Gaolee
Official leathers tester and crash dummy
I play long or short depending on the bass and the sound I want. A Thunderbird sounds completely different from an EB-2. Scale length isn't important.
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Long vs Short Scale
- Thread starter cman227
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- alembic scale length
I'm of average stature and have fairly large hands but prefer short scale with narrow string spacing.
I like short scales myself. Aside from the Ibanez SR series, I think they're more comfortable to play for long periods of time. I think they sound better than a long scale when playing with people using banjos, mandolin, etc. I like them better for classic rock, country, basically anything non-metal. So for what I do they're better all around. But I doubt someone in a Slayer tribute band would come to the same conclusion. The lesser tension, which gives me the warmth and tone I like in my setting, probably won't give that guy the snarl and bite to cut through his mix. I think my SS jazz might work in that setting, but unless you're getting a special build or you don't mind modding a SX, SS jazzes are somewhat rare IME.
6-1, biggish hands. Exclusively long scale until a few years ago when sittin' on that low F playing Green Onions was killing my wrist. Now my 2 main players are Epiphone Allen Woody (w/flats b/c I like the thud) and Kala UBass.
Still, I ain't never giving up my 77/78 Fender P. That sound is like coming home, every time.
Still, I ain't never giving up my 77/78 Fender P. That sound is like coming home, every time.
This comes up often but tension is a function of note, string gauge and scale. If you play the same gauge, then yes the tension is reduced. But if you go up a size then they are the same tension.
The benefits of short scale are pretty obvious. It takes less effort to move around the fretboard and you don't have to stretch your fingers as much. Obviously that's good for people with small hands or short arms but it can be a plus for tall people too. I actually prefer playing long scale but I have a hard time thinking of any specific advantages it has.
Yep, it would be like saying all Gibson scale guitars are less articulate than Fender scale guitars, which isn't true. It is true that if you use the same strings you'll get less tension on the Gibson than the Fender since the scale is shorter, but if you want them to be similar just go to the next higher gauge.
As @ThinCrappyTone pointed out, if you look at a frequency response from a short scale to a long scale, the longer the scale, the more harmonic content in the note. Which is why short scales sound "boomier" or "thuddier" than longer scale instruments. You can get pretty close to an upright sound with a short scale bass (30") with larger value capacitor (rolls off the higher frequencies) and flatwound strings.
it USED to be for better sustain quality as well as tone (back then, it was common knowledge that short scales were generally a lot woodier and darker in an era where bassists were trying to go brighter)...however, science, research, and development into bass guitar building has come to a point where those attributes have been minimized....30 years ago i wouldve never considered a shorty...nowadays, i feel different
That's a good point. It also occurs to me that short scales are a lot less common so I guess long scales still have an advantage in that there are more models to choose from.
I have a 32" and a 35" and smallish hands. I like the feel of the 35" 19MM spacing - so I mainly play that. The 32 is so darn fast and easy to play. With a Bart active setup on this bass - it lacks nothing. It also sounds decent passive.
The scale of 34 inches was chosen to be more comfortable to guitarists to play electric bass when compared to upright bass.
The pitch of a string is based on several factors: string length, string diameter, string material, and string tension are the major ones.
In general, we want string tension to be about the same across instruments to allow pressing the strings and plucking them. On an electric instrument with magnetic pickups, you need ferromagnetic metal. If the scale length stays the same, the strings have to get thicker. On most instruments, the E string is thicker than the G string as a result because the scale length is the same.
Across types of instruments, the scale length gets shorter for higher pitched instruments. For example: violin, viola, cello, double bass. A violin would never be able to play the E1 note of a double bass without using substantially larger strings or strings made of a different material because the scale length is too short. That is why a u-bass uses rubber strings instead of metal strings.
As to short scale bass guitar, eventually it could get to a point where it is impossible to play the notes on the instrument. Short scale now has there own strings and improves playability for some. In theory, it could make clarity of the notes more difficult. In practice, it is your choice.
