Bass Scale

[Primus]

Well, I have small hands, and i wanted to know if i would have any problems playing a 34" or 35".

I play a 32" and i feel like the others would be impossible to play, and i really want big scale

 

[anonymous38457747]

It is possible that the longer scale would bother you at first and you would then grow used to and comfortable with it...It is possible that you may not feel a difference...It is possible that you may find the perfect balance of a longer scale with just the right string spacing and all will be well.

IMHO we could all give our conjectures but it ultimatley lies in you getting your hands on a number of basses and playing them all until you find what is right. (which may be the 32" you already have.)

Good luck.

Zilla

 

[spade2you]

I'm 5'6" and at home on a 35" scale bass.

 

[yellofury]

Im 5'7" and have small hands and play both a 34" and 35"
the 35" was a stretch at first but after a few months
its like nothing

with anything your body will adapt
the scale length was easy enough to adhere to rather than say going from 4 to 5 or 6 strings

 

[tplyons]

I'm 5'7 and prefer a 34". I can do shorter, and I can occasionally do a 35" depending on the neck profile (keep in mind I almost sliced a few fingers off on my fretting hand, so I don't have the stretch I used to.

 

[Swift713]

I played a shorter bass for years and it took a couple days to get used to a 34." Last week I was playing a Warwick at Sam Ash, I think it was 35" but it didn't feel any different.

 

[Primus]

Well, now I have a big clue...

What are the changes from 32" to 34"/35"?

 

[eude]

I'm 5'6 and I've tried loads of different scales, but I've finally settled on 33", as I find it the most comfortable.

Shorter scale basses tend to have a softer string feel and can sometimes lose a bit of definition in the low end, however the higher strings can have a bit more weight to them.
A well made instrument can deal with any loss of low end.

Longer scale basses have tighter string feel and as a result a tighter low end, particularly on a low B.

Obviously the longer the scale the bigger the stretch for wee hands, however sensible bridge position can really help, i.e. moving the bridge right to the edge of the body will in effect move the headstock a bit closer in so 1st position won't be as far away.
Hope that makes sense!

Cheers,
Eude

 

[Rakie]

Well, I have small hands, and i wanted to know if i would have any problems playing a 34" or 35".

I play a 32" and i feel like the others would be impossible to play, and i really want big scale

Whoever told you playing a short scale bass make's you less of a man certainly wasnt lying.


wait i mean, they were joking ! >.>


<.<

 

[SGT. Pepper]

Pick a bass with a smaller body and thin neck like an Ibanez SR series. They are 34in scale.

 

[DaveCustomMade]

I think an important thing to look for is a bass with an upper horn that comes to at LEAST the 12th fret, if not a tad longer. My 35" scale fretless bass I made has a significant design flaw in that the upper horn goes only to the 15th fret. That, and the 35" scale makes for uncomfortable playing. In fact, it is enough that I may have to redo an otherwise fine sounding bass.

So look for a long enough upper horn.

 

[knuckle_head]

I play a 32" and i feel like the others would be impossible to play, and i really want big scale

Let's chat.....



If what you come by is a well balanced instrument the additional length is pushed out from the center, meaning that you merely spread both arms out as opposed to reaching further with your left.

Seek a bass that has an upper horn/bout that nears the 12th fret and I am betting you will be quite pleased at how easy the adjustment is.

 

[Pbassred]

I've just completed a basic skills course ( after 25 yrs). A tiny framed girl with small hands who was a complete beginner was also on it. She was concerned too. She had a Pbass copy but she got it in the end. All instruments take time to learn.

This is why I don't like calling them "bass guitars". You have to play them differently to guitars.

 

[Chaddycakes]

I havI am aveage to above-average height, but I have small hands (an uncomfortable 9 piano key stretch, and I believe I have good flexibility), and I play on a 34" Ken Smith BSRJMW-5. I do see what you mean by a shorter scale being easier, but I can and do play comfortably on the 34". I will say that, on the first 4 frets, i sometimes have to pivot a bit more that I'd like, but the tightness of the lower strings more than compensates for this. I'd recommend at least a 34" for anything with a low B. Besides, if you need to play quickly in the lower register, use the double bass fingerings (1, 2, 4), which I do all the time. I find it warms up my sound.

 

[Barkless Dog]

I would not think of getting 35" scale bass.

A big part of comfort is how far the neck is away from your body. A big bodied bass with the neck mounted out in the end will cause arm & hand fatigue. A more narrow/thin neck might be more comfortable as well. A lot depends on good playing form and having you bass set up with low action for ease of playing.

You need to go to a guitar center and try different styles of bass, standing up.

 

[spade2you]

I would not think of getting 35" scale bass.

A big part of comfort is how far the neck is away from your body. A big bodied bass with the neck mounted out in the end will cause arm & hand fatigue. A more narrow/thin neck might be more comfortable as well. A lot depends on good playing form and having you bass set up with low action for ease of playing.

You need to go to a guitar center and try different styles of bass, standing up.

Not always. A lot of it will depend on bridge placement. I have played some acoustic basses with the saddles about 5"+ from the edge of the body and a few electric basses with the saddles 3-4" from the body edge that were 34" scale. My Rob Allen MB2 has the saddle less than an inch from the edge and the neck actually feels closer than some of those basses as a 35" scale. The neck barely sticks out more than my Fender Urge 32" scale.

An important thing with any scale of bass is proper placement of the bass. Hang it too high or too low and you'll hurt yourself playing 34-35" scale basses in the long run.

 

[DocBop]

Well, I have small hands, and i wanted to know if i would have any problems playing a 34" or 35".

I play a 32" and i feel like the others would be impossible to play, and i really want big scale

People forget about most other instruments are one size fits all, so musicians have to workout ways to do what is needed. Even left-handed musicians have to learn to play right-handed instruments because most are only made one way.

I have small hands and play 35" scale basses all the time. I have to switch using upright bass style fingering to manage the extra distance. In fact if hands are small then you should probably get a Simandl Double Bass method book and get into the upright style fingerings. The scale on upright bass I think is 41" so it large for everyone.

 

[MobileHolmes]

The difference in distance between frets is negligeable across these scales (at least to me). the bigger difference is the reach to the first fret.

 

[knuckle_head]

The difference in distance between frets is negligeable across these scales (at least to me). the bigger difference is the reach to the first fret.

+1

First fret length on my Quake is just over 1/4" more than a standard 34" scale bass.

Again - if you find a bass that has a horn at or very near the 12th fret you will have little trouble with a longer scale length.

 

[Baird6869]

I have very small hands and play 34" MM and Fender basses.

The only problem I have is alternating pull offs and hammer-ons on the 1st and 4th fret with my index and pinky fingers. That kind makes me stretch and gets painful after a while. Besides that, no problems.