I play too many notes if I use a short scale.
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Long vs Short Scale
- Thread starter cman227
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- alembic scale length
The whole "shorter scale means less tension" thing fell apart for me after playing one of Peter Malinoski's incredible instruments. 32", 5 string Saga bass. Had better tension and note definition than the vast majority of basses (of any scale length) I've ever gotten my hands on.
I tuned down the B to G and it finally started getting a bit floppy but still sounded great.
I tuned down the B to G and it finally started getting a bit floppy but still sounded great.
Depending on where the bridge is placed a short scale bass has the same footprint as a regular scale.
Every time this subject gets resurrected, my answer is the same. So...
AFAIC, there is no "versus" as far as the scale length is concerned. I have close to two dozen basses, long and short scale (and whatever Rickenbackers are
), and to me - they simply are what they are. I didn't buy a Rick because it's a slightly odd scale; or because it's a neck thru; or because somebody else played one. I bought it because it's a Rick, and I wanted one. Same for every other bass I own. My Gibson Thunderbird could have been a hollowbody, medium scale bass; I'd still have it, 'cause it's a Gibson Thunderbird. Same for all the rest of them. They are what they are... period. I don't worry about the scale, or string tension, or if it's an easy/hard reach on the fingerboard. I just put strings on them that make me happy, and play the snot out of them. Life's too short to worry about nit-noid crap. Just play the bass(es) that make you happy. Your nerves and your digestive system will thank you for it; and, who knows? You might even get to keep your hair. Like me....
AFAIC, there is no "versus" as far as the scale length is concerned. I have close to two dozen basses, long and short scale (and whatever Rickenbackers are
), and to me - they simply are what they are. I didn't buy a Rick because it's a slightly odd scale; or because it's a neck thru; or because somebody else played one. I bought it because it's a Rick, and I wanted one. Same for every other bass I own. My Gibson Thunderbird could have been a hollowbody, medium scale bass; I'd still have it, 'cause it's a Gibson Thunderbird. Same for all the rest of them. They are what they are... period. I don't worry about the scale, or string tension, or if it's an easy/hard reach on the fingerboard. I just put strings on them that make me happy, and play the snot out of them. Life's too short to worry about nit-noid crap. Just play the bass(es) that make you happy. Your nerves and your digestive system will thank you for it; and, who knows? You might even get to keep your hair. Like me....
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This is just about the long and short of it. If you can adapt then you can roll with it. I played a MusicMaster for years because it was all I had. Quote from Waterboy.."You can do eet"
Long scales sound like lousy guitars on open strings and high strings. Short basses still sound like basses. But on fretted notes on lower strings longs sound better. Guess maybe I'll need one of those fanned fret monsters someday.
I played a short scale a lot back when I played only 4 strings. The advantages are also the disadvantages which gives you the rule that different ways of doing things have both advantages and disadvantages. What I really liked about the short scale bass was I could reach certain double stops and things I couldn't make on a long scale bass. Note my hands are not small and I have long fingers. Very cool and different. But that same advantage of closer frets means that if you go way up the neck the frets get very close to together and much harder (for me any way) to play. And the short scale has it's own kind of wonderful sort of fat full tone which is why you like it and that it has a tone different from a long scale bass is also why you hate it. And there is also a problem using normal strings on a short scale. What happens is that the E string has the fat part of the string wrapped around the tuning peg which can cause problems. That means you have to buy special short scale strings or just deal with it. (I used to just deal with it)
And finally Once I switched to 5 and 6 string basses I could not find a short scale bass that really did the B string properly without spending a ton of cash. One of these days I hope I run into one like that somewhere and I may give short scale a fling again, but for now I'm still looking. I'm sure Malinoski's 30/32" basses are awesome, but at over two grand they ought to be!
And finally Once I switched to 5 and 6 string basses I could not find a short scale bass that really did the B string properly without spending a ton of cash. One of these days I hope I run into one like that somewhere and I may give short scale a fling again, but for now I'm still looking. I'm sure Malinoski's 30/32" basses are awesome, but at over two grand they ought to be!
If you play above the ~9th fret , short scale may give more even tone from there up than longer scale. If you play up high with round wounds and notice your tone thinning out and getting clanky, a short scale may help.
Stanley Clarke uses them even with his giant paws when playing those high up melodies, I'd guess for this reason.
I bought a Brice 5 fretless earlier this year from advice to that effect. It was more even compared to the 34" incumbent at that time, but having had the fingerboards of both BGs dressed nicely by our local db luthier , the twangy high range of the long scale disappeared. I've found that needing to keep an third scale length under my fingers (db + 34" slab already) , is not really worth it. Will try using it for alternate tunings and see if that makes keeping the short scale worthwhile.
So in addition to what others have said about issues with string tension/low notes and playability, a short scale may be an option if you have the problem above, but you might want to try modifying your existing instrument's setup if you like it otherwise.
Stanley Clarke uses them even with his giant paws when playing those high up melodies, I'd guess for this reason.
I bought a Brice 5 fretless earlier this year from advice to that effect. It was more even compared to the 34" incumbent at that time, but having had the fingerboards of both BGs dressed nicely by our local db luthier , the twangy high range of the long scale disappeared. I've found that needing to keep an third scale length under my fingers (db + 34" slab already) , is not really worth it. Will try using it for alternate tunings and see if that makes keeping the short scale worthwhile.
So in addition to what others have said about issues with string tension/low notes and playability, a short scale may be an option if you have the problem above, but you might want to try modifying your existing instrument's setup if you like it otherwise.
One place where I think a short-scale excels is in blues. Especially a blues trio.
