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Short scale bass VS full scale

S

shane918

Aug 21, 2011
4
0
www.72malibu.com
#1
Hi guys
I'm an old drummer who wants to start playing bass. Just doing my research. I know it's a rookie question but what's the difference between a short scale bass and a full scale bass besides length. Any advantage/disadvantage.. pros/cons? Educate me please ;)
Thanks
Al
 
#2
Mostly it's feel - what's comfortable to your hand. Some people find the shorter scale too small a space to fit their fingers into easily. Others find they feel like they can play faster on a shorter scale.

There's also a string tension difference, but that also comes back to feel.

Short scale basses also will weigh less.
 
#3
shane918 said:
Any advantage/disadvantage.. pros/cons?
Click to expand...
Finding the right strings that actually fit and are on long sale is hell enough on a normal-scale bass. It's lot worse with short-scale.

People always disagree with me about this and they're still wrong.

I've been in GC when there wasn't a single set of short-scale bass strings in the store. Not one.

I don't need the added grief. Do you?
 
#4
I second the feeling concept. Heres my example. I got my start on a Gibson SG short scale four string. Played that for atleast a year till I moved on to a modulus q5 long scale. The jump to long scale took a week of adjustment to how tight the strings were. The long scale bass seems to highlight mistakes as well. Where as the short scale is more forgiving. A few days ago I broke out my SG again, and after a short session I felt as if the short scale was a toy compared to the long scale. I have big hands so the long scale is what works best for me.

My .02c
 
#5
Frets are a little close to one another, so the stretches aren't as great.

Short scale basses tend to be lighter.

A short scale bass is less likely to have a "vibrant" or "punchy" sound than a 34" scale bass, but there are exceptions to this. There are punchy short scales.
 
#6
I also have some questions about short scale basses. While at Sam Ash yesterday, my girlfriend and I were exploring their wall of basses. We came upon a short scale all-black Squier jazz bass which fit her perfectly. She's a bassoon player by trade (she's really good), and she always hinted at me teaching her to play, so I'm thinking of picking up a bass like this for her for christmas, along with a 25 watt Orange amp my local store has for sale. Just wondering if these things have a good longevity? ...considering she might ALWAYS play a short scale bass.
 
#7
Echoing some comments, if you are starting out on bass I think you'll find that maybe even more than standard bass guitars, the build quality matters a lot on how the instruments feel and sound. I had an Epiphone Eb-3, and the sound of the one Neck pickup (sometimes called a mudbucker on that bass) actually had a great sound for rock, but not a lot of variety in tone for other music, like bright tones for jazz. The neck never felt great, and it was hard to get the bass set up correctly, I thought. The Gibson SG bass models have the wider tone range AND the better play/feel, and you pay about $1K more for one. Short scales have been good for my average hand size, I can fully cover 4 frets in first position without straining. I now have a Fender Mustang that is MIJ, and it has split coil pickups but still a bright tone for cutting through a stage mix, so good sounding short scales exist. Birdsong Guitars and Landing also make high end short scale instruments. Happy hunting!
 
#8
One is not better than the other, and one's not likely to outlast the other. Some things to consider however, are that five and six string basses tend to not be available in a short scale version (other than the Fender Bass VI, and variations), and than short scale basses tend to accommodate smaller strings more easily. There are tonal differences, but nothing that an average listener will be able to pick out. 34" (long) scale basses tend to be more popular, but many great bass players (most notably Paul McCartney) have played short scale basses.

There's no wrong choice. As others have said, it's mostly about feel. Personally, I prefer the tone of a long scale and the feel of a short scale. But the tonal differences are subtle enough that I tend to choose short scale basses. Hope that's helpful.
 
#9
If your under 6ft tall you may be "dimensionally" more comfortable with a short scale. I find short scale basses far more comfortable to play than my long scales but I'm about 5'9".

Tonally I think they offer quite a different vibe from long scale. I've only had the chance to play my Mustang, a Hofner and a Squier SS but they each have a unique vibe all their own (and unlike each other) that are unlike any long scale bass I've played.

There's no reason not to play both scales. I switch back and forth between short and long scale without issue.

However switching between Ukulele and Guitar... that drives me nuts.
 
#12
Bongolation said:
Finding the right strings that actually fit and are on long sale is hell enough on a normal-scale bass. It's lot worse with short-scale.

People always disagree with me about this and they're still wrong.

I've been in GC when there wasn't a single set of short-scale bass strings in the store. Not one.

I don't need the added grief. Do you?
Click to expand...

