Scale length and EADGC tuning

[Spacewoman]

Just curious . . .

While the advantage of having a 35" scale bass for a low B string is obvious, is there any (dis)advantage if you go for EADGC tuning?
One of the few 5-string basses factory-tuned to EADGC is the Ibanez BTB33, which, as the name suggests, is one inch shorter than the standard 34".

Or is there no inherent advantage in a 33" or disadvantage in a 35", rather, it's simply a matter of certain scale lengths being more suitable for certain preferences in string gauge and tension?

Personally, I have two basses tuned to EADGC -- a 34" Yamaha BB1025x and a 35" ESP Amaze, both wearing GHS Boomers 30-100. Both sound great across all five strings, though I do slightly prefer the greater tension on the longer scale.

 

[iiipopes]

I used to own one of the Ibby basses with the 33-inch scale, the BTB845V. It was a stop-gap until I could get a 33-inch scale neck made for my SRA305 with active EMGs. I had my luthier switch the nut to B-G, the opposite of what you are contemplating. No problems with the shorter scale. It is my #1 gig bass. Conversely, there is no down side to using E-C on a 35-inch scale. It is proportionally the same as using the same set of guitar strings on both a Gibson 24 3/4 inch scale and a Fender 25 1/2 inch scale guitar. I would advise a new nut so the strings don't wobble, and of course you will need a set-up to reconfigure the bridge for the intonation.

 

[micguy]

Just curious . . .

While the advantage of having a 35" scale bass for a low B string is obvious

Floppy B strings are a string problem, not a scale length problem. A shorter neck is actually stiffer, which means a 34 with a proper gauge B string is more "solid" than a 35, despite the rumors.

For E and up, the only thing a 35 will do is increase tension by about 6% for a given string set. If you like a bit more tension, 35 will do that, but that's the only advantage.

 

[Aidil]

I prefer the tone of the shorter scale high-C on my SRFF806 (33.6") than the one on my BTB7 (35"). It's less twangy sounding. Both are strung with similar .032 nickel plated steel strings.

 

[Spacewoman]

I prefer the tone of the shorter scale high-C on my SRFF806 (33.6") than the one on my BTB7 (35"). It's less twangy sounding. Both are strung with similar .032 nickel plated steel strings.

This is the answer I was anticipating, but you are the only one to say it.
I'm not sure whether the C string on my 34" is less twangy than on the 35" since I keep them in different places and can't compare them side by side.
Anyway, I find that I don't play the C string much on the lower frets. I tend to make use of it mostly when soloing above the 12th fret, at which point the difference between 34" and 35" scale lengths is pretty negligible. And both sound much sweeter and less twangy than any guitar.

 

[micguy]

I prefer the tone of the shorter scale high-C on my SRFF806 (33.6") than the one on my BTB7 (35"). It's less twangy sounding. Both are strung with similar .032 nickel plated steel strings.

The “less twangy” tone is attributable to pickup location - most short strings have the pickups the same distance from the bridge as a longer scale, which means it’s further from the bridge in a relative sense - as a proportion of scale length. You can get that same tone on a full scale by moving the pickups further from the bridge. I have a bass built on this premise, and the Physics (Where I got the idea) and the sonics agree.

 

[Spacewoman]

The “less twangy” tone is attributable to pickup location - most short strings have the pickups the same distance from the bridge as a longer scale, which means it’s further from the bridge in a relative sense - as a proportion of scale length. You can get that same tone on a full scale by moving the pickups further from the bridge. I have a bass built on this premise, and the Physics (Where I got the idea) and the sonics agree.

So, what you're saying is, a C string on a 35" jazz bass (say) would sound more 'twangy' because the bridge pickup is closer to the bridge, relatively speaking, than on a 34" bass. Assuming the same blend of pickup volumes, of course.

 

[micguy]

So, what you're saying is, a C string on a 35" jazz bass (say) would sound more 'twangy' because the bridge pickup is closer to the bridge, relatively speaking, than on a 34" bass. Assuming the same blend of pickup volumes, of course.

If the pickups are the same distance from the bridge, then yes. But the sonic difference in going from 30 to 34 is definitely bigger than what you get from 34 to 35.