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5 string modern bass, 34" scale, 19 mm string spacing

#21
spade2you said:
I don't know your technique, style, build, etc, but quite often I've noticed that people who abhor 35" scale tend to hang their bass in the bowtie position, which adds a lot of accessory muscles in shoulder. If it's a fingering issue (probably not in your case), 1-2-4 fingering isn't being used.

From my experience over the years, the main downside of 35" scale is hitting a low C and having to alternate between C and Eb, which can be predominant in a lot of modern metal. I was once filling in with a metal band and this absolutely killed my hands. I declined mostly because they told me I had to quit my other band, but truth be told the key of C minor all the time got old. B minor.....that's cake! ;)
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Agree that it depends heavily on technique. I play only 5s, and actually don't spend a lot of time down near the nut, as I can grab low notes up the neck on the B string (assuming it is a good B string). Once you're past about the 5th fret, the difference in feel between 35" and 34" is almost non-existent.
 
#22
SteveC said:
Many people don't notice a thing - that's great. I'm happy for them. I do. Is it real? Is it in my head? I don't know. I know I feel better playing 34's so that's what I'm going to play.
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I may have to disagree with the reality of it. The difference between a 35" scale and 34" scale is literally 1.422mm more at the first fret, and it goes down from there.


I think that where the bass sits in relation to your body is much more of what people notice than an additional 3mm per playing position. I've played 32" scale basses that make the first few frets awkward and hard to utilize and I've played a 35" scale basses that felt like instant-tendonitis above the 12th fret.
 
#23
I believe my technique is good. I don't wear my bass hi or low. I do like to play below the 5th fret - for numerous reasons - so I do notice scale. I suppose I could just play above the 5th fret but that isn't practical - for me.

There has to be something to it or there are a bunch of people that are crazy.
 
#24
Look for a Human Base BaseX.oc5. Even used, it will cost more than $600 ($900ish, probably), but it is a killer, modern bass. 34" scale with a killer B, 19mm (adjustable) bridge, Delano humbuckers and a Glockenklang 3 band pre. Seriously, these basses are way, way underrated.
 
#25
SteveC said:
I believe my technique is good. I don't wear my bass hi or low. I do like to play below the 5th fret - for numerous reasons - so I do notice scale. I suppose I could just play above the 5th fret but that isn't practical - for me.
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What kind of bass do you play? Where does your upper horn hang at? If you look straight down at your bass, which fret is directly under your nose?

If you find a bass that hangs with the lower frets much closer to your body, I would almost be willing to bet that you would find a 35" scale equally as comfortable as a 34", if not more comfortable.
 
#26
FunkMetalBass said:
I think that where the bass sits in relation to your body is much more of what people notice than an additional 3mm per playing position. I've played 32" scale basses that make the first few frets awkward and hard to utilize and I've played a 35" scale basses that felt like instant-tendonitis above the 12th fret.
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Of course this is a factor, and I think it was more a factor in some cases for me. Everyone said that the Lakland 35" felt like a 34" - it didn't to me. That's all I'm saying.
 
#28
FunkMetalBass said:
I may have to disagree with the reality of it. The difference between a 35" scale and 34" scale is literally 1.422mm more at the first fret, and it goes down from there.


I think that where the bass sits in relation to your body is much more of what people notice than an additional 3mm per playing position. I've played 32" scale basses that make the first few frets awkward and hard to utilize and I've played a 35" scale basses that felt like instant-tendonitis above the 12th fret.
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I think that depends on the bass in question. I've played 35" scale basses where 1st fret felt a mile away and I've played others where it didn't even feel like a 35" scale bass. Conversely, I played a Warwick and 1st fret felt like a bigger reach than some 35" scale basses I've played. Bridge placement, strap pin placement, and top horn extension all play a role in the comfort factor, regardless of scale.

Back when I owned my Dingwall AB1, I used to think that the low C didn't feel like as long a stretch as my previous 35" scale bass. But, if you look at where bridge is for that bass, the saddle for the B string sits right at the back of the body, almost on the edge of it. That takes a lot of the reach out of the equation IMO, but not all of it.

EDIT: The Warwick in question was a Thumb 4. Just wanted to mention that.
 
#29
Double Agent said:
I think that depends on the bass in question. I've played 35" scale basses where 1st fret felt a mile away and I've played others where it didn't even feel like a 35" scale bass. Coversely, I played a Warwick and 1st fret felt like a bigger reach than some 35" scale basses I've played. Bridge placement, strap pin placement, and top horn extension all play a role is the comfort factor, regardless of scale.
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Very true. Not all basses are created equally. When I got my Rob Allen, the reach was the same as my Fender Urge I (32" scale) and it took me weeks to figure out why, although I probably could have saved myself the time had I asked here. The extremely long top horn on my Conklin 6 also made the stretch much shorter.

Shorter horn basses certainly make it more effort all around from balance to reach.
 
#30
Double Agent said:
I think that depends on the bass in question. I've played 35" scale basses where 1st fret felt a mile away and I've played others where it didn't even feel like a 35" scale bass. Conversely, I played a Warwick and 1st fret felt like a bigger reach than some 35" scale basses I've played. Bridge placement, strap pin placement, and top horn extension all play a role in the comfort factor, regardless of scale.

Back when I owned my Dingwall AB1, I used to think that the low C didn't feel like as long a stretch as my previous 35" scale bass. But, if you look at where bridge is for that bass, the saddle for the B string sits right at the back of the body, almost on the edge of it. That takes a lot of the reach out of the equation IMO, but not all of it.

EDIT: The Warwick in question was a Thumb 4. Just wanted to mention that.
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Yes, that was my argument - different basses will sit differently and that affects your perception of scale length far more than scale length does in actuality.
 
#31
FunkMetalBass said:
Yes, that was my argument - different basses will sit differently and that affects your perception of scale length far more than scale length does in actuality.
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OK...I missed that the first time around, sorry FMB. :help:

In any case, one thing I think you have to hand SteveC, is that for MOST people, a comfortable 34" scale bass will feel better than an equally comfortable 35" scale bass. There IS a difference, even if it is slight, and for some people the benefit may not be worth the adjustment. I dislike what a 35" scale bass does to the D & G strings, but its worth it to me for what it does to the B & E strings. But I can see where others would disagree.
 
#34
Nino Valenti said:
You could but it'd probably be stolen. :)
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And we're gonna find it and the perp and give him a little Brooklyn style, uh, "reception".

If the OP wants 34" scale, let him have it. I play both, and its not a big deal except for the 1-5 postions do require a bit more stretch. My Valenti is 34" 18mm.

Yamaha, Ibanez, Peavey seem to come to mind in the $500 range. But not in 19MM, although they were made I beleive.
 
#35
Ibanez SRX 5 string basses are 34 inch scale and 18 mm spacing. And there are some good deals are out there now that they have discontinued some of last year's models. I am thinking that you may rather go down 1 mm in spacing than up one inch in scale.
 
#37
DrSmaggs said:
I think this is a fantastic option
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I second this. Truth be told, a slightly smaller string spacing might feel more comfortable than a 19mm spacing for both your right and left hand. Although you're used to 19mm, you have to reach a bit farther to get to the G-string, so 5mm difference will help - especially if you don't use a floating thumb technique.
 
#40
DrSmaggs said:
Get the Sadowsky Modern 5! Worth the extra change and definitely worth saving for!
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DrSmaggs is right and there are quite afew now for sale.

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