Just curious, but why would you shop for strings at GC when you can have any string that's made shipped to your house in 2 days? I've never had a problem getting strings and I've got long and short scales. I've had piccalo strings here in 2 days. Why roam the countryside looking for strings? Don't let string choice decide your scale length. That would be like refusing to fly fish because they don't tie flies at Wal-mart.
 
#13
Bongolation said:
Finding the right strings that actually fit and are on long sale is hell enough on a normal-scale bass. It's lot worse with short-scale.

People always disagree with me about this and they're still wrong.

I've been in GC when there wasn't a single set of short-scale bass strings in the store. Not one.

I don't need the added grief. Do you?
Click to expand...

I get all my strings off the 'net so there is no issue of availability of shortscale strings.
 
#15
Bongolation said:
Finding the right strings that actually fit and are on long sale is hell enough on a normal-scale bass. It's lot worse with short-scale.

People always disagree with me about this and they're still wrong.

I've been in GC when there wasn't a single set of short-scale bass strings in the store. Not one.

I don't need the added grief. Do you?
Click to expand...

What's wrong, is trying to find anything even slightly specialized at Guitar Center. There's your grief, right there.

I use flats, I mail order them, and change them every 2 or 3 years. LaBella or T-I. I think the ones I'm using on my main bass, I did actually buy retail, at Sam Ash.

No grief here. Buying strings at GC would give me grief.
 
#16
The intensity and character of the overtone harmonic series is different depending on scale length. Longer scaled basses emphasize the overtone series more than shorter scaled basses. So, generally, the fundamental will be more pronounced on a short scale bass compared with a longer scaled bass. But there are many other factors, such as string gauge, tension and style (flatwound, roundwound, or something in between), which contribute to the timbre of a bass, and the balance between the fundamental and harmonic series of any given note.

The loudest part of a note played in first position on a 34" scale bass comes from the second order harmonic, and not from the fundamental, (especially with roundwound strings). This largely explains why longer scaled basses sound clearer and more mid-rangey than shorter scaled basses that sound more deep, dark, and muddy.

The band Brazilian Girls' bass player Jesse Murphy plays a Fender Mustang bass, short-scaled, and it is a really great example of the unique deep tone that a shorter scale provides, IMHO.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brazilian_Girls

Referred to as his "brown tone" in this article:

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

Pickup placement plays a big part in this as well. If a pickup is nearer to the node for the second order harmonic for a specific note being fretted, then that tone (the second order harmonic tone) will be quieter than it would be if the pickup was located at the trough for the second order harmonic for that same fretted note.

For those who have no idea what I am discussing here see:

Harmonic series (music) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 
#17
notverygood said:
Just curious, but why would you shop for strings at GC when you can have any string that's made shipped to your house in 2 days? I've never had a problem getting strings and I've got long and short scales. I've had piccalo strings here in 2 days. Why roam the countryside looking for strings? Don't let string choice decide your scale length. That would be like refusing to fly fish because they don't tie flies at Wal-mart.
Click to expand...

+1

Short scale strings are easy to find online. In about 30 seconds I just found a set of D'Addario EXL170S (45-100 short scale) for $14.15 on Amazon with free shipping. Hell of a deal.

I have a Musicmaster Bass and love it. I imagine a short scale Jazz will have the same easy playability. Sounds like a wise choice and a thoughtful gift.
 
#19
Boot Soul said:
The intensity and character of the overtone harmonic series is different depending on scale length. Longer scaled basses emphasize the overtone series more than shorter scaled basses. So, generally, the fundamental will be more pronounced on a short scale bass compared with a longer scaled bass.

The loudest part of a note played in first position on a 34" scale bass comes from the second order harmonic, and not from the fundamental. This largely explains why longer scaled basses sound clearer and more mid-rangey than shorter scaled basses that sound more deep, dark, and muddy.

The band Brazilian Girl's bass player Jesse Murphy plays a Fender Mustang bass, short-scaled, and it is a really great example of the unique deep tone that a shorter scale provides, IMHO.

Brazilian Girls - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Referred to as his "brown tone" in this article:

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

Pickup placement plays a big part in this as well. If a pickup is nearer to the node for the second order harmonic for a specific note being fretted, then that tone will be quieter than it would be if the pickup was located at the trough for the second order harmonic for that same fretted note.

For those who have no idea what I am discussing here see:

Harmonic series (music) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Click to expand...

I call BS, with all due respect.
 
#20
stambaugh1-2.jpg
 
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