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The Official Medium Scale Bass Club

#841
Listen - there is no shame in medium scale - very few players have ever experienced medium scale in a quality high-end way. The basses are simply not readily available. The joke is on them. I can play a 34" neck just fine - but why would I when the 32" scale is perfectly optimum and opens up a whole new world of chops for me?

If you want to talk OPTIMUM why not find what feels exactly right and FLY! Good is good but perfection is perfection!

Just the way it is.

BassHappy
 
#843
Molan said:
I realise it's splitting hairs but Jens' shorter scale models are 33.3" and, in general they feel very much like a standard 34" bass - I have three of them and another on order :(
Click to expand...

Hi there....

Jens will custom build ANY scale you desire, including 32".

"All other scales are available for Custom Orders."

It is here I will let you know how it shakes out.

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

Best,

BassHappy
www.innertainment.net

BassHappy
 
#844
BassHappy said:
Hi there....

Jens will custom build ANY scale you desire, including 32".

"All other scales are available for Custom Orders."

It is here I will let you know how it shakes out.

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

Best,

BassHappy
www.innertainment.net

BassHappy
Click to expand...

Jens is a genius - I love his instruments :)

I know he'll build anything, within reason, but I was just responding to the quote about seeing several 33" scale basses and pointing out that the standard build is slightly longer (which takes them over the medium scale criteria).

I'd love to try an even shorter scale Ritter though, I bet they would work really well :)
 
#845
Hi all. I've not gotten around to posting photos yet but I currently play an Ibby abg and a Warmoth 32in Jazz fretless that I put together a few years ago. The Jazz is ash, dyed black, with a wenge neck/pau ferro FB. I love it, but the fat fretless tone isn't sitting well in my band setup. I think I really need a 32in fretted P right now.

I understand that customs don't hold value like we might think they should, and that med scale basses don't usually ring bells in the classifieds here. So I'll ask here first, what are my odds of selling this in the $5-600 range, and aside from starting a new Warmoth build what other decent med scales are out there that will get me that aggressive P tone?

Anyway, here are the kids. If anyone has something that might work out for me that you'd be interested in trading shoot me a message. ImageUploadedByTalkBass1377828139.123693.jpg

Update, I just put an ad in the classifieds. Please let me know if you think I'm crazy out of line on price, or if there's some trade possibility you'd recommend that I look at aside from the ones I mentioned. And here's a better photo or two.
8686655271_3149121cd3.jpg

DSCN1015 by grisezd, on Flickr
8687770696_9ce4bdefcd.jpg

DSCN1028 by grisezd, on Flickr
 
#846
Any Warmoth 32in players interested in trying a fretless neck? I'd swap necks for a fretted. I do love playing fretless but just don't trust myself to intonate correctly when I also have to sing! Yea, Sting did it but he's nearly immortal :-)
 
#848
Molan said:
I realise it's splitting hairs but Jens' shorter scale models are 33.3" and, in general they feel very much like a standard 34" bass - I have three of them and another on order :)

I think, judging by post #1 that this doesn't qualify them as 'medium' scale :(
Click to expand...

Well... Guess all Rickenbacker owners would get offended if told their Ricks are "medium scale" (they are 33.25").
But please, post pics of your Ritters, I'll make an exception and count you in...;)
By the way, I have lots of updating to do regarding new members of this club. An apology for my laziness.
 
#853
spiritbass said:
I despise dead spots. I have had a few 34" scale Fender style necks without noticeable dead spots, but the majority have the typical problems on the G string. ...
Click to expand...

I've tested 40-50 basses in half a dozen stores in 3 states. Every bolt on neck bass I tried, from $300 - $1700, all had a partial dead spot on the G string somewhere between the 4th and 7th fret. $300 set necks don't have this problem, nor do neck thru basses. I now play an LTD B-4B that's not only beautiful but sounds great and doesn't have that dead spot.

