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Any *conclusive* downsides to short scale?

#83
I play a Gibson SG Standard 30.5" scale bass and a 1969 Fender Mustang bass. Neither bass feels like it has floppy strings. If your strings do feel too loose, just use a lighter touch to compensate. I use finger playing and I just use a light touch and turn up the amp. It works great for me. I like the shorter scale basses for gigging because I have significant health issues. It takes less effort to play short scale and the bass is generally lighter.
 
#85
^ I've played good and bad basses of most scale lengths. It's not the model, its the execution, and combination of strings/rig to reproduce it.


FerruleCat said:
Depending on the EQ and mix, there are times when my shortscale sounds vaguely "off" on the E string below, say, the 5th fret. But when I check, the tuning is fine. (So is the intonation.) So I wonder: Has it been noted that the harmonic overtones of a shortscale are tricky in that range? (Of course, it's more likely that my hearing is roached.)
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A great tip I got from a seasoned pro for a really focused note:
- mute the string after length, esp at headstock, or...
- Attach a tiny bit of 1/4" wide tape onto the E string just near the bridge to slightly deaden any wild overtones.
- use a SLIGHTLY LIGHTER guage E string.

Its always a compromise between tension and thickness that you have to find the 'sweet spot' for that string-instrument combination. Maybe even a different string type altogether will be more workable for you if you insist on that higher-tension feeling.
 
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#86
RedHotFuzz said:
So how might a 30" Warmoth P-Bass with X pickups and Y strings sound different from a 34" Warmoth P-Bass with X pickups and Y strings? Obviously the pitch does not change. Will it sound thinner?THICKER Buzzier? N/A Set up issue Flatter? FATTER Hollower? N/A unless one is hollower Brighter? Not likely Darker? Likely Punchier? Likely Less Less-punchy? "Shorter?" And would any difference be noticeable only when doing a direct A/B comparison with no other instrumentation playing?
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See Bold for my opinion.
I too come from upright. But also from guitar. I've also owned Pbasses, Jazzes, a Ric(which is kinda in between) at one time or another, and now my main squeeze is a 30" scale Guild Starfire semi-hollow. My experience is given the same strings, body, and pickup that the shorter scale will sound fatter, rounder, and potentially muddier(depending on the pickup and strings). My intuition tells me a 5 string shorty might not be that great, cause it might take an ENORMOUS B string to overcome the flop. But then I never tried one anfd dont play 5s so I dunno for sure.
Its the same principal as guitars. A longer scale sounds punchier and more piano like, with more note definition string to string. Just like a Martin D18 vs a Gibson J45. As was said, set up, strings, bridge, body type, pickups, and electronics all make a huge diff and can overide any differences in scale length between two basses.
I love my Starfire. I tend to play buisier lines on it as its so easy to get around on. But then I kinda bought it to encourage myself in that direction. The bi sonic pickup is in no way muddy to my ear, unless I set my tone controls to make it so, and Im using an old school thumpy string, Labella flats. It also sounds great for the mellow 1-5 thumpy thing.
I looked seriously at those little Gretsches, darn nice little basses for little scratch. If you got one thats well set up good for you! I say if you like it, play it and dont worry about what anybody else thinks. If the lack of body contour bothers you why not just get out the old rasp and have at it?
But if you want a nice Warmouth, I think you'd be happy. Not sure if you could get the same neck profile as on the Gretsch tho.
 
#90
Whit Townsend said:
I looked seriously at those little Gretsches, darn nice little basses for little scratch.
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I agree. Great quality + low price.

Whit Townsend said:
If you got one thats well set up good for you! I say if you like it, play it and dont worry about what anybody else thinks.
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I think it's a great looking bass. I'm not concerned about what others think about it, only that it's not comfortable for me to play.

Whit Townsend said:
If the lack of body contour bothers you why not just get out the old rasp and have at it?
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1) I don't know what I would find under the paint. 2) I'd probably muck everything up while trying to refinish it. 3) I figure now that I'm addicted to bass, natural progression says I will be wanting to swap out pups, tuners and who knows what else anyway. I'd end up with $600 into a $300 bass that's been buggered up by my amateurish reshaping/refinishing. Figured I'd rather just bypass that step and jump right into assembling a high quality instrument I can enjoy for many years. :bassist:

Whit Townsend said:
But if you want a nice Warmouth, I think you'd be happy.
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I'm keeping my fingers crossed!

Whit Townsend said:
Not sure if you could get the same neck profile as on the Gretsch tho.
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Having only 2 weeks with the Gretsch (and basses entirely), adapting to a different neck shouldn't be a problem. (I hope.)
 
#93
hsech said:
If your strings do feel too loose, just use a lighter touch to compensate. I use finger playing and I just use a light touch and turn up the amp.
Click to expand...

This is exactly my experience. No, short scale doesn't sound exactly the same but IMO what you lose in power you gain in delicacy and chocolatey darkness.
 
#95
the junior jet is a killer bass for the money. i started on shorties and i really like them, but...

there is less sustain, the frets feel cramped sometimes, and the strings have less tension to them so i can't dig in as hard as i'd like even with a high action.

there's plenty of positives that more than make up for these things but they are an annoyance for me and so i generally only play a shorty for intricate stuff.
 
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#96
RedHotFuzz said:
Sounds delicious!

I will reiterate after a couple weeks of playing not once have I wished for a heavier bass with a longer stretch for arm and fingers. I don't envision myself ever yearning for a 34" bass.
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that's because the junior jet weighs in at 8.5lbs which IS the weight of a full-scale precision bass. that's the single pickup version, the double will be more.

i put one on the scale the other day.
 
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#97
UK Philip said:
that's because the junior jet weighs in at 8.5lbs which IS the weight of a full-scale precision bass. that's the single pickup version, the double will be more.

i put one on the scale the other day.
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I actually have the double pickup version and mine is 8 lbs 4 oz (via a digital kitchen scale). That's not to say there aren't full scale basses that light (or lighter), but I'm sure many are in the 9-10 lb range.

Time will tell what my Warmoth SS build will weigh, but my point is the Gretsch already pushes the limits of what I would call comfortable and I'm certainly not yearning for anything bigger/longer/heavier.
 
#98
consider replacing the bridge with a gotoh 201 or something else, because the stock one is the only real corner they cut to save $$$.

i did on my jet and it made the world of difference. it added sustain, and increased the string tension which in turn made it sound far better. it also looks great.
 
#100
My sole problem with the Gretsch is the lack of body contours, particularly a forearm contour. I realized a slab body just isn't a good fit for my physiology. I miss my Strat body. So I'm going to get it back with a Warmoth build. I could have switched to a Jag SS but I don't want to end up soaking upgrade dollars into a $180 instrument.
 

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