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Medium Scale!!?!? Medium Gauge?!!?!? How about "MID-SCALE"???

covermego

covermego

Still here.......
Supporting Member
Sep 5, 2010
2,100
4,203
Redding, CA
#1
Just another observation: I'm kinda going batty, trying to search for medium scale strings and the majority of the time it leads me to medium GAUGE strings........ enough to where I get the 2 confused. As an owner of 5 medium Gaug...... er, I mean SCALE, basses, I think it's high time to change the terminology here...... and where else, but TB?
Mid Scale would seem to be a pretty good name. Any other name ideas?
 
#2
covermego said:
Just another observation: I'm kinda going batty, trying to search for medium scale strings and the majority of the time it leads me to medium GAUGE strings........ enough to where I get the 2 confused. As an owner of 5 medium Gaug...... er, I mean SCALE, basses, I think it's high time to change the terminology here...... and where else, but TB?
Mid Scale would seem to be a pretty good name. Any other name ideas?
Click to expand...
Not sure about the proposed solution but I'm with you regarding the problem: it is annoying. On the guitar front, try looking for 12-string sets and not getting "12" string sets ( = with a .012" gauge high E string)...

It helps the machine search if you use quotation marks around the phrase, so that only results with that exact sequence of words come up; and also around a single word you don't want to be interpreted too broadly.
Like this
Code: 
"medium-scale" "bass" string set
which yields
"medium-scale" "bass" string set - Google Search
 
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#3
Forget terminology, I would just work with the numbers, ie scale length, gauges and winding length.

For example... 32" scale bass, 45-65-85-105 and 34" winding (ball end to taper/silk).

When it comes to strings in particular, always think in terms of "winding length" (ball end to taper/silk) instead of "scale length". Different manufacturers define "scale length" on their strings differently. "Short scale" by D'Addario is 32" in winding length, "short scale" by DR is 33.75" and "short scale" by TI is 35.5".

The same with gauge selections. Take 45-65-80-100... D'A terms it "regular light", while most others would call it "medium-light". 45-65-85-105 is "standard" to some while it is "medium" to others; D'A calls it "light top/medium bottom".
 
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#5
covermego said:
Both great ideas and I thank you for those suggestions. I will start incorporating both methods in hopes of finding strings..... and in hopes of remaining a bit more calm during the process, lol!
Click to expand...
You're not the only person to get confused about the blurring of medium scale and medium gauge. I've thought of Italian being used as an industry standard for scale lengths. I'm not Italian but a lot of folks are familiar with Italian words used in music composition and play like accents Staccato, Legato etc. So for medium scale I suggest mezzo scale and for medium gauge I suggest medio be used.
What say you HaphasSard

michael_t said:
Forget terminology, I would just work with the numbers, ie scale length, gauges and winding length.

For example... 32" scale bass, 45-65-85-105 and 34" winding (ball end to taper/silk).

When it comes to strings in particular, always think in terms of "winding length" (ball end to taper/silk) instead of "scale length". Different manufacturers define "scale length" on their strings differently. "Short scale" by D'Addario is 32" in winding length, "short scale" by DR is 33.75" and "short scale" by TI is 35.5".

The same with gauge selections. Take 45-65-80-100... D'A terms it "regular light", while most others would call it "medium-light". 45-65-85-105 is "standard" to some while it is "medium" to others; D'A calls it "light top/medium bottom".
Click to expand...
Couldn't agree more. TI 'short scale' jazz flats being the classic example. The description might say short scale, but the winding length says 'medium' scale.
 
Last edited:
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#7
While I certainly do sympathize, my only suggestion is - read the manufacturer's package; description; and specs - before you buy. TB's String Forum is a pretty awesome source of knowledge, too. All the companies I buy strings from have the info readily available. GHS, for example, has the scale as part of the part number, as well as the string length on the back of the package - along with the other strings of that type, just for comparison. But, I've been playing bass for so long; have so many different basses; and have bought so many strings; that I just know which strings I need for a particular bass. And, I'll freely admit that some of what I know came from... well, let's just say "trial and error". But, not too many trials - or errors...:whistle:
Oh, before I forget... Tomastik-Infield and Pyramid "short scale" strings actually are short scale strings. But they're made for a particular type of short scale basses; the ones with trapeze tailpieces; floating bridges; and several inches of space between the two. Like, Hofner 500/1s and 500/2s for instance. Pyramid Gold "short scale" strings are the same way... and, so are the LaBella DTFBB strings.:cool:
 
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#8
Prodigus Filius said:
You're not the only person to get confused about the blurring of medium scale and medium gauge. I've thought of Italian being used as an industry standard for scale lengths. I'm not Italian but a lot of folks are familiar with Italian words used in music composition and play like accents Staccato, Legato etc. So for medium scale I suggest mezzo scale and for medium gauge I suggest medio be used.
What say you HaphasSard


Couldn't agree more. TI 'short scale' jazz flats being the classic example. The description might say short scale, but the winding length says 'medium' scale.
Click to expand...
TI's are the only strings that work on my Fender 62M MIJ bass ,they are my favorites but hate the cost. I recently bought a set of EB cobalts short scale and they do not work at all
 
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#9
It CAN be a little fuzzy, so I always say '34" scale', '30" scale', etc. This is VITAL when doing your homework to buy strings for a bass, as 'long scale' lengths can vary from string manufacturers one to the next. Quote the scale length, you'll never go wrong.

But even at that, you need to be sure to include it's either top or bridge mount strings, or through the body from the back, which are longer. Geez.

Crazy, innit?
 
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