By adding mass to the head stock you can lower the frequency of the partial dead note. Yeah, I didn't believe it either until I tried putting a clamp on my older bass which had too much mass and the dead frequency showed up on my D string. Fender has something called a Fat Finger which can help this:
Invalid Link Removed

I avoid the issue with my neck thru / string thru bass, but this may help someone - hopefully
 
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#854
ProdigalBassman said:
I've tested 40-50 basses in half a dozen stores in 3 states. Every bolt on neck bass I tried, from $300 - $1700, all had a partial dead spot on the G string somewhere between the 4th and 7th fret. $300 set necks don't have this problem, nor do neck thru basses. I now play an LTD B-4B that's not only beautiful but sounds great and doesn't have that dead spot.

By adding mass to the head stock you can lower the frequency of the partial dead note. Yeah, I didn't believe it either until I tried putting a clamp on my older bass which had too much mass and the dead frequency showed up on my D string. Fender has something called a Fat Finger which can help this:
Invalid Link Removed

I avoid the issue with my neck thru / string thru bass, but this may help someone - hopefully
Click to expand...

Hey Prodigal

Not trying to be a wise guy - but in my experience you are barking up the wrong tree - or posting in the wrong thread.

I have 14 medium scale basses, and in the process of adding a few more - and NONE of them have dead spots - I repeat - NONE of them have dead spots - nor have I EVER played a medium scale bass that had any notes anywhere that would not sustain for at least a 60 BPM 4 count.

Apparently unlike many long scalers on here - the music I play includes whole notes sometimes - so it really matters to me.

My 34" scale '72 Jazz bass was virtually unplayable from frets 4-7 on both the G and D strings with no sustain whatsoever.

I have since realized that I got a lemon or a "second" which Fender were apparently shipping overseas to the GI's at that time. But there seems to be more than just a few floating around out there.

Just my 2 cents. Any medium scalers EVER get ahold of a bass with a dead spot?

Never heard of it myself so far....But it would be interesting to hear about it.

BassHappy
www.innertainment.net

PS - The subject of dead spots has been covered in depth here on TB - and my take is that most of the long scale dead spot owners don't really care. They either don't play whole notes, have a "work around" to avoid them, have mutes installed in their bridges to mimic an earlier era - which makes the entire neck a "dead spot" - or think that the magical "sound" they are getting from the bass outweighs all other shorcomings. Go figure.....
 
#856
BassHappy & SolarMan,

Thanks for your feedback. Yup, the basses I tried were all 34". I've been trying to find medium scale basses to check out but none of the guitar stores I've been in had one. Good to hear 32" don't have that problem.
 
#857
ProdigalBassman said:
BassHappy & SolarMan,

Thanks for your feedback. Yup, the basses I tried were all 34". I've been trying to find medium scale basses to check out but none of the guitar stores I've been in had one. Good to hear 32" don't have that problem.
Click to expand...

Anytime!

I suspected as much.....

Just because I haven't seen it in medium scales - I suppose dead spots could exist. Would still love to hear about it if anyone has a medium scale that has them....

Best,

BassHappy
www.innertainment.net
 
#860
BassHappy said:
Some of you may have seen this up on Ebay.

I couldn't help myself and bought it from Japan - a 1986-7 "Jazz Special" - P/J model in medium scale - swamp ash with a pretty incredible trans black finish. They didn't offer this finish in 1986 (only black paint and white) so it was probably a custom order or an employee build.

$(KGrHqV,!rUFHNmJOmPUBR8NZDb!+w~~60_57.jpg


182014105_624.v1374769255.jpg


$T2eC16V,!y0E9s2S65dnBR8NZNCEhg~~60_57.jpg


$(KGrHqV,!qsFHMOSlT8GBR8NZIE3NQ~~60_57.jpg


182012346_624.v1373442159.jpg


182012372_624.v1373442150.jpg


182012565_624.v1373518455.jpg


It still a work in progress, but there is more here:

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It is taking everything I have to exercise restraint and to NOT have the body sandblasted and refinished in satin to look like the black finish below.


Comment if you see fit!

Best,

BassHappy
www.innertainment.net
Click to expand...

Lemme know if you decide to sell it. I may save you the trouble of making an FS thread. Nice bass and DONT mod it.
 

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