Short scale basses....thumbs up? Thumbs down?

[fhm555]

 

[Wfrance3]

Not voting because I like a nice 32” scale bass. Splitting the difference I guess…

 

[WI Short Scaler]

The fact that the first choice on the poll is "they're for kids and sissies...."

 

[DolemiteSammich]

Play whatever you want... I don't understand questions like these.

 

[Lo-E]

While I do prefer long scale basses, I have a couple of shorties, too, and I enjoy playing them very much. Maybe I’m just not opinionated enough. (No, that’s definitely not it….)

 

[Deleted member 271037]

In this poll I will have to go with "none of the above". Sometimes I prefer a long scale bass and sometimes I prefer short scale, especially when recording. It's a different tone/feel and my choice will depend on the song/genre.

The main problem with short scale basses is that many currently available short scale basses are cheap, entry level instruments which give short scale basses a bad name. Also, the selection of good short scale strings is rather poor. Some of the short scale strings sold by respected strings manufacturers are total garbage IMO. But a GOOD short scale bass with a GOOD set of strings is in no way inferior to a long scale bass. Just different.

 

[bigtone23]

I wouldn't use one more than as the right tool for the job. I have a Longhorn with LaBella flats, and it has that perfect, thumpy, quasi hollow body, short scale tone. If I'm looking for 60s/70s or similar throwback tones, this is it.

 

[Aussie Player]

None of the voting options is worth a selection for me.
I have both but I started on short scale basses and didn't know there was any other option.
Basses were either crafted or bits of wood screwed together back then so I chose Gibson and obtained tones, note separation and E string dominance, accepting this as normal until I played competitors basses and realized I had chosen wisely.

After that I learned that my idols, Andy Fraser and Jack Bruce played the same basses and amps. I do have 6 or 8 long scales today but only really favor 2 or 3 of them when choosing something to play out with.

 

[gazzatriumph]

I've recently gone over to a short scale as I'm getting older, I wouldn't have had a short scale when I was younger but I've owned, played and gigged with a short scale now for a year and it's great. Makes playing easier for me.

 

[mikewalker]

Short-scales
I've played 28, 30, 30.5, 30.75, 31 (and some 32, 33, 34, 35 as well) but for me the 30.0 feels most like 'home base'...

 

[kineticdg]

Short scales are inferior, that's proven by the lack of great songs recorded with them.

Other than most of the Beatles tracks, there's nothing.

And the Jefferson Airplane tracks.

And Cream.

And of course Tame Impala.

But if you exclude those and maybe another couple hundred (thousand? tens of thousands?) tracks, there are no examples of high quality bass recordings using short scale.

Well yeah, Stanley Clarke... but then pretty much nothing except for the others.

Okay, there's the Thom Yorke bass tracks in The Smile...

 

[Tim Skaggs]

Your poll jumped from inferior to superior without an equal or equivalent choice that didn’t also contain a negative, so there was no answer that matched how I think. Even the “nothing wrong, I just prefer full size” doesn’t really fit me.

The reality is that short scale basses are simply different from long scale basses. First, long scale basses are different from each other in a lot of ways other than scale length. Short scale basses are the same as long scale basses in a lot of ways other than scale length.

There was a time period when short scale basses were also mostly low budget basses which made as much or more difference than scale length. That time passed long ago and there are high quality short scale basses now.

I own both, I play both, they are different in ways and alike in ways.

 

[dbsfgyd1]

So....I've been playing bass guitar for about a month now. And as noted elsewhere, I prefer to read standard notation rather than tabs. I want to read the sheet music, think about how to finger the instrument, and make the proper sound. (I do not like tabs.)

Knowing that, I wonder if I should get a short-scale bass guitar. Here's my thinking:
Because of my limited ability, I tend to play on the first five frets. And those frets are really pretty far apart. Even though I have really big hands (fourteen keys on the piano), I prefer the frets that are closer together. They seem to be easier to play.

And when you're playing from sheet music, you can play it however you want. Contrast this with tabs, which seem to be written in such a way that don't make intuitive sense. For example, in Metallica's "Orion", one of the bass lines (as written in tabs) uses the A string, seventh fret. Then it jumps to open E, then to A string, fifth fret, then back to the E string, seventh fret. (Tell me if there's an easy way to annotate that using a keyboard.) But you can get away with using the top three frets.

