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Carl Thompson called me yesterday....

#41
Scale length is totally personal and you’ll have to self-reflect a little to decide. I wouldn’t do a 36” scale personally, and I’m not a small guy (6’1” with a long armspan). 35” gets uncomfortable enough in first position, shoot, even 34” gets fatiguing sometimes in that position. I’d get the 32” myself.
 
#43
I would agree a 36 will give better intonation.

The difference between a 34 an a 36 is mainly in the lowest 4 frets. Higher than that, no biggie.

I use one finger per fret, but if i was back on a 36 , i would use Simandl for the lowest three frets.
 
#47
I have a 32" scale 4 string from CT and so does Les Claypool. I'd be willing to try a 36" scale, but I didn't want to risk buyer's remorse on a CT. I believe Stu Hamm also plays 32" scale. My fretting hand gets tired playing some songs on a normal 34" scale bass. These days I'm all about the comfort and weight of a bass.
 
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#49
seventhson said:
I have a 32" scale 4 string from CT and so does Les Claypool. I'd be willing to try a 36" scale, but I didn't want to risk buyer's remorse on a CT. I believe Stu Hamm also plays 32" scale. My fretting hand gets tired playing some songs on a normal 34" scale bass. These days I'm all about the comfort and weight of a bass.
Click to expand...

Stu Hamm hasn't played 32" basses in more than two decades.
 
#51
I tried a 35” scale with 17 mm spacing 6-string bass for a few months. The extra distance between frets did not work for me. I went back to 34” scale length with 17 mm spacing.

In a rock band setting I doubt anyone is going to notice the slight intonation difference.
 
#52
Wayyyyy too many people get caught up in scale length as if the number of inches in the scale length alone means something. They mean nearly nothing with regard to how the thing feels or plays for you. The proportions of the body and the placement of the strap in relation to the bridge and nut are so much more integral to the feel of the instrument than simply how long it is from bridge to nut. I'd say the most important measurement if you could only pick one would be the length from the upper strap button to the nut. That's a better representation of how the bass will feel than how long it is from bridge to nut.

Play a 34" scale Warwick Thumb and it feels like you're reaching to the next county to play on the 1st fret. Why? Because the body is small and the upper horn is short, making the upper strap button really far from the nut. That bass will feel more difficult to play on the lower frets than a Dingwall with a 37" scale on the low B, because the Dingwall has the bridge saddle moved as close to the edge of the body as possible and the upper strap button is positioned closer to the nut.

This is roughly to scale:
H7qBKMq.jpg
 
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#53
two fingers said:
Now, if you're jealous, that's your own issue.
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Funny you should say that, I was just playing golf with Roger Sadowski and we were discussing the very same thing. You see, I've always been a nickel/silver frets man, but Rog has totally sold me on Stainless steel. Whoever saw that coming? I was convinced that the tone would suffer, but Rog put me right. Looks like my tech has some blunt tools in his future! Ho ho ho.

Anyway, Vinny Fodera and I Skyped this afternoon and he convinced me that an Ebony fretboard would better match the penny loafers I wear to my retirement community gigs. The man's a genius, what more can I say?

Its a long way to the top if you want to rock and roll!
 
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#54
Axstar said:
Funny you should say that, I was just playing golf with Roger Sadowski and we were discussing the very same thing. You see, I've always been a nickel/silver frets man, but Rog has totally sold me on Stainless steel. Whoever saw that coming? I was convinced that the tone would suffer, but Rog put me right. Looks like my tech has some blunt tools in his future! Ho ho ho.

Anyway, Vinny Fodera and I Skyped this afternoon and he convinced me that an Ebony fretboard would better match the penny loafers I wear to my retirement community gigs. The man's a genius, what more can I say?

Its a long way to the top if you want to rock and roll!
Click to expand...

Not even a close moral equivalent. I wouldn't even go so far as to say "nice try".

OP paid money. OP is a customer. OP has never met Carl Thompson. OP is a fan of his work (as are many here).

Carl himself took the time to call OP and hash out some details on his build. That's great customer service from a legend in the field of custom bass building. OP geeked out and shared with us his experience, as well as kicked off a nice discussion about scale length.

He never claimed to KNOW Carl. He never claimed they were pals. He didn't imply that they are now attached in any way other than a client relationship.

He shared an experience that would excite many here. He kicked off a discussion regarding the advice given by Carl. He is geeking out about getting a legend to build him a bass and having a discussion with said legend. I would too.

You missed the mark..... by a lot. But thanks for playing. We have some Turtle Wax and Ricearoni backstage for you. :thumbsup:

Oh, and Roger always cheats at golf..... especially after he's had a few. The back nine is brutal with that guy.

And Vinny wouldn't know how to Skype unless his grandchildren showed him how. Technology dunce. We were waiting on a redeye in Chicago once and he asked me if I could "get an email out of his phone". Some people.....
;)
 
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#56
two fingers said:
Not even a close moral equivalent. I wouldn't even go so far as to say "nice try".
Click to expand...

I wasn't reaching for 'close moral equivalent' whatever that even is, as I intentionally went on a fanciful tangent about golfing and Skyping other high-dollar luthiers. This should be fairly obvious to anybody with even quarter of a sense of humour.

OP's post came across as a humblebrag, however you couch it, and once again you seem totally over emotionally invested and worked up about something you don't need to be worked up about. In turn you're imagining that I'm invested in this thread in a way that I just simply aren't.
 
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#58
Axstar said:
I wasn't reaching for 'close moral equivalent' whatever that even is, as I intentionally went on a fanciful tangent about golfing and Skyping other high-dollar luthiers. This should be fairly obvious to anybody with even quarter of a sense of humour.

OP's post came across as a humblebrag, however you couch it, and once again you seem totally over emotionally invested and worked up about something you don't need to be worked up about. In turn you're imagining that I'm invested in this thread in a way that I just simply aren't.
Click to expand...

You hit-and-run accused him of something that wasn't true.

Enjoy your reality. :D
 
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#59
Axstar said:
Funny you should say that, I was just playing golf with Roger Sadowski and we were discussing the very same thing. You see, I've always been a nickel/silver frets man, but Rog has totally sold me on Stainless steel. Whoever saw that coming? I was convinced that the tone would suffer, but Rog put me right.!
Click to expand...

i could swear that a couple of years ago i saw an Interview with Roger where he said he didn't like the tone of ss frets. tastes change...
 
#60
songwriter21 said:
With all due respect to Carl, Ken Smith utilizes 34", and both the intonation and B-strings on his basses are phenomenal.
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Keith Roscoe uses 35", his are great, as are Sheldon Dingwall's 37"s. Scale length isn't the end-all be-all, though I'm not nearly experienced enough to know what kind of voodoo factors into such things.

bench said:
i could swear that a couple of years ago i saw an Interview with Roger where he said he didn't like the tone of ss frets. tastes change...
Click to expand...

That's what he tells everyone who's not one of his close personal golfing buddies, like @Axstar ;)
 
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