6 string bass players a question for you

[tjclem]

34 or 35 scale?

Going to build a spec bass and not sure which scale to make it. Which scale length do you prefer?

 

[lz4005]

34 to 37 multiscale.

 

[tjclem]

Thanks the 2 options are 34 or 35 scale

 

[Pdfclef]

Took a little getting used to a 35" scale, but I'm sold now!

 

[Jeff Scott]

Can you split the difference and go 34 1/2"?

 

[India_Sierra]

34". There is just something more satisfying about that scale length and the feel of the string tension is massively better on a 34". Furthermore, 34" scale doesn't not mean that the low B will be compromised in tone over a 35" bass. My Pedulla Pentabuzz has the most amazing low B I've ever heard (on a wooden bass) and it's a 34".

 

[Nephilymbass]

Thanks the 2 options are 34 or 35 scale

He’s got a point though. I have a fan fret and love it. With your prices I would think they’d be fairly successful. Dingwall and Mayones sell custom fan fret basses for double the cost of your basses. Btw I voted 34”. I do like longer scales but I voted that way because high c strings tend to sound too brittle and basically useless to me on anything longer than 34”. If I had a 35” 6 string I’d likely have it setup f#-G because of that

 

[fcleff]

I like the 35 for low B clarity. That said, I am enjoying my Ibanez SRFF806.

f

 

[Timmy-Watts]

I have owned 5 6 string basses. I have kept the 2 that were 35" scale. I think it's suited to the tonal territory the 6 usually covers, both in genreand tone. As long as it balances well it's a no-brainer for me.

BTW, @tjclem, I'm rocking #400 right now, just like every other Saturday night. I like 34 on a 4, either scale on a 5, and 35 on a 6.

 

[IronSpatula]

I prefer 35. It is indeed more likely to end up with a brittle or pingy C string at that scale, but balanced tension strings help a lot. A good B at 34” is absolutely doable but I prefer 35” on the whole.

 

[singlemalt]

I think a six string really makes the most of the multicale fanned fret concept.
34 and 35 are both fine for four string basses. Get a little punchier D and G on the 34”. A bit more clarity on the E and A, on the 35”. But it’s really about feel and personal comfort, like string spacing at the bridge.

At least try to play a Dingwall 6, it’s pretty amazing how even string tension and tone are even across the neck.

 

[TolerancEJ]

Any instrument created by @tjclem will be immaculate. I have 6-strings with both 34” and 35”. I choose to play them all equally. Also, I have two FBass 6’s at 34.5”

 

[Jared Lash]

I like either 34" or 35" for fivers but for a sixer I'd say 34" to keep the C string from being overly tight and nasaly.

 

[craig0316]

I've been playing a 6 for about 5 years now and I really like a 35 scale. not a big deal getting used to the length.

 

[RichardT2112]

Not gonna lie, I don't even know what the scale length is on my Cort A6.

 

[HamOnTheCob]

Depends on the bass. Seriously consider the following: The length of a 34" Fender jazz bass feels like a ukulele for your fretting hand compared to a 34" Warwick Thumb, where you're reaching for the stars to hit a first fret note. The feel of the scale length has more to do with the body than the length of the neck.

 

[Leo Smith]

I have a 6er at 36-inch scale. Sounds great. Getting strings is an occasional problem, in terms of finding something with enough overall length. I had it made 20 years ago. If I were to have it made now, everything would be about the same, but I'd get it made with 35-inch scale to accommodate my hands a little better.

 

[eude]

I play 31.5" 6 strings now, after playing 33" ones for about a decade.

You can hear some samples of my first 31.5"er here >>


I know you've made some shorter scale basses with low B's before.

With good luthier voodoo and the right strings there's no reason for basses with a low B to be enormous unless that's something that the player wants.

Eude

 

[tfer]

35” for me. The B string is tighter. However, the C string seems to ring more in that scale, so it can be a trade off.

 

[Danielle Meyer]

34". There is just something more satisfying about that scale length and the feel of the string tension is massively better on a 34". Furthermore, 34" scale doesn't not mean that the low B will be compromised in tone over a 35" bass. My Pedulla Pentabuzz has the most amazing low B I've ever heard (on a wooden bass) and it's a 34".

I love my Hexabuzz 34 inch scale. I agree the B is amazing!
If it was a 5 with low B I would vote 35". On a 6 I think 34" scale already lends itself to a thin/tinny sounding open high c string. I rarely play that open C or the C#,D,D# as they sound small compared to the rest of the fingerboard. My guess is 35" scale length would amplify that problem with high C. So my vote is 6 string = 34 inch scale.