Short scale basses are as real as any bass. Just ask Paul McCartney, the most successful electric bass player in the world.
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Short scale basses legitimate basses?
- Thread starter Yup
- Start date
There's an argument to say the bridge ought to be up the body some on a semi, so a shorter scale to bring the reach to the same territory has some logic.
If you'd played some of the bastard things I have in the old days...
23" scale length uke bass has been my main bass for the last two years and I am having WAY too much fun with it to care what other people think. More often than not people are astounded at the fat sound coming out of it at gigs and have so far I haven't heard anything negative. At this point in time there is a dearth in the variety of strings as KbD pointed out, and the muscle memory issue takes getting used to. But my fingers, shoulder and back definitely thank me for it. The positives definitely outweigh the negs and I will continue to use the solidbody bass uke as my main axe.
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I played PBass for almost 50 years. I do have a couple 30” that I like. A few years ago I tried a medium scale and it feels just right. A Goldilocks scenario. My favorite bass is my fender medium scale jazz bass.
not enough choices in your poll, like why another thread like this, lol
no but really, its not how big, its how you use it...
no but really, its not how big, its how you use it...
I've used from 44" scale to 18" scale instruments over the decades I've played and never had a problem switching between them. I never really thought about it. I just played them. The scales I use most now are 30" and 28.6".
Times have changed, and pretty much anything goes these days.
But in the early '70's, the scene was very different. A few prominent guys like McCartney, Felix Pappalardi, and Jack Bruce were rocking short-scale basses, but most were pretty much wedded to 34" scale. Uke basses weren't even a glint in their inventor's eye back then, and the size of a long scale bass also fit the macho Rock God image.
It didn't help that the vast majority of shorties back then were cheap beginner instruments, at a time when beginner guitars and basses were often nearly unplayable.
I went off to college with a home-made solidbody I had made from a slab of mahogany and the neck and hardware off a Harmony Meteor. It sounded great and looked almost passable, but my tutor immediately told me that I had to get a full-scale Fender if I wanted to be taken seriously. Especially if I was hoping to land any lucrative studio gigs...
Sadly, he was absolutely right. I picked up a beat-up, ten year old '64 P-bass, and was soon gigging my butt off. I got bored of the Precision after a year or so, and started experimenting with more expensive "coffee table" basses. Every time I showed up on the gig with one, the first question out of the bandleader's mouth was "Where's your Fender".
Although I still hate dark, muddy sounding short-scales like the EB0, I love that we have so much choice now.
But in the early '70's, the scene was very different. A few prominent guys like McCartney, Felix Pappalardi, and Jack Bruce were rocking short-scale basses, but most were pretty much wedded to 34" scale. Uke basses weren't even a glint in their inventor's eye back then, and the size of a long scale bass also fit the macho Rock God image.
It didn't help that the vast majority of shorties back then were cheap beginner instruments, at a time when beginner guitars and basses were often nearly unplayable.
I went off to college with a home-made solidbody I had made from a slab of mahogany and the neck and hardware off a Harmony Meteor. It sounded great and looked almost passable, but my tutor immediately told me that I had to get a full-scale Fender if I wanted to be taken seriously. Especially if I was hoping to land any lucrative studio gigs...
Sadly, he was absolutely right. I picked up a beat-up, ten year old '64 P-bass, and was soon gigging my butt off. I got bored of the Precision after a year or so, and started experimenting with more expensive "coffee table" basses. Every time I showed up on the gig with one, the first question out of the bandleader's mouth was "Where's your Fender".
Although I still hate dark, muddy sounding short-scales like the EB0, I love that we have so much choice now.
I wish I still owned it.
I would be willing to A/B that against a long scale thumb in a sound test and I’ll wager few, if anyone could tell the difference.
It was that good.
I’ve never seen another of its kind since.
Do you mean, were their Mom and Dad married????????????????????
LOL... Couldn't resist.
LOL... Couldn't resist.
Just goes to show how many are concerned about the size of their instrument vs. how many are concerned about getting the booties to move to a rhythm.
I just got this a few weeks ago. When you get old and your hands start to hurt playing 34", these feel nice and they sound 80% to 90% as good as full scale.
A gift from my son to me. He paid $120 for it and I replaced the pickup with a $35 Dragonfire dual blade AlNiCo Strat bridge p/u, humbucker. Sounds like a P bass with some high end rolled off. These can be purchased new for $149. You can't loose!
A gift from my son to me. He paid $120 for it and I replaced the pickup with a $35 Dragonfire dual blade AlNiCo Strat bridge p/u, humbucker. Sounds like a P bass with some high end rolled off. These can be purchased new for $149. You can't loose!
He started out on a Hohner because that was all he could afford. He moved to a Ric and then P bass when the royalty checks came in.
Played a gig with pinky awhile back where the opening band had this fellow on upright. Pinky is a 24" scale thump machine smaller than most guitars and pink! Anyways comparing basses the drummer made a what is that a toy? Remark. After our set he came up and complimented me on my tone and said how surprised he was that it came from such a tiny bass.
I guess the moral there is don't knock it unless ya try it or at least hear it.
On vacation. I am playing my 35" 6 string this morning. No big deal over my 34".
My only short scale is a Epi viola 30.5.
The short scale notes sound muddied on short scale to my ears. Esp. on playback.
Short scales may be legitimate, but not as clean sounding to me.
My only short scale is a Epi viola 30.5.
The short scale notes sound muddied on short scale to my ears. Esp. on playback.
Short scales may be legitimate, but not as clean sounding to me.
I just picked up this short scale SX on Facebook Marketplace for $99.00. The neck is so nice and the guitar was so clean, I gave the guy an even $100.00.
Ha ha! For sure! It's a crackup when the premise of a discussion of a "legit" bass is the minimum string length benchmark of 34", when 34" is also short scale.
