sets out there. The best I've found are DR Sunbeams, they work very well on the Spector.

 

[Doug4321]

In the 80s my bass was a medium scale Aria cardinal series. I remember not thinking much about the scale length of the strings, but the only strings that sounded really great on there were the actual medium scale Rotosound Swing Bass.

 

[JW56789]

I think it's part of the bass guitar maturing as an instrument. For years you had 34'5" long scale, and the 30" short scale basses, in some cases for student bassists, or in the case of Gibson, Hofner, and others, they were early on when all of this wasn't yet settled into conventions for what was considered 'standard'.

Now we go out to 35" or 36", the little Taylor campfire basses, and the fanned-frets like Dingwalls with their multi-scale lengths. Again, I think this is still part of the evolution of the instrument.

32" is fun in that it will make you think it's long-scale if you don't know what you're holding, but man, I can really ZOOM around the neck on this thing !