How big is the difference between 34" and 35" scale basses

[Flintc]

I try to switch around among basses that are different in some ways, and in terms of the degree of difficulty making the adjustment, my experience is:

1) Fretted and fretless. Big difference, constant concentration. Chording with proper intonation on fretless very difficult.

2) Wide/narrow string spacing. I have a tendency not to play strings cleanly or miss them altogether when they're not where my habits expect them.

3) Number of strings (for me, 5, 6 or 7). Different position changes required, different chords useful.

4) 34" and 35". Barely notice this.

 

[Lobster11]

Two thoughts on this:

First, for many players a key advantage of a 5- or 6-string is that it allows you to play more out of the fifth position and higher, rather than down by the nut. If this is true for you, then the fact that the frets are closer together up there should help to mitigate the effects of the longer neck. Playing a 35"-scale further up the neck should be pretty comparable to playing a 34" down near the nut. You'll notice the difference mainly when you play near the nut: That stretch from the C to E on the B string, or F to A on the E string, is a mother.

Second, I personally had great difficulty moving from a standard 34" four-string to my first 35" fiver, but my bigger problem was the narrower string spacing -- or perhaps the combination of the longer scale and narrower spacing. Notes were now further apart horizontally on the neck, but closer together vertically, and I just couldn't get comfortable making both adjustments simultaneously. Eventually I gave up and traded the fiver away (despite it being an awesome bass). Someday I will get another fiver, but one with wider string spacing. With the string spacing more similar to a four-string, I think it will be much easier to adjust to the longer scale.

 

[Chebass88]

There is a difference, and it was quite noticeable to me. I strive to play as much as possible with closed positions (no open strings), so doing warmup scales and stretching exercises (major thirds in a single low position, say 1st through3rd positions). You'll get used to it after about a month or so.

The stiffness is also more noticeable - you may have to spend a week or two doing scales & exercises in your home before playing a gig. I used to own a Spector Q5, and switching from my 34" scale basses to that always caused minor fatigue in the hands - but not if I practiced that bass alone for a couple days (more when I was starting).

Hope this helps.

imp

 

[fullrangebass]

Wide/narrow string spacing.

Many 35" are uncomfortable to the left hand, due to the width of the neck at the nut

 

[Baird6869]

I play 30.5", 34" and 35" and switch between them seamlessly. I have small hands and have no issues with wither length.

 

[peekster]

Here I come to save the day! (showing my age, hah)--

Learn from my mistake, years ago. If your lowest string is B, stick with 34". Why? For the only reason that matters: your bass will sound better overall.

I never worry about scale length anymore, and I never will. It's a great feeling.

You're welcome.

 

[Arthur U. Poon]

The first bass I bought with a 35" scale was my Modulus Q4. As I recall, the transition from a 34" scale to a 35" scale wasn't a big adjustment, and I have medium sized hands. I'm also a player who prefers to play in "closed" positions; I try to avoid using open strings whenever possible.

The second bass I bought with a 35" scale was my Roscoe SKB3006 6-string. I think it's tighter string spacing, wider neck, and having two new strings to learn was much more of a transition for me than it's 35" scale. Oddly though, it really didn't take me too long to get used to playing it. -Maybe a few weeks.

The third bass I bought with a 35" scale was my beloved Lull M5V. I was used to playing a 6-string by then, so moving to a 5-string was quite a pleasure.

IMO the 35" scale isn't really that big of an adjustment, and I actually prefer the added string tension. And without trying to start a 34" scale vs a 35" scale flame war, -of the limited number of 5 and 6-stringed basses I've tried, I've personally preferred the sound and feel of the B-strings on the basses with a 35" scale.

Just my 2 cents, YMMV, IMHO, & IME.

 

[MultiScaleMale]

I think there is a perception that you will have to reach an additional 1" when you go from a 34" scale instrument to a 35" scale instrument. I measured the distance between the 1st and 5th fret on a 35" bass. It measured 5 3/16". On a 34" bass, if measured 5 1/16". The difference in the reach is 1/8th of an inch. On a fretless bass, that may be a big deal, but on a fretted bass it's basically no difference.

