5 string basses should be 35” scale

[micguy]

In over 300 shows with my Precision V and/or my Dimension has no one ever come up and said "man, those low notes would have much better distinction and clarity if your bass was a 35"".

I have people come up to me after I've played, and say - hey, you're one of the guitarists - right?" ...so yeah, details like that don't make it to the crowd.

I will say, however, if you find a bass that inspires you to where:
A) You practice more, and
B) You feel like it's working with you, and you play better because of that (but probably mostly because you practiced more), whatever scale that bass is...who cares? If it happens to be 35", I won't argue that it's a great instrument for you.

 

[Neon Scribe]

Saying 5 string basses should be 35" scale is obvious trolling, but what if I said that 4 string basses should be 42" scale and played vertically instead of horizontally? Nobody would accuse me of being provocative, would they?

 

[StayLow]

5 string basses should be 35” scale
What are your thoughts?

Thinking how glad I am that’s not the case.

34” is fine by me.

FWIW, I have 34” and 35” fivers.

 

[micguy]

Saying 5 string basses should be 35" scale is obvious trolling, but what if I said that 4 string basses should be 42" scale and played vertically instead of horizontally? Nobody would accuse me of being provocative, would they?

I have seen a band where the bassist had a solid body electric bass custom made that used upright strings - 42 inch scale. The guy was 6'8" tall, so it didn't look big on him. The guitarist next to him though (5'9"; playing a strat) looked tiny. You'd come into the club, see the band on stage, and...what the?

 

[Real Soon]

I'm thankful that both my Ibanez 6-string and Kiesel 6-string fretless are 34" scale; orthopaedic limitations make 35" just not work for me. Maybe if I had a fresh wrist and large hands it'd be different, but I can't even entertain XL-scale, so simply get funky on my current scale.

It's such an odd thing, though, the fact that some basses can have a low B that feels floppy, sounds flabby, etc, while others, even using the exact same strings, can have a respectably tight feel and even tighter tonal response.

 

[TonyP-]

I knew this thread would ruffle some feathers...

I understand why people like their 34” scale 5s, I get it.

However with that being said. I greatly prefer 35” as well.

I find pickups that have the neck pickup pulled back a bit help.

 

[micguy]

Here's another way of explaining what's at work here - from GHS's tension charts for Boomers (which are available in a good range of gauges): (34 inch scale)

G string, .045 - 44.8 pounds tension
D string, .065 - 50.2 pounds tension (this is not a well balanced set)
A string, .085 - 49.4 pounds tension
E string, .105 - 42.2 pounds tension (you can see a trend emerging here....)
B string, .125 - 34.6 pounds tension. Gosh , thats a lot lower tension.....

To their credit, GHS's medium set pairs a .130 with the other 4 strings in their "medium 5 string"set, but that is still only 37 pounds tension - that's still a lot lower than any other string in the set.. What gauge does it take to get into balance? Their biggest is a .145; that has 41.2 pounds tension - reasonably close to the E. Still not a well balanced set, but at least it's not that extreme.

Why is your low B string floppy? It's a string problem - changing the piece of wood under the string does not change the physics of string tension (so long as it's the same scale). When someone says a bass "has a floppy or non floppy B string", they're demonstrating that they don't actually know where the problem comes from. I know I won't change everyone's mind on this, but maybe a few of you will get it from this.

 

[Real Soon]

If you set them up the same, I think you'll find they feel the same. They certainly have the same tension - one isn't actually "floppier than the other".

That's what my brain logic tells me! So I wonder if there's just psychology at work, or maybe if somehow the selection of wood in the instrument (it does vary in density, flexibility, etc) plays some tiny part. I wouldn't be surprised at it being a placebo effect, i.e. "this nice bass has a tighter B string than that cheap one", though collectively, I suspect our experiences don't quite line up with that. Maybe just desire coloring our perceptions.

 

[micguy]

It's such an odd thing, though, the fact that some basses can have a low B that feels floppy, sounds flabby, etc, while others, even using the exact same strings, can have a respectably tight feel and even tighter tonal response.

