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For those that are picky about scale length(Not being serious)

#62
offhand35 said:
It is NOT a joke. It reflects your inability to understand that not everyone's ability or health situation is the same as your own, not to mention the realm of personal choice. I would love to be able to play a full scale bass comfortably. The options and choices would be much broader. For the most part the short scale basses generally available were not of the professional quality I wanted until I got my Birdsongs. There are a couple other boutique or custom makes out there as well, but I chose the Birdsong.
Over the past 6 years or so I have developed severe trigger finger in the last 3 fingers of my fretting (right) hand, along w/ osteoarthritis in two of those knuckles. Some days I have found my hand locking up right in the middle of a song on stage flubbing up a riff. Then i have to play like I am wearing a mitten. So, maybe it is funny to you, but it is less than that to me and probably to others.
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it was not my intention to insult anyone and I have alologized a couple times to some who felt disrespected. I'm sorry, I do get your point of view. My older brother was the first drummer I ever played with And he's been in a wheel chair for a decade now, unable to play drums. Even he thought it was funny. I guess he just realizes that my intention wasn't to pick on those with disabilities
 
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#63
TheEmptyCell said:
To respond to this seriously, it really has to do with ergonomics. Your Dingwall has had a ton of thought and work put into making the 37" low string feel like it's shorter. Since most instruments are just P or J copies with no new thought brought to the table, the ergonomics go to poop when a 5th string is added, or worse, when they take a 34" inch scale bass and just tack an extra inch onto the neck to make a 35" scale.

The bass is designed in such a way that it shifts the nut closer to your left shoulder, by having the body longer at the bridge end of the string. I also play basses from this company, and even though I'm only 5'6" with average length arms and normal, non-presidential fingers, even the six string I own feels like a smaller bass. I've long subscribed to the practice of having the bass hang on the strap at the same level that it sits on my lap. I can go from sitting to standing without the bass changing position. Even so, a well-designed bass with some actual thought put into the ergonomics rather than just rehashing an old design can be made better than the old "tried and true" methods.

Sorry for making this post all serious, @Nephilymbass
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You're right though. Sheldon and company did an fantastic job designing a bass that on paper sounds like it would be cumbersome but it's actually very nice
 
#65
Worldeeeter said:
I get that. If you're right at the hairy edge with a 34" bass, then a 32" or 33" scale is probably much more comfortable for you. I would not make my playing uncomfortable just to conform to what "most people" play. There are a ton of super-cool basses out there in shorter lengths, including the Reverend Wattplower (Mike Watt's sig bass - 30" scale):

View attachment 3034383
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I LIKE the look of that Reverend: really difficult to track down here in the UK though
 
#66
Nephilymbass said:
it was not my intention to insult anyone and I have alologized a couple times to some who felt disrespected. I'm sorry, I do get your point of view. My older brother was the first drummer I ever played with And he's been in a wheel chair for a decade now, unable to play drums. Even he thought it was funny. I guess he just realizes that my intention wasn't to pick on those with disabilities
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Ignore the whiners; your OP was great and there are always some people that have to cry and make everything about themselves. My posts have been geared to those people that post on TB about getting rid of 35" scale basses because that extra inch completely derailed their fretting (not health-related).
If someone has a health condition that prevents them from playing a certain instrument, they'll either figure out a workaround or whine about it online.
 

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