 

[Kwesi]

So, I'm looking for a sixer and when I found a bass that I would maybe buy the fact that it's 35" puts me down. I've always been playing a 34" so my question is how big is the difference between 34" and 35"? Will it affect my technique? Is it harder to play?
I personally think that better B is just not such important factor to do the longer scale but most basses I've been looking are 35" since it's like a standard for 5 and 6 string basses.

there is no difference. It's a bass, you play it, works no matter what kind of bass guitar you've got. I went from a squire 4 to warwick 6 it took getting used to because of the uber-thick neck (it was broadneck) but not because of length. Only real issue now is how to sound awesome with the extra range ;p

 

[Brad Johnson]

Depends on the bass. It matters sometimes, sometimes not.

Exactly. The general rule is, general rules are pointless in this case. I've seen 35" basses that were very comfortrable and 34's that were a real stretch.

 

[Peter H. Boer]

I've been playing 36" scale instruments for a long time now, and 34" just seems small and light (my only 34" is an 8-string (octaves)).

It took me about a day to get used to 36", and about 2 weeks to get used to switching (then I had a 36" 6-er fretted, and would switch to 34" 4-string fretless )

The adjustment from 4 to 6 was a bigger obstacle.

I do believe that, all other things being equal, longer scale means tighter B (of course one brand 34" may have tighter B than another brand 35" or 36"), and I actually really like the extra tension longer scale brings to the strings (again with same brand and type of string).

Peter

 

[cnltb]

The difference is exactly 2.45cm.

In terms of playability, one shouldnt have much of a problem adjusting.

 

[Gus Borden]

Rune is right regarding that perception is a big part of it - if you psych yourself out, then you will notice it for sure.

But the real difference 34" - 35" playing-wise will be fairly miniscule.

Sonicly, one thing I have always noticed on the 34" + 35" 5-strings I owned in the past was that in the first 3 frets and open on your Low B - it might sound

 

[Gus Borden]

My fingers are sticky! Anyway...

Rune is right regarding that perception is a big part of it - if you psych yourself out, then you will notice it for sure.

But the real difference 34" - 35" playing-wise will be fairly miniscule.

Sonicly, one thing I have always noticed on the 34" + 35" 5-strings I owned in the past was that in the first 3 frets and open on your Low B - it might sound muddly - sometimes the B can be wobbly or slinky...

Used to own two 5-strings...
1. Reverend Rumblefish 5L - That sucker had a big old neck... But was rock solid - the B was crystal up and down.
2. Ibanez Soundgear 505 - That was a 34" (I believe) and the B string would be wobbly/slinky and sound muddled and non-distinct inside the lowest 5 frets.

But chances are that if you are on a 34" now, the 35" won't be a big stretch...

Hope all that warbling helped!

 

[Herrlster]

I barely even notice a diff between my 6 string and my 4 strings.

 

[MultiScaleMale]

The difference is exactly 2.45cm.

Close.

 

[cnltb]

Close.

Ohh how s... iI meant 2.54cm

 

[spade2you]

Exactly. The general rule is, general rules are pointless in this case. I've seen 35" basses that were very comfortrable and 34's that were a real stretch.

This man speaks the truth and has more than a few basses to compare and back it up!!! There are few absolute answers in the bass world, but not all basses are created equally and it's all in the eye (or ear) of the beholder. Some people sing praise of certain low B strings where the same bass would make me want to hear something else.

There are a lot of bassists with crappy form and a lot of 35" scale basses will be a lot less forgiving than your basic 34" scale 4 string.

Ohh how s... iI meant 2.54cm

Somehow, someone might try to argue with even that......gotta love TB.

 

[gjooro]

Ok, so, I have an Ibanez btb1206E for over a week now. It's 35", six string , 17 mm string spacing, everything is different than what I was used to..
Scale: If I didn't know that it's 35" I wouldn't notice at all. There is no extra stretching
Number of strings and string spacing: that was bigger problem than scale but still not a big problem. When I first grabbed the bass the neck seemed abnormally huge, I started to play and I missed strings with the left and right hand a few times but after that it was pretty good. I got used to it in less than a week, I can play it with no problem, I've been to rehearsals with it and I like smaller string spacing. I guess that all the fuss about switching from 4 to 6 with different specs was just in my head

 

[spade2you]

I'll be getting a 35" scale fretless 6 with 17mm spacing in about a week or two. Should be interesting.