A car that sits lower to the ground with the same 0 to 60 time as a pickup truck will feel much faster than the truck. Something (a confounding factor) is deceiving you into believing something that isn't true.

 

[bassbully]

I used to think a 35” scale neck was the only way to get a good tight B string. Until I got an ACF customs 5 bass from Rojo412 here on Talkbass. It 33” scale and the B is as good if not better than my Lakland 35” scale.

 

[BassJuju]

If your only reason is string tension, you're using the wrong gauge string.

This

 

[Thumpin6string]

My 34" scale 6 has a killer B string as does my 34.5" scale 5 string fretless. Sounds like you need to find another bass or some different strings.

 

[D.A.R.K.]

I love loose tension strings. I down tune to get them floppy. 5 string basses should all be 30" scale. High tension strings are intolerable.

 

[Lackey]

#bobknowsjack

 

[micguy]

I love loose tension strings. I down tune to get them floppy. 5 string basses should all be 30" scale. High tension strings are intolerable.

Have you tried a set of piccolo bass strings? If you want loose, down tune those an octave, They'll be VERY loose.

 

[micguy]

I used to think a 35” scale neck was the only way to get a good tight B string. Until I got an ACF customs 5 bass from Rojo412 here on Talkbass. It 33” scale and the B is as good if not better than my Lakland 35” scale.

The proper course of action here is not to praise the bass, but to find out what strings shipped on the thing.

 

[spatters]

Why is your low B string floppy? It's a string problem - changing the piece of wood under the string does not change the physics of string tension (so long as it's the same scale). When someone says a bass "has a floppy or non floppy B string", they're demonstrating that they don't actually know where the problem comes from. I know I won't change everyone's mind on this, but maybe a few of you will get it from this.

Preach! I've been saying this for a long time, too.

9 times out of 10 the problem isn't the bass: it's that the B string is bunk. It's really hard to make a string that large, with three wraps, and not have it come out 'off' or dead.

In my experience, nearly half of the low B strings I try, from any manufacturer and of any type, are 'off'. I haven't yet found anyone that can consistently make a B string that always sounds even with the other four...which means that, when I get the magic set, I'm afraid to ever change it!

 

[A9X]

How am I going to step on the geetarists solo with a B string?

EADGC

Get a 6.

I recently sold a Dingwall Abz 5 string that I bought a few months ago, one reason being I felt my 34” scale Zebrawood Tobias basic 5 has a superior overall sound, including a beefier, tighter B string.

To the re-education camp for you.

In over 300 shows with my Precision V and/or my Dimension has no one ever come up and said "man, those low notes would have much better distinction and clarity if your bass was a 35"".

Then your audiences are as deaf and foolish as yourself. An audience with more refined tastes would simply walk out in disgust at your playing a 34" bass with a B0 string.

/sarc. Added just for the P.O.O.'s.

 

[kumimajava]

One of these topics which comes up with the regularity of 'tort', 'p vs j' and 'carrots'.

Meanwhile, Owen Biddle is happy ripping up on his 30" Callowhill OB6, and Hendrik Linder doing likewise on a 33" Mattisson 6-string Fat Boy. I can't hear any tonal deficiencies in either. And in terms of playability - both are among the most comfortable 6's I've played.

You do you, my 35-inch friend

 

[Guitarodeo]

Floppy B strings are intolerable.\

My query is, what’s next? Does Sadowsky make a 35” 5 string? I want to get my high end, forever bass at this point in my life. I have pondered owning a Sadowsky for the build quality and tone. Does the B string sing with clarity? Should I go with an American Lakland? What are your thoughts?

I own and play an NYC Sadowsky UV5 P/J as my sole ride. The B is dead even with the other strings, and resonates cleanly all the way up the neck. The craftsmanship is impeccable. I get compliments on the tone all the time. I have also owned Lakland USA 5s and they are also great basses with piano-like B strings. I just can't get on with the wider necks and longer scale length. Did I mention Roger's preamp absolutely slays in the mix? Just sayin'. YMMV