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Fretless and fretted different scale lengths

bhunt1

bhunt1

Vintage Lefty
Supporting Member
Jul 30, 2009
976
1,634
Southern DE
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Older than dirt ;)
#1
I've been playing fretless on and off for years, but just got a Stingray fretless and am putting on a push to play fretless better and hopefully even play it live with my band. My question is this: I've been playing my fretted G&L Fallout 30" scale bass with my band, and of course the Ray is 34". Should I switch to 34" scale fretted to have the same muscle memory for both? I have a decent ear for fretless, so maybe just rely on my ear?
 
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#2
Curious to see what kind of responses you get. Personally I think you've played long enough that you will adjust as you move between the different scale lengths. If you have a problem, it will likely be at the 1/2 position, near the nut. Your arm and wrist may fool you a bit, but your ear will fix it.
 
#4
bhunt1 said:
I've been playing fretless on and off for years, but just got a Stingray fretless and am putting on a push to play fretless better and hopefully even play it live with my band. My question is this: I've been playing my fretted G&L Fallout 30" scale bass with my band, and of course the Ray is 34". Should I switch to 34" scale fretted to have the same muscle memory for both? I have a decent ear for fretless, so maybe just rely on my ear?
Click to expand...
I have fretted and fretless basses with both four and five strings, plus three double basses and a Takamine Acoustic bass guitar.
They vary quite a bit, with scale lengths of 30", 34", 35", 40" and 41". And yet, I switch among them all with very little adjustment required.
Buy and play basses you like, and work out the differences through practice and listening.
Good luck! :)
 
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#5
I have a 32" fretted and a 34" fretless. They are different instruments and I don't have a problem switching.

There are schools of thought (well 3). One is to match the scales, which I can see being good, and I do wonder if I should try a 32" fretless. Or, have a shorter scale fretless to make the reaches easier, or a longer one to help with intonation. I think the latter is better, and use 1, 2, 4 fingering in the lower registers.

I like 34" for fretless. I think it gives a lot more wiggle room, especially on and above the 12th fret.

So yeah, just play it I guess.
 
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#6
nonohmic said:
I have a 32" fretted and a 34" fretless. They are different instruments and I don't have a problem switching.

There are schools of thought (well 3). One is to match the scales, which I can see being good, and I do wonder if I should try a 32" fretless. Or, have a shorter scale fretless to make the reaches easier, or a longer one to help with intonation. I think the latter is better, and use 1, 2, 4 fingering in the lower registers.

I like 34" for fretless. I think it gives a lot more wiggle room, especially on and above the 12th fret.

So yeah, just play it I guess.
Click to expand...
going to second this, 34" fretless is much more forgiving than 30"
 
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#8
If you are physically comfortable playing regular scale, is there a reason that you want to also play a shorty aside from already owning one?
I certainly think that swapping between two basses of different scale would be a burden.
I can play wrong notes when I switch between basses of the same scale just because the strap button / horn locations are different, causing the first fret to be further from my body.
 
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#10
If you log enough hours on an instrument you will develop muscle memory regardless of scale length or even how it compares to your other instruments. If you play it infrequently you will likely revert to the next best thing, which is muscle memory from your other instruments, which may be just a little off. But that shouldn't be a problem if you have a good ear and play in a setting where you can hear yourself well.

The only issue I could see would be suddenly changing to a new instrument, at a new scale you aren't familiar with, in an environment where you cannot hear yourself at all and have to rely entirely on feel. Then your intonation may suffer, but fortunately there aren't many gigs like that!
 
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#11
JonathanPDX said:
If you log enough hours on an instrument you will develop muscle memory regardless of scale length or even how it compares to your other instruments. If you play it infrequently you will likely revert to the next best thing, which is muscle memory from your other instruments, which may be just a little off. But that shouldn't be a problem if you have a good ear and play in a setting where you can hear yourself well.

The only issue I could see would be suddenly changing to a new instrument, at a new scale you aren't familiar with, in an environment where you cannot hear yourself at all and have to rely entirely on feel. Then your intonation may suffer, but fortunately there aren't many gigs like that!
Click to expand...
And that's when you pull out the trusty P-bass!
 
#12
If you play a fretted enough, and you concentrate on playing as cleanly as you can, your technique will naturally move towards playing right behind the fret - almost on top of it. As it turns out, that is the same place you want your fingers to land on a fretless - so the pad is behind the "virtual fret" that you want to play, and the point at which the string exits from under your finger pad is where the fret would be.

Al that to say, if you play a fretted bass with the same general physical platform (scale, strap attachment points, that kind of thing), the muscle memory you develop will land you pretty much where you need to be on a fretless. Change scale length and or where the bridge is between the strap attachment points, and all bets are off.
 
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#13
MCS4 said:
I think switching between two fretless basses at different scale lengths could be a little tricky because the muscle memory for fretless is so much more precise. I wouldn't worry at all about a fretted bass that was a different scale from fretless.
Click to expand...
Only if all of a sudden you have to gig it. But, if you are just practicing, switching will be every edifying.

The contrast between the two scale length basses will be illuminating, revealing and interesting.

As per @JRA, just jump in!
 
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#15
The only solution i see is you need to give that Fallout to me and commit to fretless body and soul.

You're welcome !

Nah but seriously : it's all a matter of how much time you give each instrument and then you will have no issues switching back and forth i think. I have a guitar, a 30" Mustang, a 32" Jaguar and a 34" Pbass. My nieces have the 28" Mini Pbass, i habe owned and played fretted and fretless 4, 5 and 6 string basses and switching was only a problem at the very beginning.

Enjoy your basses!
 
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#16
Switching scales between the fretted and the fretless probably won't be a huge issue - people play DB and BG on the same gig all the time, and it's fine. However, it's enough of a different instrument I would suggest treating the fretless like your main instrument for some period of time. Once the fretless feels like second nature, you probably won't even think about switching back and forth between the instruments.
 
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#17
You can adapt.

I am just a a person -- nothing special I play

Fretted: 29.5, 34, 35 and 36
Fretless 34 and 35
Upright 38.5 and 42
Also have a 25 inch scale fretless nylon guitar (new to me and I play it like an oud instrument with different tuning -- more as a hobby - experiment )
I play them all relatively in tune. I do get paid for gigs and no one has thrown me out yet for being out of tune. Secret, just get at it and stand up every time you fall down. keep going.

Just like we can get used to stagnant salaries and poverty inducing price hikes and increasing madness on the freeways.
 
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#18
Thanks for all of your responses. I play the Fallout because it sounds great. I do have a 34" fretted G&L SB-1 I could play, sounds good but not as versatile. I am going to try switching between scales as I am doing now. If I put in enough practice time I should be ok. We'll see.
 
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#19
bhunt1 said:
I've been playing fretless on and off for years, but just got a Stingray fretless and am putting on a push to play fretless better and hopefully even play it live with my band. My question is this: I've been playing my fretted G&L Fallout 30" scale bass with my band, and of course the Ray is 34". Should I switch to 34" scale fretted to have the same muscle memory for both? I have a decent ear for fretless, so maybe just rely on my ear?
Click to expand...
One more question about that new Stingray. Do you get any neck dive from it? How is the balance?
 

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