Should i get a shortscale

[BBox Bass]

6'2" guys don't look stupid with guitars, so why would you look stupid with a shortscale bass....which is larger than a guitar? Go for it. I'm 6'1" and play a Little Martin travel guitar when I'm out of town. If anything it makes me look beast. If I don't look stupid with a shortscale guitar, you don't look stupid with a shortscale bass.

Oh yeah - also there's gonna be some guy coming along shortly who will make a fuss about tone and tell you that he has barbie hands but still toughs it out on a long scale. Tell that guy you'd still like the use of your hands in 20 years for more intricate tasks than just holding the instrument longingly...

LOL! I'm a short gal with Barbie hands who played only 32s for a long time. I recently picked up a couple of 34s on Ebay and much to my surprise, neither has given me problems. My main issue is neck thickness. Chunky necks of all scales make my hand cramp up something awful, but I can play thin-neck 34s all night long without needing to eat Aleve like candy.

One of the 34s I bought is an Ibanez 5-string and I am totally in love with the neck. I was sure that the wider fingerboard would give me trouble (I only started playing 5-string a few months ago after taking a year to get used to a 4-string tuned BEAD), but so far I've been fine. To the OP: Try out a bunch of basses that vary in scale length, neck width, and thickness. Your hands will tell you what works best.

My basses vary in size from a custom Stoneman copy of a BC Rich Beast with a long body (it's the points!) to an SX Gypsy Rose P-bass copy whose body is about the same size as a Strat. I hear a lot of odd comments at gigs, but never has anyone come up to me and said something about my bass size in proportion to my size.

 

[eupharies]

ah cool, when you say thin necks you mean like a jazz neck yeh??

 

[Jay2U]

I'd go over to a well sorted store and try as many basses as possible. If they play well, but don't sound right, you could consider changing the element(s). Maybe it's not the length of the scale causing problems. It might well be the thickness. For me it's the other way round. I hate thin necks, as they leave my hand empty.

Keep on playing subsonically!

 

[::::BASSIST::::]

Also can i just ask, im interested in the landing L32T Invalid Link Removed

Would anyone recommend another bass instead which may be better, as im loving the L32T

Looks great to me... and Jimmy Wilson is a great guy to work with. Very responsive on the emails and just a general nice guy.

I say go for it.

 

[eupharies]

i play a jazz at the moment, although i did try a stingray which had the same neck profile close to a precision, and it didnt feel that bad. which was weird as i have small hands!!

 

[DWest1981]

I love my Invalid Link Removed. It's funky and different, has some exceptional power and, well, it's a prototype. That being the case, there're some teething issues that are my fault - the bridge pickup KILLS on the E and A string, but leaves a little to be desired on D and G - and the slant T-style bridge pickup was 100% my call, live and learn.

Jimmy is a stand up guy who is a great communicator and will never give you the runaround about timeframe or price. I couldn't have been happier with the process.

That being the case, there are several excellent 32" basses to keep in mind - some of which would likely be cheaper than a Landing. If you're set on the Jazz style and have been bitten by the DIY bug, maybe a Invalid Link Removed would work better. If you're still thinking Jazz, but prefer one factory-built and you like the Fender name on it, you could consider buying one of these. If you're open to other pickup/body style combinations then the world's your oyster. There's almost no end to the possibilities out there, and most of them are worth trying.

Those options are all between $1,000 and more or less of $1,500, depending on the options you install - right around what the L32T would go for. Really, at that price point you've got dozens of options, one very good one being the Landing.

All the best,
DW

 

[eupharies]

cool man thanks! Ive considered others, i quite like stingrays for the sound, and they feel good but, i think a 32" would help my ability, and im sure the sound would be just as good!!

 

[Orangeclawhammr]

Chas Chandler played an Epiphone Rivoli with the Animals. Here's a link to a pic. Google Image Result for http://api.ning.com/files/o0kCUaTKWSO56TbXgz5ctyryLzylMuEOzj9tla14f25nCSnT6A80SiR*RsWfe8OHbfTyY4k7Epf4Efnq0CZkkqHfNhFyYmMS/animals0007.jpg?width=721 He was 6' 4".

 

[Bassamatic]

I have basses from 30 to 35" and the 32s are surely my favorite to play. I have had my eyes on a Landing for several months now - just need to save the $$. I was not aware of the Japanese Fender - that is also really tempting!

As far as size - I am also planning on a Ubass - size be damned - it is the sound that counts!

 

[Orangeclawhammr]

I have basses from 30 to 35" and the 32s are surely my favorite to play. I have had my eyes on a Landing for several months now - just need to save the $$. I was not aware of the Japanese Fender - that is also really tempting!

As far as size - I am also planning on a Ubass - size be damned - it is the sound that counts!

I just heard one of those last night at the theatre where I volunteer. The guy playing it was at least 6' tall with pretty big hands. He also plays upright. The Ubass sounded great, but his Jazz Bass with Seymour Duncan electronics had a cleaner tone.