So it seems to me (the guy who's been playing for a whole month now) that a short-scale bass will work better for me and my playing style. (If I were playing on frets 7-10, this wouldn't be a problem.)

BUT--I also recognize that most people play full-size basses. And if I get used to playing on the shorter neck, I'm afraid that I'd never be able to "step in" and play with the basses that most others use, because my muscle memory would be off. (And TBH, I'm also concerned that people would see the short neck and think that I'm some kind of loser. "I mean...he's playing on a child's toy.")

Thoughts? Opinions? (For the record, I'm looking into an Ibanez Mikro 5-string short scale. But I've heard that the low B-string can get really floppy and hard to control--especially on a short-scale.)

I don’t think being short scale matters sound wise any more than the color of the bass. I owned a couple of Gibson EB3s back in in the early 70’s, moved on to a Rick for the Rick ROS capabilities more so than the scale, and moved from there on a PBs primarilly because of the music I was recording for the last 45 years.

I don’t buy a lot of different basses, like 3 since 1974. My Rick, A JB I bought for my son which he gave it back to me when he was in high school, but swapped me my PB for his JB back, and I needed a 5 string for commercial work. Anyway, I’m pretty sure a short scale bass is in my future. Well maybe a Uke type for fun.

 

[Gravedigger Dav]

With me short, fat fingers, I should be playing short scale; however, a short scale doesn't have the punch a full scale does. Assuming the same string size, the short scale string will not be as tight and there not have the attack of a full scale.
I have a Lakland Skyline that is a 35" scale. I like that, but it is a reach for me.

 

[GIBrat51]

So....I've been playing bass guitar for about a month now. And as noted elsewhere, I prefer to read standard notation rather than tabs. I want to read the sheet music, think about how to finger the instrument, and make the proper sound. (I do not like tabs.)

Knowing that, I wonder if I should get a short-scale bass guitar. Here's my thinking:
Because of my limited ability, I tend to play on the first five frets. And those frets are really pretty far apart. Even though I have really big hands (fourteen keys on the piano), I prefer the frets that are closer together. They seem to be easier to play.

And when you're playing from sheet music, you can play it however you want. Contrast this with tabs, which seem to be written in such a way that don't make intuitive sense. For example, in Metallica's "Orion", one of the bass lines (as written in tabs) uses the A string, seventh fret. Then it jumps to open E, then to A string, fifth fret, then back to the E string, seventh fret. (Tell me if there's an easy way to annotate that using a keyboard.) But you can get away with using the top three frets.

So it seems to me (the guy who's been playing for a whole month now) that a short-scale bass will work better for me and my playing style. (If I were playing on frets 7-10, this wouldn't be a problem.)

BUT--I also recognize that most people play full-size basses. And if I get used to playing on the shorter neck, I'm afraid that I'd never be able to "step in" and play with the basses that most others use, because my muscle memory would be off. (And TBH, I'm also concerned that people would see the short neck and think that I'm some kind of loser. "I mean...he's playing on a child's toy.")

Thoughts? Opinions? (For the record, I'm looking into an Ibanez Mikro 5-string short scale. But I've heard that the low B-string can get really floppy and hard to control--especially on a short-scale.)

