34 or35" scale for Five String

[Dan Bass]

Huh? Why would you say that a 6 string needs more scale than a 5? Unless you are assuming that a 6 string would be strung F#-B-E-A-D-G, that makes no sense at all. Adding a High C string is no reason to need a 36" scale.

I have seen 6 string Bass guitars 36" scale , I agree a C string is just like the E-A-D-G it can be 34" scale or shorter Fender jag, anyway true there are good and bad sounding strings and scaled Basses, with good strings and Bass 35" scale B string feels and sounds better that's why they make 35" scale 5 string Basses

 

[MoeTown1986]

My thought is, if you love your Spector, get another. I've played 34" and 35" that were good and bad. It really seems to me that the build of the bass is most important to the B string.

 

[DavC]

longer scale = higher tension to achieve the same tuning ..

I think a longer scale string has a bit more high harmonic content ...

for me , it comes down to comfort ... in my case that's 34" ... after 40+ yrs of playing 34" scale basses ... and 50+ plus yrs of piano ... a 35" scale bass hurts my old arthritic fingers ... !!

 

[Jim Carr]

...Is the 35 inch scale 5 string my best bet?...

I can't comment on the instruments you are considering, but all of my BEADG 5-strings are 35" scale. I have tried 34" scale 5-era, but they didn't feel as taut on the B string.

I have Lakland, Valenti, and MTD 5-strings tuned BEADG. My one 34" scale 5-string stays tuned EADGC. IMHO, 35" scale is better.

 

[fishtx]

I've had both, and am just more comfortable with a 34" scale. And frankly all the 34" 5-strings I've owned have had great B Strings...I hear this argument all the time, but I've personally never had an issue with a 34" scale B-String...Lucky I guess...

 

[StuartV]

longer scale = higher tension to achieve the same tuning ..

If you're using the same string. But, if you like a B string with, for example, 42 # of tension on a 34" scale, you can get a string that will tune to B at 42# tension on a 35" scale. It will, most likely, just be a little thicker.

IOW, just saying "longer scale = higher tension" is really misleading, to the point of being false. Nobody should be steered to or away from 34" or 35" scale because the string tension is higher or lower.

 

[npbassman]

I have a 35" scale Modulus Q5 and a 34" Carvin SB5000. The Q5 @ 35" scale feels better in my hands (and I have small mitts too). The SB has a very good B and I gig it often but it does seem a little floppy to me if I switch to it right after playing the Q. As far as sound goes, both are very good but to me, nothing beats the sound of a Q5 B string.

 

[JLY]

The B on my 35" Lulls are great
The 35" P5 is a little bit of a reach for me but the Pj 24 with the Jazz neck is perfect
The B on my Sadowsky (34 or 34& 1/2?) is also excellent
I never had the chance to try the 37 Dingwall but I would like to'

 

[Nephilymbass]

I'm a 34" scale guy that said I do think that when it comes to comparing basses that cost less than a grand usually the 35" scale has the better low b. But I've had several 34" scale basses with great low B tone. The stingray in my picture is one, my warwick thumb nt5 was another. Getting a great low b out of a 34" scale is totally possible, it just normally costs a little more money.

 

[Dan Bass]

Dingwall uses a 34" scale on the G and a 37" on the B.. The fan's on the 805 are 34 on the G and 35.5 on the B

I know, that baby is frickin AWESOME!!!!

 

[bassbenj]

Hey, since you're after an Ibanez SR you don't have to choose between them anymore, you can choose both by now!! Hooray! Ibanez has gone fanned frets with their SRFF805, from 34" on the high g-string and 35,5" on the low B! PERIOD! And all of them are available right now :

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OH MAN! Fanned Frets! SoundGear! Barts! Ash body! 3 band EQ! 24 Frets! I am having SUCH A GAS attack!

Comes in 6 string too for just a few more bux! Kill me NOW!

 

[BassHouston]

Have had an Elrick 6 34" with a very tight and define B string which proved me wrong about the necessity of 35" for a tight B string.

 

[nicopiano]

Each bass if different, but with a 35 there is better chances to have a good B string. If you have short arms (like myself), you may prefer a 34 inch bass for confort. My SBMM Ray35 = good B string! Remember : each bass is different, even if it's the same brand/model/year.

 

[gregbackstrom]

I've owned 35" scale 5-strings, 34.5" scale 5-strings and several 34" scale 5 strings. For me, the trade-off is always between too much tension on the D & G strings vs. too little tension on the B. My current 5-string basses -- all 34's -- seem to have great tension on the B, and appropriate tension on the other strings as well. As a bonus, these basses are all super light-weight. So I think I'm done with 35" scale basses!

 

[StuartV]

I've owned 35" scale 5-strings (EB-MM, Lakland, Modulus, Mike Lull

What EBMM basses are 35"?

 

[Sweet Willie]

My StingRay5 had a lovely 34" scale B-string. My Nordstrand NJ5 has a 34.5" scale B-string. Lovely as well. One friend's 34" scale B on his Sadowsky is great. Another friend's 35" scale B on his Lull is great.

Howz it feel? Howz it sound? There's more going on than simply scale length.

 

[Sweet Willie]

What EBMM basses are 35"?

I was wondering the same thing...

I think Sadowsky will only do 34" scale. Used to be true. Still true?

 

[Dash Lashes]

I started on 34" but has since for many years only played 35" because I bought into the "better sounding B" argument. I still have one 34" bass which I rarely play, but every time I do I feel the difference, it is more comfortable to play for the fretting hand; with 35" I'm right at the limit for strecthing out my fingers at the nut end of the neck. I can't say the B string sounds any worse, and on the flip side of a better B argument some think the thinner strings sound better with a 34" neck.

If I were to do it all over again I would go with 34" because there is - to me, even with large hands - a difference in comfort, there is a wider selection of instruments to choose from, and (though I don't have much personal experience) I'm told there are 34" basses with good sounding B strings.

I agree w/ all of this.

I almost "bought into" the 35" B argument that i read about on TB too, but I ended up putting my actual money into a 34"! Glad I went 34"...it's does everything I could ask of it w/ no inferiority vs. a 35" ime

 

[Honch]

35" inch are mostly for the bass low b to have better "projection" (whatever that is). Very few people think about the other strings. It's futile just to hunt for a great sounding b while all the other strings sucks. What you gain on having a low B at 35" you loose with the high G which becomes a bit too taught and thin in the core tone. Dingwall, the kings of fanned frets basses (and for which all other fanned frets basses are and will be measured against) DO have a 32-35 inch Jazz and Precision bass serie. 32" on G-string, and 35" on low b. You just have to have a compound scale, multiscale or as Dingwall and no Ibanez calls it "fanned fret". Provided - of course - that you want a 5 string with low b.

And since you actually didn't mind Ibanez SR series I think these are the ones for you. You may not care for Dingwall (they have a 9 month waiting period right now anyway, Ibanez are off the shelf, not to mention Dingwalls prices). Ibanez, they have another "prestige" series too (fan frets) which are much more expensive, like a grand, or more expensive.

 

[Sixgunn]

I have and play both and like both. One thing I will say though is I have average/large hands and more technical/fast parts below the 5th fret on a 35 can be quite challenging and fatiguing. A big determining factor for me is availability. I have a Modulus Q5 35" and from what I understand, finding a 34" Q5 is like trying to find a condor!!