I have had a lot of short scale basses. The one I play almost all the time now is a Fender Modern Player Short Scale Bass. I love it. It plays great, looks great and sounds great. They are hard to find. I got lucky and found one used at Guitar Center online. i also have a Mustang PJ that I also like. I have a Squier Bass VI that I love but rarely play. I had the Sterling Short Scale. I liked it but not as much. I play mostly Blues and Blues Rock and it did have the sound I was looking for. I had a Guild, a Gibson SG and a Fender Hollow. I liked them all but not as much as my current basses.
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Short scale dilemma! Help me please
- Thread starter bearclaw87
- Start date
I also only play short scales now. You might want to consider that the Mustang is a slab body and does not have any comfort contours on it like a forearm and tummy contour. I have had a few Mustangs and that was really my only gripe with playing the Mustang is that for me it was not that comfy to play IMO.
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I LOVE medium scales. Was the perfect solution for me. Guitar industry really hasn't caught on yet, though.
Short scales sound "bassier" than long scales IF the pickup locations are further along the string (in a relative sense) - If the pickups are the same distance from the bridge, but the scale is shorter, then you're sampling the string closer to the place where it's moving the most. That emphasizes the fundamental, so it's "bassier".
Another way of thinking about this is that, with the strings tuned to the same note, but shorter, the propagation of the waves along the string is slower (long Physics explanation left out for brevity), so a pickup in the same position has more time between a wave traveling to the bridge, and the reflected wave coming back out - the Physics equations give you the same answer.
Anyway, all that means the comb filtering (the strongest influence on the voice of your instrument) is different. You can replicate that comb filtering on a long scale bass by moving the pickups further out. I have a bass where I've done that, and it does give you a unique voice - "deeper" and "throatier" sounding. I'm tall and have ginormous hands (short scales feel like toys to me), so having that sound available in a bass that fits me well is a cool thing. You can also achieve the same effect by downtuning a whole step and using a capo on the second fret (making an actual short scale out of a long scale).
Another way of thinking about this is that, with the strings tuned to the same note, but shorter, the propagation of the waves along the string is slower (long Physics explanation left out for brevity), so a pickup in the same position has more time between a wave traveling to the bridge, and the reflected wave coming back out - the Physics equations give you the same answer.
Anyway, all that means the comb filtering (the strongest influence on the voice of your instrument) is different. You can replicate that comb filtering on a long scale bass by moving the pickups further out. I have a bass where I've done that, and it does give you a unique voice - "deeper" and "throatier" sounding. I'm tall and have ginormous hands (short scales feel like toys to me), so having that sound available in a bass that fits me well is a cool thing. You can also achieve the same effect by downtuning a whole step and using a capo on the second fret (making an actual short scale out of a long scale).
You have missed the best one. Reverend Wattplower Mk2.
Or the Reverend Wattplower Mk 2
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I will agree with another suggestion....but it's really a Fender ...a G&L Fallout Tribute Bass. Here's mine and I love it!!
The mustang is probably the safest bet with the smallest amount of transition. Both the mustang and the sterling are great options provided you buy from a reputable dealer who sends back inventory that are duds.
- Oct 7, 2000
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My experience is similar. I'll add to this that I have both a MM SS Stingray and a SBMM SS Stingray. The sound of both basses is indistinguishable despite the $1400 (or whatever it is now) difference. Something to be considered...
I have one of these arriving tomorrow. Preliminary reports indicate that it has a fat, vintage voice and the workmanship is excellent outside of a setup.
Epiphone | Newport Bass
Epiphone | Newport Bass
I own a few shorties but I've grown very fond of the playability and tone of my Gretsch Electromatic.And it's priced right.
Was also going to drop a Reverend solution, but a different flavour...
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I go through phases and just got off a prolonged short scale stint in favor of my 34” 5’s again.
That being said, my Fender Am. Performer with Mustang flats feels great, looks great, sounds great, and got compliments for sound all the time. The versatility of the mustang pickup plus the added J is nice. Plenty “bassy.” It could work for all styles of music.
That being said, my Fender Am. Performer with Mustang flats feels great, looks great, sounds great, and got compliments for sound all the time. The versatility of the mustang pickup plus the added J is nice. Plenty “bassy.” It could work for all styles of music.
I’m around the same height as both of you and 50+… I’ve played 34” 6-string basses for over a 1/4 century, without problems, until my wife suggested trying a shorter scale (so I couldn’t resist the green light to buy a new bass27195154[/URL], member: 237573"]I'm a 5'5" Asian (as in Japanese) and will be 66 in 3 wks. No problem playing 34" scale basses, although a 35" would be stretching it a bit (literally).
). I got the Gretsch G2220 30.3” scale and really love how much more comfortable it is. I can literally play for hours, not realizing that the 34” 6-string basses actually did become uncomfortable after a while in comparison. I recently got lucky enough to pick up a used Squier Jaguar 30” and it is also a blast to play. Both sound really good, so no sacrifice there. Short scales do have a different tonal characteristic… more fundamental and slightly less mids/highs as mentioned before. I would not say either scale length is “better sounding”, just “different sounding”. I find I can still get specific tones I want by EQing a bit differently.
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I'm new to this forum and this is my very first post, so i suppose that could be taken into consideration. I have been playing short scales for many years. I currently own 5 of them. I cant speak for any of the ones originally listed. Bang for the buck i pick a Kiesel, they play amazingly easy, very light weight and there sound is good. Now I play an Alembic Stanly Clarke also, definitely sounds better then the Kiesel but is a little more difficult to get around, very heavy also. Killer Bass, don't take me wrong, pricey in comparison. My other go to short scale is a older Ken Smith. Few were ever made, so near impossible to find one for sale. Very easy to play, sounds fantasic, but a beast to carry around on your shoulder.
If Fallouts are going to be mentioned, this video is worth posting....
I know I’ve flogged this pony many times… but if you’re looking for a “lifetime” short scale, I can’t recommend getting a Jerry Jones longhorn enough. I’ve got a boatload of basses, yet, heading out for an audition tomorrow night and, yep, the Jerry Jones is getting the call… they pop up occasionally on Reverb, usually for around $1500, maybe less.
