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scale length question

#9
I would really be interested in hearing what some experienced builders have to say about this subject; Some compnaies build basses with 34 1/2 " scale, some 34", some 33"...

I'd like to understand the reasoning behind these decisions.
 
#10
The biggest difference in spacing would be from the nut to the first fret. On a 33-3/4" scale, that's 1.894 inches. On a 34" scale that is 1.908 inches, for a difference of 0.014 inches, which is just north of one third of one millimeter.

In my opinion, anyone who would claim to be able to feel the difference (and no doubt someone will) is lying to himself or herself.
 
#11
knucklehead G said:
The only thing this would affect is potentially limiting you choice of strings, unless you like the fat bit going around the tuner. At 34" you are already right at the tuner most of the time.
Click to expand...

I wouldn't think it would matter. There's easily more than a 1/4" variance between the various designs of pegheads and bridges. There's more than a 1/4" to play with.

For example, a string through body bridge will eat up about an inch of string.
 
#12
BigOldHarry said:
I would really be interested in hearing what some experienced builders have to say about this subject; Some companies build basses with 34 1/2 " scale, some 34", some 33"...

I'd like to understand the reasoning behind these decisions.
Click to expand...

I think it may be folks trying to find a niche in the market more than anything else. 34.5" seems an obvious compromise with the comfort/playability arguments of the 34" and the tension/B string arguments of the 35" scale.

I'm not advocating the compromise nor the merits of the arguments of any of the above, but I do see that it creates a discussion point in the marketing of said bass.
 
#13
Regarding string fitment, I've not had a problem with using overly long strings on my short and medium scale basses (even my super short, guitar scale bass) since I learned to unwind wraps. No problems whatsoever to report.

I play 30inch fretted, 32in fretless these days (short fingers don't like the 1-3 stretch at 34in, and for fretless I rarely make that span cleanly anyway!) and find that those basses are much more comfortable to me than my 34in. But yea, I'm not sure 33.5 would be that much help!
 
#18
i see no advantages or disadvantages!!! i have made my first 5 with 860mm scale instead of 864mm and in inches it is exactly what you are looking at... i must say that 860 plays easier at least lots of people that played my first 5 said that it plays easier that a standard fender or something similar...
the decision on 860mm was made for me because i hate anglo-saxon measuring system and we in EUROPE have a very good metrical system that is far easier to understand and discuss among us as inches ;) when i was younger and started to build i was talking to my master in inches but he said boy we are in EU use the metrical system... and all the decimals that showed up in converting inches to mm drove me crazy and i decided to round the numbers in mm so it would suite me ;)
 
#20
BigOldHarry said:
I would really be interested in hearing what some experienced builders have to say about this subject; Some compnaies build basses with 34 1/2 " scale, some 34", some 33"...

I'd like to understand the reasoning behind these decisions.
Click to expand...

Me too... that's the reason for my post. I can't believe that a 33-3/4" scale just happens by accident... should be some logic behind it.
 

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