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Lakland Shorty!

#61
>I want to know why a person would want a short scale?

I was used to think the same. I have quite a few basses hangin' on the wall and generally I am rather picky about sound, tone, low B etc. Now, I bought this Stylist B1 hollow for "couch-playing-before-or-after-the dinner" and it is a 32". I saw that it plays and sounds just great. It is an excellent bass that allows me to play differently: fingerpicking (well... sort of!) with the right hand and chord (well... sort of!) with the left. Now I started thinking: being myself mainly a 5 strings player, why not having a hollow "guitar feeler" like the Stylist, maybe even with 5 strings and a 30" scale EADGC? Who knows how it would play... Then I had the occasion to play the Tuscany King bass very first prototype and I was sold: solid feel and tone with a 30" comfy scale; whenever I will get some spare money I am going to have a Jonas Hellborg signature clone (32" by itself, mind you!) but 30" and 5 strings that will be my next couch guitar! This is my personal take on why would one want a 30" scale bass!!!! :)
 
#62
JoshuaTSP said:
I want to know why a person would want a short scale?
Click to expand...

Not everyone plays bass only. Were I a guitarist who doubles on bass, I'd probably want a shorty. And not everyone has hands suitable for 34" or 35" scale basses. I started on a 30", moved toa 32" and went for the Fender P bass because that was the standard at the time -- 1965. After spending about 35 years playing mostly 34", I'm now playing Laklands at 35" and a 30" Hofner Icon. Like 'em all.
 
#64
JoshuaTSP said:
I want to know why a person would want a short scale?
Click to expand...

Usually because they are easier to play. The choices are not great out there but my Fender Mustang can hang tone-wise with my USA Fenders with ease. I can play either but the shortscales just feel better to me and I get a vibe from them that I dont from the 34-35" scales. Kicks a$$ into my Walkabout.

Maybe there are too many cheap ones out there. Maybe people cant shake the stereotypes put on them like that they are made for guitarists, beginners or small people. But a bass is a bass is a bass is a bass. The audience wont care and that is if they can even identify which one is the bass in the first place. And if they can, they will say "sounds like a bass."

All it takes is one good one to change your mind....
 
#65
Subscribe 100%!!! A bass is... a bass. I play my 34" 4 string axes, but a well built, quality 30" is as good as any other of the longer ones. Only difference is about V strings, for the low B stuff, that requires a completely different approach etc. But for 4 strings a 30" is good. Not just "sufficient": it is good 100%.
 

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