Long vs Short Scale

[symbolic_acts]

i can reach the second fret 6th fret false harmonics on a short scale. cant on a long scale
i can play 9 chords with thirds along almost the entire neck on a short scale, way harder on a long scale
lower tension + smaller frets = more bendy/better vibrato/easier to do fast runs = fits my style better
lighter
etcetc

 

[Rib 13]

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.

back in the old days, some companies (like some Gibsons) simply took existing guitar designs and made basses....It should also be said that many of these folks building them only had about a decade's worth of experience building and playing electric guitars and no experience interacting with wants/needs of electric bassists as the instrument/players were still in adolescence, so they simply applied guitar to bass......as i said above, weve had decades of research and development since then (including accessories like strings) and I have seen many shorty basses within recent years with lots of sustain and brightness usually associated with longer scales and I wouldnt be able to tell in a recording

So, nowadays, its whatever works best for the player.......

 

[mongo2]

Since I started bass back in the late '60s I've played a combination of long and short scale basses but I haven't gigged long scale basses much in the last 20-ish years and I've used short scales pretty much exclusively for the last several years. Short scales are simply much more comfortable for me to play. I don't see myself ever going back to long scales.

I'm 6' tall, 175 lbs and I like pre-dawn walks on the beach.

 

[lz4005]

back in the old days, some companies (like some Gibsons) simply took existing guitar designs and made basses.........

Unfortunately, Gibson and many other companies are still doing that today.

And that's one reason short scales have gotten a bad reputation over the years. Historically, many of them were designed to be as inexpensive as possible, rather than as good sounding as possible, and were marketed to either children or guitar players.

...It should also be said that many of these folks building them only had about a decade's worth of experience building and playing electric guitars and no experience interacting with wants/needs of electric bassists as the instrument/players were still in adolescence.....

The same could be said of Fender. Yet he avoided almost all the mistakes those companies made.

 

[G19Tony]

I like and play both.

 

[J-Mags]

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.

If you find the short scale you want, not a problem. Still, that's doubly true for strings. Many strings that don't come in short-scale sizes. Happily, I'm finding that I prefer regular old GHS Boomers and Flats, but there are plenty of other strings that I could try if I was playing a long-scale bass.

Part of the weirdness about scale length may originate with the fact that, at the time of their invention, P-Basses were already short-scale compared to a double bass, where scale lengths of over 40" were common.

 

[Jeff Scott]

...marketed to either children or guitar players.

What's the difference?

 

[dragon2knight]

I'm with a lot of folks on here, short scale due to injury. While a bit on the short side myself, I was playing long scale just fine till my wrist gave out. Now I'm just more comfy playing SS. Again, as most everyone said on here, it's a matter of preference, simple as that.

 

[Mastermold]

No injuries. Don't have small hands. Not a beginner. None of the "reasons" I'm reading why some people think they need to excuse playing a short scale bass.

I just like my EB-2, Kay and Mosrite basses. And they just happen to be shorties. So I play them.

And I play long scale basses too. Because I like them too. Cheers!

 

[jd56hawk]

All I can say is I'm glad I don't have to buy a short-scale bass.
Sure, it's not quite so bad as having to find a really good-looking left-handed bass, but...

 

[40Hz]

Quick and dirty answer: different feel, note response, and tone.

In reality it’s a bit more nuanced than that. But suffice to say most short-scale basses have a different vibe than long-scale basses.

But even that’s not completely true since the new short-scale basses have come a long way since the 60s. They can even work for slap if that’s your thing.

A good example of that is Scott Whitley winding out on Mark King’s famous song Mr. Pink. He’s using two short-scale Chowny basses - one with normal and the other with piccolo guage strings. Tell me if you think the lower tuned one sounds any different than…say a Fender JB?



Note: hand size has nothing to do with it. Many small handed players are perfectly comfortable playing 34” and 35” scale necks. And there’s also a good number of individuals with normal to large hands who play short-scale basses. Good bass technique is not dependent on the size or strength of your hands.

 

[Tommygun_ted]

My first bass was an epiphone flying V, which I didn't even realize was short scale (I didn't know they came in different sizes back then) I currently play an epiphone explorer, which is a 34 scale with a massive neck and giant body, a fender jazz which is more average, and a fender p/j mustang. The mustang is generally tuned a full step up, F#, B, E, A. But I use it tuned in E as well, very comfortable little bass. I think scale length is like the pick argument. No one is more correct than the other, just play how and what works best for you. Tonally short scales are warmer with less sustain I believe, so great for certain things not as much for others.

 

[jpmcbride]

My only issue with short scale basses is that I don't like the way the strings feel. I like high tension strings. I hesitate to use the word "floppy" that I so often see used to describe short scale strings. I've played lots of short scales with all kinds of strings and I wouldn't describe any of them as floppy. Just not as tight as I prefer.

My #1 bass right now is a 32" (medium scale) Fender Precision from Japan. I put La Bella flats on it (high tension strings) and it feels very close in string tension to a long scale Precision. The tone is a little different than my long scale Precision, but that's not necessarily bad. Its surprising how the 2" shorter scale on this bass makes it so much easier to play.

Play whatever feels and sounds good to you.

 

[michael_t]

I'm only 5'6" so having a bass that's huge is just uncomfortable for me.

I'm (barely) 5'6" and never have had issues with my 34-inchers.

 

[Mili]

I love 34" and I'm thinking about 35" or 36"

 

[lowplaces]

fwiw, @svtscruggs bought a Squier Vista Series Musicmaster from me last December, and told me short scales are popular in Nashville nowadays. He is an Ampeg artist based in Nashville so that wasn't just "hearsay". He would know.

 

[LoTone]

Some play short scales because of the ergonomics. Others, just like the tone better. The strings are usually a bit looser because of the shorter scale length and it translates into a warm tone with blooming attacks. Some like this others don't. You will have to try it for yourself.

 

[pingvuiini]

Back when I had money I had some custom Ken Bebensee six stringers that were 35.25" scale. They were challenging at first, but sounded great:

As I got older and crustier my fretting pinky was giving me problems. I had a Status Graphite S3 32" scale bass but even with that my pinky would start hurting after 30-45 minutes:

Now that I am truly crusty, all those expensive basses are now gone. I currently have two fretless Gold Tone ME basses which are 23" scale. With the very short scale and low string tension of the rubber strings I can play for hours. They are super easy to carry around, very light so my shoulders don't ache, and the sound is surprisingly big, warm and tubey. Although the strings can be finicky to deal with, the fun factor is HUGE!!!

I have just touched bass with Ken again after probably more than a decade and he seems interested in making a nice 5 string bass based off the Gold Tones.

 

[glocke1]

I always thought short scale was for beginners or people with small fingers, but now I find out that Stanley Clark's Alembic was a short scale and there are a number of high end short scale basses out there that sound very good. So what is the advantages of each and why choose a short scale over a long scale?

I played nothing but a SCSD for 5-6 years. At the time it felt great, but now that I've gone back to playing jazz basses I am having a really hard time with the short scale bass. It just feels to small whereas with the Jazz basses I just feel like I have more room...

 

[Billoney]

I always thought short scale was for beginners or people with small fingers, but now I find out that Stanley Clark's Alembic was a short scale and there are a number of high end short scale basses out there that sound very good. So what is the advantages of each and why choose a short scale over a long scale?

It all boils down to whatever best satisfies your sense of proportion.