34" vs 35" scale. Can anyone really tell the difference?

[Blake Bass]

I prefer 33" and 34" basses. I sold my Laklands and Roscoes because i just didn't like the feel of 35"...I do feel a slight difference when switching between 33" and 34" but I love them both.

 

[TheLowDown33]

I think when we discuss scale length, we really need to define use case. There are people here who only play the first few frets on the B string, and for those people almost anything will work providing the neck is properly constructed (looking at you, early Fender 5 strings) and a “normal” string gauge is used. It’s once you start playing up the neck do you start noticing the difference in scale length as the B string will sound more clearly as you ascend.

On my Dingwall, it stays clear well up to the 15th fret or so, with a .130 B. I remember having a hard time with 34” B strings getting odd overtones around the 10th fret fairly consistently using a .125 or .130. A .120 worked better, but there was a noticeable decrease in tension relative to the other strings.

 

[Lo-E]

I always assumed string gauge had more to do with a good B string tone than scale. Maybe it's a combination of both?

With time I’ve come to believe there are an awful lot of factors involved: string gauge, material and construction, bass construction, bridge design, scale length, etc….

 

[GreyBeard]

I have 1 35" (lakland 5502) and several 34's. Oddly when I switch from 34 to 35, I don't notice much of a difference. But, when I've been playing the 35 exclusively for say a month or so and then switch back to a 34", I really notice the difference. It isn't all that big a deal. I notice string spacing differences a lot more.

 

[LadyLoveStingRay5]

Yes. I can tell the difference and I can’t play 35 scale.

 

[nonohmic]

Doesn't care about scale length.

Starts a thread about scale length.

 

[Chickenwheels]

I have 35, 34, 32, 30.7 basses. I have 24.75, 25.5 and 27” guitars and a 12.5” violin to boot. I will say in my experience I don’t notice the difference. Even if I switch directly from 30.7 to an unlined 34 fretless it doesn’t bug me. I think you just develop muscle memory for what you play. I also have no idea what my string spacing are. I know they aren’t the same. My 30.7 bass feels just like my 34” but it’s like there’s an extra fret if that makes sense. I know there is a difference and that some people prefer one or the other. That’s cool.

Yep.
I go from Double bass to fretless 34” to fretless 25” weekly. You don’t overthink it, you just play the instrument that suits the gig.

 

[bobdabilder]

Yes, the difference is noticeable to me.

 

[micguy]

35's showed up because....string makers don't always make rational string sets for 5 string basses - the B string is usually far too skinny, and therefore floppy. As a reaction, bass makers started making their basses slightly longer - which increases the tension of ALL the strings, (not a complete fix by any means). Some folks like the longer scale, I see it as a band aid for a problem that's solved by getting the right strings - I often buy 4 string sets and a single B (of greater diameter than what would come with a 5 string set) so the set has the same tension, and I'm good.

I play a lot without looking at my fingers (I sometimes practice before a gig with my eyes closed), and having 4's and 5's with the same scale length makes that easier, particularly as the one 4 string I have left is a fretless.

 

[drumvsbass]

Fuel to the fire of fan frettery. Dingwall called...

 

[Igotsoul4u]

A lot of what you feel has to do with how well the bass is balanced on your body. I have an F bass BN5 which is a 34.5" scale. Because of the extended horn and strap button placement, the bass plays smaller then my 34" Fender Jazz. I personally think the 34.5 scale makes a huge difference in the low B. I had a Lakland 5 that was 35" scale and I couldn't hang.

 

[mindwell]

I'm 5'4" tall and getting shorter all the time. I tried and tried and tried with 35" scale but the mechanics simply don't work for me.

 

[alembicbones]

I own 33 1/4", 34", 35" and 37" to 34" fanned fret, 5 string basses. I don't find that the different scales aid or impede my playing. I guess I'm just not that particular. That doesn't mean that scale length isn't major factor to other players, though. We're all different.

Bones

 

[the_home]

As many have already stated, I have basses ranging from short scale to medium to full (34) to long (35). I think the biggest issue is how the instrument hangs in 'playing position'. Some of my 35 inch scale instruments feel quite comfortable while others feel like quite a stretch (as does my 32.5 medium scale) because of how it hangs.

 

[Ric5]

In all my years of selling basses, this happens most consistently:

I post a 35" scale bass. I get a comment saying, "If this bass was 34-inch scale, I'd be all over it." A little while later, I sell a 34" scale bass and get the comment, " Man! If this was 35-inch scale, we'd be talking."

I own both. I play both... in 4-string and 5-string. Scale-length has never crossed my mind when switching from a 34" to a 35". I've never noticed any need to adjust. For me, scale length isn't even in my top-10 of things I look for in a bass.

Can anyone REALLY tell the difference between 34" scale and 35" scale? If so, what's the deal? Does it affect your playing? Is it all about how the low-B sounds?

I don't get it. Enlighten me.

(don't get me started on multi-scale... lol)

I can tell the difference and I don't like 35"

 

[Jefus]

Some people like modern, bright, piano-like bass tones. Some people like old school, fat, warm bass tones. Suffice to say, the builders making 35"basses aren't trying to stay traditional, and the ones building 30" basses aren't going for "piano-like". 34" can go either way.

What tone do you want?

 

[sometimes]

I'm 6'4" and have large hands so the reach hasn't been a problem. I have a G&L L-2500 and although it's nice, the B does seem to suffer a bit compared to my 35" Warmoth Gecko. The Gecko, though, has a five piece neck and considerably more mass. It's B is great and continues to sound good the farther I go up the neck. I have a Ibanez BTB which also has a five piece 35" neck and the B is superior to the G&L. Many 34" basses I've tried tend to sound kind of dull and clunky on the B and E higher up the neck, but, of course, that may just be the particular instrument and not the general rule. I'd like to play more basses that are 34" with laminated necks to see if it's really the scale length and not the overall construction, but I don't live in a place that offers a lot of opportunity to do that.

 

[Rip Van Dan]

In all my years of selling basses, this happens most consistently:

I post a 35" scale bass. I get a comment saying, "If this bass was 34-inch scale, I'd be all over it." A little while later, I sell a 34" scale bass and get the comment, " Man! If this was 35-inch scale, we'd be talking."

I own both. I play both... in 4-string and 5-string. Scale-length has never crossed my mind when switching from a 34" to a 35". I've never noticed any need to adjust. For me, scale length isn't even in my top-10 of things I look for in a bass.

Can anyone REALLY tell the difference between 34" scale and 35" scale? If so, what's the deal? Does it affect your playing? Is it all about how the low-B sounds?

I don't get it. Enlighten me.

(don't get me started on multi-scale... lol)

35" scale is great for the B string. Usually on the 34" scale, the B string feels a bit loose or floppy. With the 35" scale it has a lot more tension and feels better to me. Nonetheless, the one I have is a 34" scale 5-string.

 

[GreatRandini]

I didn’t notice much of a difference until I got this Spector NS Dimension… the reach for a 37 inch B string feels like a football field away versus a 34
I’m getting used to it now and I also notice that “piano” tone much more than the 35s or 34s that I’ve played.
I understand why some people are drawn to a shorter scale for comfort reasons and even if there is a difference in tone, if you can’t play it without experiencing pain, it’s not worth it.

 

[El_Charro]

I have a few 34s, but admittedly I have been tempted a LOT by this particular bass bc it’s a 35 and I bet it would take BEAD tuning really well: https://www.espguitars.com/products/21844-f-204

I’m trying to be more of a One Bass To Rule Them All kind of guy, but wouldn’t mind owning one of those with the intent of keeping it tuned to BEAD…

Thanks! \m/