Basses for shorties

[Aldo Sanchez]

I'm 5'9, after years of trying out and playing different jazz's I switched to a p-bass and never looked back. Despite the thick neck and my short fingers the smaller body felt just right. I also own a short scale musicmaster with flats, but both basses are played the same amount.

 

[Rib 13]

As much as I like Ibanez for their comfort, I'm actually not a huge fan of their average sound, which I find very bland. With that in mind, I think the Yamaha TRBX304 is a really good sounding bass, I prefer it over their TRBX504.

Ibanez basses - particular SoundGears - sound great, just very generic so I understand this (even my SR1205 with the Nords is generic), and I totally agree about the Yamaha TRBX 304/305 sounding waaaaay better than the TRBX 504/505


btw, Im 5' 8" ...primarily play 5-string Jazz Basses in most situations these days (USA Fender and Sire V7) and have no issues so I cant help ya.

 

[el_Bajo_Verde]

This thread should be called basses for people of normal, average height. If the guy was 4'8" or around there I'd understand. But I see tiny women and teens playing 34" scale basses with no problems.

 

[BassHappy]

Hey Folks.....

I posted this previously on another thread, please forgive the duplication and if you have seen it already, feel free to skip over it. I think it is important to mention.

Just pointing out it isn't really all about "scale", when it comes to a bass that fits you properly and provides the ultimate in playing comfort. For me it's all about "reach". Reach can be affected by a lot of things, neck placement, number of frets and of course scale length.

For the record, here is the reality of a Fender Rascal 30" short scale compared EXACTLY to the 34" full scale Adam Clayton jazz bass. These basses were blown up to exact scale in Illustrator, measured for precise accuracy using the distance from the nut to the 12th fret - and sized down for convenience. You can see the results below:

Just didn't want anyone to get too carried away with scale length as the only variable for playing comfort. The reach above on the Rascal is pretty much the same as the full scale 34" Fender Jazz - most of the compensation from 30" to 34" takes place at the bridge, but a little compensation appears at the neck. So if more comfortable "reach" is what you are looking for you have to look at all the variables, not just scale length.

 

[RED J]

I have a Warmoth Short PJ I really like. For me it's more about reach than height, i'm 5'8 but short armed and old. I still have full scales, but sometimes my shorties just fell comfy.

 

[BawanaRik]

I'm short.

What I find works well is a 35" Cirrus.

Try one out

 

[skeeler]

BassHappy, I agree with your entire post--I mentioned the importance of reach a few pages back--except where say the number of frets affects reach. It does not. A 20-fret bass and a 24-fret bass with the same scale length, body, and bridge position (and thus neck position) will have the same reach to the first fret. The difference will only be in how far the frets extend into to the body.

As you say, the reach to the low frets has a big impact on playability, at least for me and probably for other short-armed players.

 

[RED J]

Always have to have the "my neck's longer than your neck" -ers weigh in. Nothing to do with the OP's intent or question.
They should start their own "Neck Napoleons" battle thread.

 

[BassHappy]

This thread should be called basses for people of normal, average height. If the guy was 4'8" or around there I'd understand. But I see tiny women and teens playing 34" scale basses with no problems.

Hey El Bajo

Really, not out to pick on you at all - there are a number of folks in the same boat you are - spouting the same worn-out philosophy - and I feel kind of bad singling you out. But not that bad. I should have answered the call sooner, this particular post struck a chord. But really, is that what we are all here for - is to use our god-given talents to merely "play with no problems?" Play with no problems? What does this really mean? Is this our ultimate goal? To play with no problems? Certainly, it isn't my goal.

I have played medium scalers with reasonable reach since 1976. Can I play long scalers with "no problems"? Of course I can. Admittedly - I snicker at the thought. I am not on this earth to merely play with "no problems". I want a bass with perfect reach - a bass with perfect balance, a bass that is lightweight and hangs on me in the perfect playing position. A bass that fits me perfectly - doesn't put undue stress or pressure on my shoulders, spine, elbows, hands and wrists. It keeps me healthy. It extends my playing career. It allows me to play with more dexterity and stamina. I crave a bass that inspires me, makes me giddy, makes me laugh, or at least makes me smile. I want a bass that fits me like a wetsuit - a bass that morphs into me and becomes part of me. I want a bass I never want to put down. Frankly, you should too and I hope you have at least one.

Maybe a long scaler fits the bill in your world and inspires you - I love that and I am excited for you. And maybe it even fits fine and inspires some tiny women and teens too. But, in my world long scale basses usually don't cut the mustard. Tools matter. To me, a perfect fit is what matters, not playing with "no problems."

 

[el_Bajo_Verde]

I simply meant that OP shouldn't eliminate long scale basses based on his height. Nothing more, nothing less

He should just take his strap with him to GC and try ALL of the basses. Play each one sitting, and standing with the strap. Find where it hangs, feel how comfortable it is to play on the first frets up near the headstock, how heavy or light the bass feels, etc. Even testing out different pickup combinations and seeing how it feels to rest your thumb in certain areas.

imo it's the best way to really find that comfortable bass. If there is any pain or lack of comfort, it could lead to injuries down the line...

 

[michael_t]

I am only 5ft 8 so not massively short but just want a bass with a smaller body.

I'm barely 5'6" and do fine with my Fender P and J.

 

[1stnamebassist]

I'm 6'2" and 210 lbs and play an 18" kala ubass, as well as 34" scale. I don't think scale length is really an issue but an area that could cause comfort problems for the vertically challenged bassist would be something with a larger body. Something along the lines of an Epiphone Jack Casady bass. Even when I wear it, it looks and feels huge!

 

[Groove Doctor]

... everytime I see pics or videos of myself with my jazz bass, I feel like I look like a munchkin, the bass looks, well big. I have no trouble playing it, just looks kind of weird to me.

Experiment with your strap height and angle of the bass a bit maybe. Different basses feel better to me at different heights interestingly--some feel better/more natural lower than higher or vice-versa...

30° angle on neck plus lower the strap puts both wrists at a happy angle on my jazz bass - made a big difference.

... a Precision body is smaller.
If you like the neck on the J, you can find Ps with J necks.

I'm 5'9, after years of trying out and playing different jazz's I switched to a p-bass and never looked back. Despite the thick neck and my short fingers the smaller body felt just right.

Im the same height and found the exact same thing. I own 3 P basses with B-width necks (1.625"). Perfect!
(My J bass almost never gets played now).

Someone mentioned Sterlings earlier. It's not the smallest bass I've ever played, but it's the smallest bodied 34" scale bass that I've played. Noticeably smaller than a J body.

I'll check them out - never bonded with the Sting Ray feel.

My hands are very physical at work, so my 30" basses get all of my AT HOME playing time these days.

 

[Matriani]

If you can find one, Fender put out a Precision Jr. sometime in the mid 90's. I think the scale was @ 30", and it sounded exactly like a full scale Precision. For discloser, it was NOT a Squier, and probably Korean or Japanese make. I have only seen one in the flesh and wish I had the funds at the time to buy it. I'm sure it had the Fender brand strings that came new, but don't remember the guages.

 

[thunderstation]

- - I'm 5'6" but I have both a Fender Precision and a Thunderbird- but Fender Jaguars have a smaller body - if you're talking short scale - an epiphone EB 1-3 are pretty cool. Specters are regular scale but have a lighter body very comfortable.