With blues it all comes down to telling a story. The music itself is fairly simple from a structual perspective. And riffs and themes get a lot of reuse. So the focus is almost always on the vocals and vocalist’s instrument (if he or she is playing one) and the words. The rest of the band is mainly there to support that.
A lot of times you have a slow section in a blues song where the singer brings the band down low and the bass player is laying down a backdrop bass line that isn’t straying far from just the root. Those are the times when that rounder bassier quality and sonic girth a short-scale has really comes into its own. It’s like a rich butterscotch syrup that smoothly and sweetly fills in the gaps.
Most single coil loaded long-scale basses like the ubiquitous PB don’t have that quality without some outboard gear added to their signal path. They’re great if you want to be heard in the mix. PBs can certainly punch. But they’re not so great when it’s just them and they essentially are the mix. However, that’s precisely where a short-scale really comes ito it’s own.
I always brought a shortie along anytime I knew I’d be playing blues. Made my job a whole lot easier. And lately I’m seeing them show up in a lot of blues shows. The newer Gibson SGs seem to be catching on a bit in that sector.
With blues it all comes down to telling a story. The music itself is fairly simple from a structual perspective. And riffs and themes get a lot of reuse. So the focus is almost always on the vocals and vocalist’s instrument (if he or she is playing one) and the words. The rest of the band is mainly there to support that.
A lot of times you have a slow section in a blues song where the singer brings the band down low and the bass player is laying down a backdrop bass line that isn’t straying far from just the root. Those are the times when that rounder bassier quality and sonic girth a short-scale has really comes into its own. It’s like a rich butterscotch syrup that smoothly and sweetly fills in the gaps.
Most single coil loaded long-scale basses like the ubiquitous PB don’t have that quality without some outboard gear added to their signal path. They’re great if you want to be heard in the mix. PBs can certainly punch. But they’re not so great when it’s just them and they essentially are the mix. However, that’s precisely where a short-scale really comes ito it’s own.
I always brought a shortie along anytime I knew I’d be playing blues. Made my job a whole lot easier. And lately I’m seeing them show up in a lot of blues shows. The newer Gibson SGs seem to be catching on a bit in that sector.
I have L,M,and S scale basses. I love them all! When I play my shorties I find I don’t have to concentrate as much. I also find my shorties tend to sit perfectly in the mix when we have our horn section playing with us!
Different pickups do have a huge influence on the tone.
I have a cheap short scale bass that is absolutely amazing to play, and I got lucky that it had a perfect fretboard with all equally leveled frets that allowed me to have the action really low, as well as it got an amazingly stable neck as well.
However it left something to wish for in the tone department, just kind of a dull uninspiring weak tone.
After a while I decided to change the P and J pickup in that bass with a pair of EMG Geezer Butlers, and what a difference it made.
Now it got a really great present, articulated kind of punchy and full tone with a bit of upper grind as well.
Just like I prefer it.
After the pickup swap that cheap bass became one of the best sounding basses I ever owned and it is now my main.
I can warmly recommend you changing the pickups.
What would make for an even more manly instrument would be one with a sandpaper fretboard and neck and spikes attached on the back of it's body, you know so you could really feel it fight back.
I guess one man's manly might be another man's unreasonable uncomfortable, clumsy and impractical.
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I have an old Quarter Pounder P pickup I pulled out of a parts bass a neighbor actually gave me free.
I may try that one when I replace the J pickup. I dunno though. Solo, that stock P pup sounds awful sweet since I lowered it.
That's something I learned during my hiatus from Bass while I was married. I bought a lot of lower end solid body six strings off of the local Craigslist for peanuts and set them up and flipped them. Not always, but more often then you would think those stock pickups on those lower end guitars sounded quite a bit better lowering them quite a bit. Doesn't make sense but it worked on many of them. Perhaps it was the fact that I used a high headroom clean boost all the time. Maybe that was making up for the drop in output from lowering them so much.
Same on my basses though. I always use a clean boost.
This post on a forum by Mr Barber of Barber Electronics got me into doing that.
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All my instruments are long-scale, except for my Guild Starfire, which is short-scale. It does take me a few moments to adjust.
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I like both long & short scale for different reasons. I mostly play my Jazz bass but there are a few tunes where my Beatle Bass fits the song perfectly; especially blues and early Beatles numbers. The Beatle bass also seems to sit in the mix a bit better.
I play in a classic rock band, being left handed plus playing the Hofner has a certain visual appeal (can't imagine why) and is a lot of fun to play.
I play in a classic rock band, being left handed plus playing the Hofner has a certain visual appeal (can't imagine why) and is a lot of fun to play.
I had a friend's Fender Musicmaster bass for awhile & it was fun to play! I call short scale basses hot rods because I could really rip on them easily. I couldn't bring myself to play slow on it! 
I'm into long scale, but it's more a question what's comfortable to your hands & style, IMHO. Medium scale is a bit more awkward for me than either sort or long scale; my fingers can't make up their minds too well!
I'm into long scale, but it's more a question what's comfortable to your hands & style, IMHO. Medium scale is a bit more awkward for me than either sort or long scale; my fingers can't make up their minds too well!
P.S. Bill Wyman preferred short scale basses for his hands. He's played a lot of different ones (Vox, Ampeg Dan Armstrong, Travis Bean or Kramer; can't recall which) over the years. It'd be interesting to follow him & see his choices for short & smaller scale basses.
Bill Wyman also played a Mustang bass during a U.S. tour. Not sure which year, probably 1969 since footage from these shows is included in the film, "Gimme Shelter". His bass even had the racing stripes on it.
