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Jazz Bass
- Thread starter karlgoran
- Start date
Likely not. The taper section of the string will probably be past the nut and over the fretboard, and the G string might not even reach the tuner. Best to match scale to string length.
FullumMusic
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- Oct 13, 2022
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Question doesn't make sense. Not sure if it's a typo or some wires are getting crossed in the understanding.
34" is Long-Scale.
32" is Medium-Scale.
30" is Short-Scale
If a bass's scale is 34" Nut-to-bridge (or more accurately, 17" nut to 12th fret), it's Long Scale. There's no such thing as a Medium Scale 34" Scale bass. It's either 34" (Long Scale) or 32" (Medium Scale.)
Regardless of the nomenclature, if a bass has a 34" scale, it needs 34" scale strings. Not only that, every set of strings is different, and every bass is different. So you need to check to make sure to check that the actual stringable-length will fit on your instrument:
- The ball-end silk isn't so long it goes over the bridge-saddle
- The tuner-end silk doesn't go over the nut
- The tuner-end taper doesn't go over the nut.
- Only the windable portion of the string goes around the tuning peg. (In certain strings, only the tapered portion or silk-covered portion should wind. Wrapping the full-diameter portion of string will lead to string damage.)
- If the bass is string-thru-body, make sure the extra length doesn't mess up the other measurements, and that the break-angle from the body to the saddle isn't so severe it'll break the string.
And all that needs to be checked if you're using the proper scale-length string for your bass's scale-length.
I haven't memorized every single string out there, but there's probably not gonna be a 32" Scale string that fits properly on a 34" scale bass. There might be some ultra-rare quirky one-off strings designed for both, but i can't think of any.
TL;DR:
No.
34" scale bass needs 34" scale strings.
32" scale bass needs 32" scale strings.
You can't use either on the other.
34" is Long-Scale.
32" is Medium-Scale.
30" is Short-Scale
If a bass's scale is 34" Nut-to-bridge (or more accurately, 17" nut to 12th fret), it's Long Scale. There's no such thing as a Medium Scale 34" Scale bass. It's either 34" (Long Scale) or 32" (Medium Scale.)
Regardless of the nomenclature, if a bass has a 34" scale, it needs 34" scale strings. Not only that, every set of strings is different, and every bass is different. So you need to check to make sure to check that the actual stringable-length will fit on your instrument:
- The ball-end silk isn't so long it goes over the bridge-saddle
- The tuner-end silk doesn't go over the nut
- The tuner-end taper doesn't go over the nut.
- Only the windable portion of the string goes around the tuning peg. (In certain strings, only the tapered portion or silk-covered portion should wind. Wrapping the full-diameter portion of string will lead to string damage.)
- If the bass is string-thru-body, make sure the extra length doesn't mess up the other measurements, and that the break-angle from the body to the saddle isn't so severe it'll break the string.
And all that needs to be checked if you're using the proper scale-length string for your bass's scale-length.
I haven't memorized every single string out there, but there's probably not gonna be a 32" Scale string that fits properly on a 34" scale bass. There might be some ultra-rare quirky one-off strings designed for both, but i can't think of any.
TL;DR:
No.
34" scale bass needs 34" scale strings.
32" scale bass needs 32" scale strings.
You can't use either on the other.
Maybe he's asking if you can use 34" long scale strings on a 32" medium scale bass?
I believe you're asking if strings made to fit a medium scale bass with fit a standard Jazz Bass and the answer to that is probably not. As someone else mentioned, most strings have a tapered section and if so the tapered section will end up being on the fretboard towards the neck.
If you're talking about the gauge size of the string, you can use any gauge you would like. Here's a photo of what I've been using for the past 8 - 10 years. Hope that answers the question.
If you're talking about the gauge size of the string, you can use any gauge you would like. Here's a photo of what I've been using for the past 8 - 10 years. Hope that answers the question.
A 34” scale is full scale, not medium. Medium scale is 32”.
I would think medium scale strings might not fit on a full scale bass, but if you already have the strings, why not give it a whirl?
Not necessarily. DR's are 38 and they fit my 34, 53 and 36 scale basses. Definitely wrapping the non tapered portion on the E.
I have on occasion just cut a portion of the silk and made do with 32 scale strings on a 34. These would be GHS flats that GHS sent to me by mistake. They sent me a replacement but I used the short strings for a long time
Fender Jazz is long scale. Medium scale strings will not fit properly. On the opposite end, long scale strings may be too long for a short scale neck and not fit properly as well.
IF I'm understanding the OP's post correctly:
Most likely, No.
What would happen is even IF the 32" scale strings might just barely reach the tuning keys, they will do so just barely if at all, and either the thread wrapped around the end will be laying in the nut slots, or if they are bare metal all the way to the end, the wound length of string will not make it all the way to the nut in virtually any case in my experience.
Most likely, No.
What would happen is even IF the 32" scale strings might just barely reach the tuning keys, they will do so just barely if at all, and either the thread wrapped around the end will be laying in the nut slots, or if they are bare metal all the way to the end, the wound length of string will not make it all the way to the nut in virtually any case in my experience.
Just for the sake of argument, I have long scale EB slinkys on my Squier medium scale Jaguar bass. They work great.
34" scale = long scale.
The longest "medium scale" string set available is 35.5" in winding length (ball end to taper/silk), which is still not long enough to fit on a standard Jazz bass. You do need "long scale" strings of at least 36" winding length.
Let us all repeat the mantra:
1) measure from the string anchor to the tuner side of the nut;
2) measure from the string anchor to the middle of the lowest string tuning post (in this case, the E string on a J-bass)
3) purchase a set of strings that the winding or speaking length is between these two measurements.
For example, D'A has a 34" speaking length on their medium scale strings. This is Fender "standard" long scale. So even without measuring a player can tell that D'A strings will not work on a standard J-bass.
And as @michael_t posted, GHS medium scale strings have a 35.5" speaking or winding length. So the bass would have to be measured to see. But probably not, due to the back length between the anchor and the bridge saddle.
1) measure from the string anchor to the tuner side of the nut;
2) measure from the string anchor to the middle of the lowest string tuning post (in this case, the E string on a J-bass)
3) purchase a set of strings that the winding or speaking length is between these two measurements.
For example, D'A has a 34" speaking length on their medium scale strings. This is Fender "standard" long scale. So even without measuring a player can tell that D'A strings will not work on a standard J-bass.
And as @michael_t posted, GHS medium scale strings have a 35.5" speaking or winding length. So the bass would have to be measured to see. But probably not, due to the back length between the anchor and the bridge saddle.
