32" scale basses

[rooster]

I been playing the Reverend Fatfish 32...first Iteration for about a year and a half...then I bought the second Iteration.....both are set up with Chromes..ECB82's...They sound great in a live band situation....

 

[nonohmic]

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.

What's the neck like back to front on that one? Is it thin?

 

[Ric5]

Im a shortscale player, i jumped ship 7 years ago, no regrets whatsoever! I purchased my 1st 32" bass last week! Why are there so few models (32") available,

I built my own 32" scale 5 string frankenstein SG bass

 

[Gilmourisgod]

I have gradually worsening arthritis in both hands, hoping the change to 32" scale will help my playing pain issues. 34" is getting uncomfortable for me in the lower registers. I have this 32" scale "Fauxlembic" build in progress here for the Wood Geeks. Still a ways to completion, but I can't wait to string it up. Feels good in "Air Guitar" mode anyway. Stanley Clarke, a notably Huge guy, often plays short and medium scale basses, so.... good company!
The Hossenfeffer III Build

 

[ctmullins]

Nearly every bass in my collection is either 32” or 33”. They have all the clarity of a 34”/35” scale instrument, and are noticeably easier to play, and are a bit more “tossable”, if that makes sense. My headless 33” scale Tele fits in a guitar sized gig bag!

 

[wysiwyg248]

The Fender Urge is great, specially when playing seated. 32" scale and smaller headstock make it -to me- zero neck dive.

 

[Rocket Queen]

Alembic has offered medium-scale (32") since 1972. I tried it, and found a natural fit.

Alembic makes models with a 30.75" scale length (cf. the Stanley Clarke), but the two-piece bridge moves the neck so far up the body that they effectively have the same reach to the first fret as a conventional medium-scale bass. Their "short-scale" (CX-3/45S) strings actually have a medium-scale winding length. And their medium-scale (32") Spoilers take long-scale strings.

The same scale-length anomaly holds true for the Warwick RockBass Corvette short-scales, also because of the two-piece bridge.

 

[Gyver]

What's the neck like back to front on that one? Is it thin?

Not thin but not massive. I would call the profile "modern flat oval" based on examples online. It does have narrow string spacing, which I like. It is very stable, I have owned it since October and the neck has not moved at all despite the up and down weather changes we get in Upstate NY.

 

[svlilioukalani]

I have a few 32 inch basses. I love to play them. No difference in tone.

 

[ShawnG]

I have several very nice basses and this is one of my favorites to play. Love the 32” scale, probably the perfect fit for me. All my others are 34” and I don’t have any issues playing them, but the 32” is effortless.

 

[JohnnyBottom]

Cant forget this classic....

 

[ursusaltered]

Not sure why so few are around but they are the best. 34” is garbage in comparison IMO, and nope not humble. I also have mine built with flat radius because there is no purpose to having a radius. We don’t play electric basses with a bow. Flat radius ensure that your string are even over the fingerboard and pickups for optimal tone. That coupled with 32” for best ergonomics and playability is gold!!

 

[Spectre Gunner]

The Kubicki Ex-Factor basses are 32" (Medium Scale) and for about three years they were an official Fender Custom Shop model. So technically that's another Fender medium scale bass that's been offered. Although, I personally consider the Kubicki line to be a pure Phil Kubicki masterpiece.

The rest of my basses in my collection are all 34" but the medium scale neck on the Kubicki is to die for.

 

[B-Mac]

Make it Three. The Kubicki Ex-Factor basses are 32" (Medium Scale) and for about three years they were an official Fender Custom Shop model.

The rest of my basses in my collection are all 34" but the medium scale neck on the Kubicki is to die for.

View attachment 4555453 View attachment 4555453

I was referring to Fender ABG 32"

 

[Spectre Gunner]

Yeah, I realized that just after I posted. It's been corrected.

 

[B-Mac]

Yeah, I realized that just after I posted. It's been corrected.

No biggie. It's a great bass!

 

[Bajo Clarkko]

@Spectre Gunner, I remember seeing Joe Satriani back in the Eighties, and Stu Hamm would be playing those. Those are sick!!
Those are pretty much the only headless Basses that look good to me.
Come to think of it, I like Steinbergers, too.

 

[Bassamatic]

I started on 30" short scale many many years ago and then jumped to long scale a while back. Then acquired a couple of 32" medium scale basses and they really do seem to offer the best of both worlds. GREAT sound and playing comfort. I now have an old Japan Squier P that is medium scale and have a Medium scale J bass on order. Sold the Aria II. Thinking of buying an Ibanez Mezzo P/J 32".

The biggest problem is that there are not a lot of Medium scale strings. Neither of my favs - the Sunbeams or the TI Flats - are offered in 32". I have seen a couple of medium scale basses where a second bridge (without saddles) was mounted behind the first one to anchor the strings 2'' further back so that 34" strings could be used! Very clever if the body is long enough. (See Below) You could also drill towards the end of the bass to do a long string-through to get the 2".

You can't just use 34" strings and cut them down because they will be at the wrong tension and sound a bit muddy. And you can't cut flats at all.

 

[ctmullins]

You can't just use 34" strings and cut them down because they will be at the wrong tension and sound a bit muddy. And you can't cut flats at all.

Well, no, none of that is actually true.

Tension depends upon several things, gauge being one of them. So a Medium set at 34” should feel more or less like a Light set at 32”. “Sound a bit muddy”?? Nope. Does your 34” bass suddenly “sound a bit muddy” when you capo at the first fret?

I’m not a big flats guy, but I’m almost certain that you can cut flats after crimping them, as many manufacturers recommend on any style of string.

 

[Spectre Gunner]

@Spectre Gunner, I remember seeing Joe Satriani back in the Eighties, and Stu Hamm would be playing those. Those are sick!!
Those are pretty much the only headless Basses that look good to me.
Come to think of it, I like Steinbergers, too.

I saw Joe Satriani live several years ago but I didn't know who Stu Hamm was at the time. Later I got meet him person when I he performed a bass clinic in Tampa just a few years ago.