Well, Okay; thoughts and opinions...
1. For most of my life? If you can't have me fired - or shot, then I don't really give a tinker's damn what you think, about much of anything. I won't be obnoxious about it, but... whatever you say will, more often than not, just go in one ear; hit nothing sticky; and whizz right on out the other. So... IMO, don't put much stock in what other people think about you owning/playing a short scale bass. Unless they're the one that's buying the thing for you, I think I'd just ignore them as much as possible - and play the bass you want to play...
2. Switching back and forth from "short" to "long". Yes, some people do find it kind of difficult to do. Some people just can't; and some people - like me - don't have much trouble at all. Maybe switching back and forth is a combination of practice and muscle memory; maybe it's just the luck of the draw. But, if you don't plan to switch back and forth (and, TBH, I can't see why you'd actually need to do so), why worry about it - at all? But, if it does bother you? Try it, and see if you can. In my case, the nature of my bass herd does make switching back and forth necessary - which, like I said, isn't a problem for me...
3. Floppy B strings. I have no need for a 5-string bass - short or long scale - so, I can't speak to that. Overall, though; yes, short scale strings - IME - can sometimes get rather... flexible; particularly in lighter gauges. The 43-104 La Bella 760FLs that some of my shorties wear aren't at all floppy; conversely, neither are the 42-93 TI Jazz Rounds that the Gretsch Broadkaster wears (well, no floppier than TI's are, generally), or the 39-96 La Bella 760FX's on the Dano Longhorn. I think it depends more on the brand/type of string, than the gauge. Almost all of my basses wear flats, which tend to be higher tension and stiffer than rounds, anyway... In any case, there are others with a much more informed opinion about the merits of different short scale B string gauges...
4. Short scale strings. Some short scale basses use 'Short Scale' strings; some - because of their bridge/tailpiece - usually need 'Medium Scale' strings. And, a few (like my Broadkaster) can easily wear 'Long Scale' strings. It's TI JR's (which, though labeled 'short scale', are longer than most other maker's 'medium scale') are just barely long enough; it's only wearing them, due to pickup problems, that don't matter here. Anyway; while I've never had much of a problem finding the strings I like for my shorties, there's no argument about the pool of choices being smaller than that for long scale strings. And for short scale 5-ers? I think you'll be fishing in a fairly small pond. But, there are strings to choose from...
5. There are 22 basses in my herd. Of those, 10 are short scale basses; of those? 6 are "modern" ones, with a normal, modern bridge; the other 4 are either the trapeze tailpiece/floating bridge, or the stop tail/Tune-O-Matic bridge type. As for them being "toys"? Nobody who knows anything about music and bass players, thinks a Danelectro Longhorn is a "toy". And a German made Hofner 500/1 - or a 500/2 - or a Gretsch Broadkaster, certainly isn't one, either. And, Stanley Clarke's signature, short scale Alembic Bass for damn sure ain't a toy. Just another reason to ignore what the ignorant and unwashed "think"...

 

[bobyoung53]

You forgot to put that both have their pluses and minuses and I like both.

 

[kineticdg]

Thoughts? Opinions? (For the record, I'm looking into an Ibanez Mikro 5-string short scale. But I've heard that the low B-string can get really floppy and hard to control--especially on a short-scale.)

Hey @Greenman72 I’m also fairly new here and a beginner as well, but I think if you start a thread that’s controversial (and could be interpreted as possibly insulting even though that certainly doesn’t seem intentional), you have a social responsibility to come back & engage with the conversation. Just my opinion, ymmv- but you have five pages of feedback on a question you asked ;-)

 

[Treblefree]

I selected the third option. You asked for the "Why?":

I am not able to stand. So, sitting down while playing is my only option. I have picked up quite a few to try them out. I have never found one to my liking which made me want to reach into my pocket and take it home.

A long time ago (when I was young and healthy) I had two 35" scale basses and a 37".

My knock against short scales is more the feel than the sound (although I have issues with the sound on a few).

The G&L Fallout Tribute may be suitable to you. The body is very long from strap pin to neck pocket, so the neck is still further out to your fretting hand if you like that position a lot. I find when I play my short scales sitting down, they seem to cramp my fretting hand when running up the neck a lot vs standing up where the bass can move to my left more and I like the shorter scale with the smaller body, but on my lap, I like the G&L better as it doesn't cramp my fretting use up the neck.

 

[Michael Stanley 2112]

The G&L Fallout Tribute may be suitable to you. The body is very long from strap pin to neck pocket, so the neck is still further out to your fretting hand if you like that position a lot. I find when I play my short scales sitting down, they seem to cramp my fretting hand when running up the neck a lot vs standing up where the bass can move to my left more and I like the shorter scale with the smaller body, but on my lap, I like the G&L better as it doesn't cramp my fretting use up the neck.

You verbalized it, perfectly.

I have played 24 fret basses, whenever possible and have been known to play "out of the money" (notes) quite a bit. The left elbow, digging into the rib cage is an issue for me, while sitting down.

 

[Koshchei]

True. I guess I'm mostly thinking about the classics, like the Mustang. Short neck and small body, looks like a toy when I play it

I hear you there - I'm a few cm taller than you are, so instruments like headless guitars make it look like I'm playing a tennis racket.