Is the short/medium scale craze over?

[littlebun]

I think there was a cooling off period for shorter basses during the 80's and 90's. They have come back in the last decades. McVie played this short scale Alembic Series 1 for a decade or more with the new Lindsey-Stevie mid-70's Fleetwood Mac lineup.

 

[HelpImaRock]

Now if string manufacturers finally realized it's no longer a craze, but a established market, so they got rid of their old, one gauge-only options, and sold more versions of their long scale lines for short scale basses! It is honestly my only "con" to shorties, but when paired with the right strings among the few available, they can sound great, be articulate, etc. It's different, but still sounds like a bass should while having its own vibe.

There are more options for short scales now than ever before. I prefer LaBella LTFs.

 

[ShawnG]

I have a 32” scale Traveler bass and if the major manufacturers and/or some of the more mainstream boutique builders (Sadowsky, Lull, etc) offered an off the shelf, US-made 32” scale option, that’s all I’d play.
I’ve considered the 32” neck conversion, but haven’t pulled the trigger because I like playing a Fender or a Sadowsky or a G&L, not an anonymous bass. I know, it’s stupid, but that’s how I am.

 

[B-Mac]

There don’t seem to be anywhere near as many making the Classifieds rounds these days. Seems a few years ago there was a much higher percentage of sub-34” instruments among those for sale than today. Threads asking about them persist but fewer shorties seem to be actively circulating. Is it just me?

Nope. Not Over. Never gonna happen. Once the box was opened...

Seriously, I don't see what your seeing.

 

[thrashingbass]

There are more options for short scales now than ever before. I prefer LaBella LTFs.

Agree there are *more* than ever-just not the ones I wish were available. Newer brand lines are daring to make versions of their products for short scale bass whereas established, older lines rarely get updated. It's a minor quibble, and there are excellent choices available-just not as many.

I love the new (for short scale bass) Ernie Ball Group 1 Stainless Steel Flats. Stiff and thick, but easy to play due to the scale. Not as stiff as a monel flat for sure, and not a pain to play. Beautiful, full sounding, yet clear. But they are the opposite of LTFs, I imagine.

 

[Boneless]

This exactly. More people are discovering short scales, liking them, and keeping them.


I disagree, it depends on the bass more than on the scale length. I have two short scales, both tuned D standard (one whole step down). Both intonate properly. One of them (a semi hollow vintage bass) sounds better with flats, but that's more due to the rather cheap build of the bass (microphonic pickups and whatnot) than the scale length per se.

Two basses with very similar construction and quite representative of the difference. The Mustang clearly has more "clangy" overtones and a more thuddy E string. It's just a physical phenomenon after all, the shorter scale means lower tension, and if you increase the gauge to make up for it, you will often get less sustain and more overtones which will make the problem even more evident. (I find that going thinner is often actually more beneficial, you lose even more tension but you gain fundamental, you just have to play with a lighter touch).



Here, additionally, you can clearly hear how the treble strings sound rounder and "plumper" on the Mustang. Which is why the whole idea of fanned frets came about (and, after all, it's what happens in pianos, especially grand pianos).

 

[AK Bass Guy]

My 2 cents. Sub 34” scale basses in the past were viewed as “kids” instruments or only as beginners instruments. That sentiment has seemed to mostly gone away, and with the major manufacturers now offing more short and medium scale instruments their availability has increased drastically.

 

[HelpImaRock]

Agree there are *more* than ever-just not the ones I wish were available. Newer brand lines are daring to make versions of their products for short scale bass whereas established, older lines rarely get updated. It's a minor quibble, and there are excellent choices available-just not as many.

I love the new (for short scale bass) Ernie Ball Group 1 Stainless Steel Flats. Stiff and thick, but easy to play due to the scale. Not as stiff as a monel flat for sure, and not a pain to play. Beautiful, full sounding, yet clear. But they are the opposite of LTFs, I imagine.

The LTFs are stiffer than advertised. I tried a set of Dunlop flats and they felt like they were lower tension. I mostly like the way LTFs feel. They're very smooth and polished.

 

[ajkula66]

Short scales (disclaimer: I have two of them) are not as, erm, "versatile" as longer scales.

Please spend some quality time with an Alembic Stanley Clarke or a Gibson LP Triumph and then come back to this discussion. I'm fairly certain that you'll hold a different opinion.

 

[zontar]

I am still hearing about people liking short scales, some are due to aging fingers and stuff like arthritis.
Some just like it.
I know a guy who is 6’ 7” and prefers shortscale basses, which he dwarfs.

 

[funkifiedsoul]

Nobody thinks there was a pronounced uptick in interest in short scales within the last decade or so?

Ya, I think there was too.

 

[mikewalker]

I think there's less of everything circulating these days, in part due to economic downturn/uncertainty of the times, and also cause the TB classifieds forum is slower and more cumbersome since the site upgrade.

But more importantly, where's the pics of your dream shortscale??

 

[Dust2Dust]

Nobody thinks there was a pronounced uptick in interest in short scales within the last decade or so?

Not just you , I bought 2 Squier Mustangs myself

 

[micguy]

If you're into 34" scale basses, there are gobs of them to buy. And flip. And buy. And flip.

Shorties, there are a lot fewer contenders - you probably look over the possibilities, pick the one that looks closest, and that's it - as there aren't a myriad of things you could flip it for, you probably hold onto the thing.

Things that don't get flipped don't end up in the classifieds.

 

[Dust2Dust]

I'm perplexed by the idea that 34" is the "required" scale length to be a professional model. Some of us adult folks can't palm a basketball, so medium and short scale basses fit for our physical size. I don't get why the industry decided the best marketing strategy was to do demote medium and short scale basses to student or beginner status.

It's like saying anything smaller than a 24" kick drum means you're playing a student set.

Hear, Hear!

 

[HolmeBass]

Not with me it isn’t!

 

[Dust2Dust]

people may be buying these (boomers for instance due to physical issues) by and educated choice and are keeping them.

Yep, that's me

 

[dmt]

Short scales are still going strong in my music room Regular scales, too

 

[Dust2Dust]

There was a craze?

Yes!

 

[mrperkolator]

Well it’s hard to find one in stock anywhere, so I’d say there’s at least a strong demand.