You could also just play a guitar and use effects to simulate playing a bass. See The White Stripes. That is the most famous bass line I know played on an acoustic guitar.
The pitch of a string is based on several factors: string length, string diameter, string material, and string tension are the major ones.
In general, we want string tension to be about the same across instruments to allow pressing the strings and plucking them. On an electric instrument with magnetic pickups, you need ferromagnetic metal. If the scale length stays the same, the strings have to get thicker. On most instruments, the E string is thicker than the G string as a result because the scale length is the same.
Across types of instruments, the scale length gets shorter for higher pitched instruments. For example: violin, viola, cello, double bass. A violin would never be able to play the E1 note of a double bass without using substantially larger strings or strings made of a different material because the scale length is too short. That is why a u-bass uses rubber strings instead of metal strings.
As to short scale bass guitar, eventually it could get to a point where it is impossible to play the notes on the instrument. Short scale now has there own strings and improves playability for some. In theory, it could make clarity of the notes more difficult. In practice, it is your choice.
You could also just play a guitar and use effects to simulate playing a bass. See The White Stripes. That is the most famous bass line I know played on an acoustic guitar.
I play mostly 34" scale Jazz and Precision and I'm reasonably comfortable on those but that is because I put the time in on those fretboards. However, I'm most comfortable playing my 32" Kubicki Ex-Factor. I only play the Kubicki occasionally because it's excellent condition and I want to keep it that way. I'd like to see Fender make a 32" scale bass with a Jazz or Precision body.
I played regular 34" scale from 1989 to 2013. Learned about short scales (never new they existed) after joining TB. Played shorties from then to now. I'm average height (5'10") with average hands, but the short scales were much more comfortable for me. I've recently started playing regular scale again because I'm a sucker for Epiphone guitars and they don't make short scale Thunderbirds. Now I alternate between 30", 32", and 34" basses depending on the gig and what bass I'm in the mood for, but short scale is still the most comfortable for me.
Reduced tension is not inherent in shorter scale. That would only be true if there was only one one gauge of bass strings made.
You do, however, have to choose between thicker strings with more tension but less flexibility, or thinner strings with less tension and more flexibility. Both sound and feel different. Getting around that issue is why there are fanned fret instruments with 37" B strings. The longer scale allows the use of a thinner, more flexible string that still has good tension.
More thought went into it than that. It was the scale length Fender thought was the best compromise between playability and tone, in the context of the string and amplification technology available at the time. And the sounds of the popular music of the late 40's/early 50's. He made different scale prototypes and that was the one he thought worked best.
Then again, he also thought people would want to attach their strap to the headstock and use the tugbar, so he didn't know everything.
This. OP, you need to go out and try some for yourself to find YOUR OWN WAY.
All of my basses are either 34" or 33 1/4" scale. The Gibson Ripper is still in pieces, so I don't count that one. It's 34 1/2". I have Fender guitars with 25 1/2" scales, Gibsons with 24 3/4", and a '59 Musicmaster that's 22 1/2". They all have their place. I think short scale basses suffer from the illusion of inferiority due to some manufacturers deeming them unworthy of the quality components found in their long scale models. Dubbed as student models, they were considered almost as toys. Compare a 1971 Fender Bronco to a 1971 Fender Jazz Bass. That said, I'd love an original Guild Starfire II. As others have noted, with the same string gauges, shorties have a completely different sound compared to long scales. The availability of quality SS basses have made it an avenue I haven't travelled yet. I did try the new P/J Mustang at GC recently and wasn't impressed, but it could have been the amp, strings, what I had for breakfast... Many players have produced fantastic music on basses with scales a couple of inches shorter than standard. I wonder whether short scale strings suffered from the same perceived inferiority by manufacturers resulting in relatively poor quality products. Another possible reason to shun shorties. Manifest destiny?
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