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34" scale 5 string bad? help please

#61
cnltb said:
doesn't steve vai play a guitar with "interesting looking" frets?
I forgot what it is called now...sorry!
I think that is available for bass also though.:)
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capnsandwich said:
Aren't you guys talking about fanned frets?
Click to expand...

A-ha!

I bet if you patented this idea you could take it to the bank! Fanned frets seems like such a better name than "Splayed frets (tm). I bet there would be a bunch of good 'side effects' beyond even string tension. Maybe it would even out tone and volume across the neck too?
 
#62
Brian Newcombe said:
Howdy. OK... just know that the 2 Top Session Bassists in the World...
Nathan East, and Neil Stubenhaus both play 34" scale 5-String Basses!
Yamaha NE2 & Tyler 5 respectively.

As they are required by the nature of the Studio... to provide the best
Bass Sound possible... their choice of a 34" scale 5-String...
and all the amazing sounding tracks they've played on... makes it obvious
that a 34" scale B-String works just fine!

I also play 34" scale 5-string Basses. I tried a 35" scale 5-string
for a while... and absolutely hated it! This being the extra fretting fingers
"stretch" down on about the first 5 frets... as well as the tighter Tension
on the other strings... especially the "G" & "D" strings... made me not want
to ever really pick up that Bass at all!

Also... playing a 35" fretted Bass... then switching to your favourite
34" Fretless... really does mess with your "Finger Memory"...
hence your Intonation!

Bottom line though is... go with what feels best... and sounds best to "you"! :)
Click to expand...

Sorry... my type-O

Meant to say: just know that 2 "of the" Top Session Bassists
 
#63
Never played a 35" bass, my 5er is a 34", but one thing I think makes the biggest difference in a low B string is -the string-. Different brands, different tension/gauges can make it sound good or feel floppy...

My Yamaha 5er came with the stock Yammy strings and the B felt floppy and sounded thin. Switched to a GHS Boomers set and it now feels tight and fuller.
 
#65
BurningSkies said:
A-ha!

I bet if you patented this idea you could take it to the bank! Fanned frets seems like such a better name than "Splayed frets (tm). I bet there would be a bunch of good 'side effects' beyond even string tension. Maybe it would even out tone and volume across the neck too?
Click to expand...

I just had to find that link...vai's weird frets... here it is
 
#67
Wow! This got out of hand quickly!

The issue truly is about preference! My statements are not intended, never have been, to say that a 34" scale is better or that a 35" scale is useless! I own, play and build BOTH! I have even been seen w/a 30" scale (that is extremely fun to play) btw.

My points were:

1) The the fact of 34" relates immediately to floppy B string is not true.
2) Some individuals are comfortable playing one or the other, but sometimes not both
3) There are misconceptions of what equates the greatest method to add to string tension (even amongst builders)
4) For some, switching between scale lengths is not preferred.

For all of those that are reading my post differently, please take your time. I am not bashing anything here. I have never made ALL OR NOTHING statements. People have different experiences with different products, AND THAT IS OKAY!!!!!!

Please do not confuse the intentions of my postings.

By the way, one of my favorite instruments is a Multi-scale Dingwall Voodoo 6, and the most fun I ever had playing was on an Ibanez Mikro (28.6" scale)!

Thanx!
 
#71
Billy Low said:
Wow! This got out of hand quickly!

The issue truly is about preference! My statements are not intended, never have been, to say that a 34" scale is better or that a 35" scale is useless! I own, play and build BOTH! I have even been seen w/a 30" scale (that is extremely fun to play) btw.

For all of those that are reading my post differently, please take your time. I am not bashing anything here. I have never made ALL OR NOTHING statements. People have different experiences with different products, AND THAT IS OKAY!!!!!!
Click to expand...

Personally I own and play both 34 and 35" scale basses. My personal view is that the differences between them in terms of reach or comfort are so small that one has to be a sensitive suffering artist to be able to sense them. (but note my hands are not small so tiny differences in spacing don't much matter to me.)

And also (and this is the point) I've found that B string qualities depend FAR more on the bass than the scale. ( I presume from my experience with 4 stringers that there would be a slight degradation in tone with a short scale bass)

My 35" scale Modulus has a B string to die for. But so does my 34" Ken smith, 34" my Alembic, and 34" G&L. On the other hand my 34" Fender V has only a so-so B string. And oddly enough, Fender now touts it's "improved" B string and I don't know what they did but changing the scale length wasn't it! I can see that if you are a fan of very light gauge strings the extra 3% of length of a 35" scale would help, but in my experience it somehow mostly depends on the rest of the bass rather than the scale length.
 
#75
I haven't heard many others say it, but the difference, to me, is in the right hand. I have no issues in the left hand switching back and forth between scales lengths (or DB, 42", for that matter) but I can feel a huge difference in how the strings respond in my right hand. To me a 35" (most of mine are 35" for the record) has a noticeably tighter feel that is suited to technical playing. When I play a 34" I immediately notice that the lower tension keeps me from being able to articulate as quickly with the right hand. This of course is not a set thing for everyone, it just so happens that I am more comfortable with the feel of a 35". I have played more than one 34" that made me very happy. Different strokes for different folks. To say that one is "better" than another is like saying that blue is better than yellow. (of course we all know that is true...)
 

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