Basses fitting for players with small hands?

[khutch]

Still not silly.

What's silly is your presuming that I'm trained to play in fifths.

You are taking this more seriously than I intended and I did not presume that you were trained in fifths, I presumed that the cello owner was. Most of the time that would be a valid assumption. Cellos are tuned in fifths for many reasons, one of them is that their construction resonates better with that tuning. The double bass players who switch to fifths find this out to be true as well on their instruments which share some of the same construction details. They almost always report that their instruments just sound better in the fifths tuning. Fifths can be a bit unwieldy and therefore takes an extra level commitment on a scale length of 34 inches, not to mention a double bass's 43 inches but already at 30 inches it is noticeably easier to do some things and at the 27 inch scale length of a full size cello it is quite comfortable. So, sorry if I offended you by using the word "silly" but seriously, you are missing a lot if you tune a cello in fourths. Rather than tuning it to the standard guitar's EADG, leave it in its standard CGDA tuning which goes both lower and higher and now see how much your musical horizons expand!

 

[okcrum]

small hands pianist? Keith Jarrett
small hands bassist? Phil Chen

Short scales are for short arms, not small hands. Tiny neck profiles are for small hands. If you can reach the first position comfortably, the bass is not too "long".

 

[spade2you]

Short scales are for short arms, not small hands. Tiny neck profiles are for small hands. If you can reach the first position comfortably, the bass is not too "long".

I'd agrue that a lot of stock short/medium scale basses have a shortened top horn and a bridge position that minimizes any scale length gains. I used to have a 32" scale Fender Urge I and it had about the same reach as my 35" scale Rob Allen MB2 5 string.

 

[spade2you]

Actually, guys, ol' Lance was high on drugs all the time.

Everyone was before, after, and still are on the sauce.

 

[Dale D Dilly]

I'd agrue that a lot of stock short/medium scale basses have a shortened top horn and a bridge position that minimizes any scale length gains. I used to have a 32" scale Fender Urge I and it had about the same reach as my 35" scale Rob Allen MB2 5 string.

Some models, sure. It's an important caveat you make. My Starcaster bass pretty much feels like I'm playing a 34" scale instrument. But I'd still say most short scales, including some of the most popular models like Hofners and Mustangs result in less arm stretch.

 

[spade2you]

Some models, sure. It's an important caveat you make. My Starcaster bass pretty much feels like I'm playing a 34" scale instrument. But I'd still say most short scales, including some of the most popular models like Hofners and Mustangs result in less arm stretch.

Depends. Not everyone makes the same changes. One common misconception about 35" scale basses is that they're simply 1" longer in the reach department. It's rare that the manufacturer simply attached a longer neck. Quite often, the bridge will be moved closer to the edge of the body to compensate.

Many short/medium scale basses will have a short top horn and move the bridge away from the edge of the body, which reduces the ergonomic advantages that can be gained.

 

[BassHappy]

I'd agrue that a lot of stock short/medium scale basses have a shortened top horn and a bridge position that minimizes any scale length gains. I used to have a 32" scale Fender Urge I and it had about the same reach as my 35" scale Rob Allen MB2 5 string.

I hear ya, but you are using a-one-of-a kind bad example. The Urge is a full 24 fret, two octave neck. Of course the reach is a bit longer.

Here is the normal exact Fender deal on long, medium and short scale - superimposed over each other. Obviously, a shorter reach as you go: