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Try a short scale!

ronlitz

ronlitz

Apr 20, 2008
427
219
Northern Virginia
#1
I have small hands and a bad back. I've been playing bass for about 20 years, and I've always preferred a jazz-type neck - since it is smaller and easier for me to play, and I've also tended towards light basses such as Ibanez. For some reason, I never once considered a short scale bass - I guess I just always thought they wouldn't sound very good. Well, I was in a music store last week just browsing, and I saw a Squier Jaguar short scale. Just for grins, I pulled it down. the first thing I noticed was that it was light - really light (6lb 9oz). The second thing I noticed was that the neck was extremely comfortable for my hand. The third thing I noticed was that it sounded good! (Well, with the P pickup soloed, that is). It was $179.00 - so I took it home. The fit, finish and hardware can't compete with a $1k bass - but it is actually very decent - especially considering the price tag. I played it at a jam session over the weekend, and I had an absolute blast playing it!
In conclusion - if you have small hands and/or a bad back - get ye a short scale bass pronto! It will make playing bass more like fun and less like work - which is the way it should be, IMO.
 
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#5
ronlitz said:
I have small hands and a bad back. I've been playing bass for about 20 years, and I've always preferred a jazz-type neck - since it is smaller and easier for me to play, and I've also tended towards light basses such as Ibanez. For some reason, I never once considered a short scale bass - I guess I just always thought they wouldn't sound very good. Well, I was in a music store last week just browsing, and I saw a Squier Jaguar short scale. Just for grins, I pulled it down. the first thing I noticed was that it was light - really light (6lb 9oz). The second thing I noticed was that the neck was extremely comfortable for my hand. The third thing I noticed was that it sounded good! (Well, with the P pickup soloed, that is). It was $179.00 - so I took it home. The fit, finish and hardware can't compete with a $1k bass - but it is actually very decent - especially considering the price tag. I played it at a jam session over the weekend, and I had an absolute blast playing it!
In conclusion - if you have small hands and/or a bad back - get ye a short scale bass pronto! It will make playing bass more like fun and less like work - which is the way it should be, IMO.
Click to expand...

I was like you not long ago. I never really thought about SS basses and thought they looked a bit weird. My band plays in some close quaters gigs where room is hard to get so I thought..try one out?

I fell in love right away and was super lucky to score a like new 97' Squier vista Musicmaster. Today I own a Fender 74'MM and a Dano longhorn. I love the SS basses and have small hands and bad shoulder not back.
 
#7
Can't imagine playing anything other than a small scale.. so comfortable.

I just wish they would stop calling them Junior models and stuff like that.... plenty of us non-juniors are loving them and probably plenty more would be enjoying them if they realized they aren't just for 'juniors'. Should just call them short scale and leave it at that. ;)
 
#9
I'm 6'6" and never would have considered a short scaled bass was it not for buying a SS Guild JS Bass II off Ebay that the seller incorrectly said was long scaled. When I first got it I was bummed, despite its beauty and build quality. It felt like a freaking toothpick in my hands, and it only weighs about seven pounds (which is good). But I got it for a fair price, and I just kept it for noodling around.

And over time it grew on me. It sounds good and can be really deep and thumpy in a way my regular scaled basses just are not. The neck is narrow but deep with a soft "V", boat hull sort of profile that feels good to me. And it can really rock. Ron Asheton of The Stooges used the same model of short scaled bass (w/o the carvings) when Raw Power was recorded.

These basses, without the Oak leaf carvings, can be found pretty cheap.

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Ron Asheton from Raw Power era:


Guild made a (very rare) long scaled version of this bass, and I have one of them too, shown here, that I am fixing up, but I can tell already that I prefer the short 30-5/8" scale more. This long scaled version has a completely different neck - maple (vs mahogany on the shortie), much wider, and much shallower "C" shape (no boat hull), much like a 60's P Bass. Even though both basses have the same size mahogany bodies, and the same pickups (spaced further apart from each other on the full scale), they sound quite different.

JSBassIILS1.jpg
 
#10
Short-Scales were very popular in the 60's and were on many classic recordings. Somewhere along the way came the perception that they were mainly for Women and young Kids. Not something a real He-Man would play. There seems to be a resurgence of interest in the last several years with many major manufacturers and some upstart names offering models. If you are looking for light weight or something a bit less-common take the next step and check out some Hollow/Semi-Hollow/Chambered Short-Scales. I'm currently playing an Italia Torino and Epiphone Allen Woody and don't plan to go back to the J-Bass anytime soon. I've got my sights set on some other Hollow/Semi-Hollow models for future purchases.
 
#18
Boot Soul said:
I'm 6'6" and never would have considered a short scaled bass was it not for buying a SS Guild JS Bass II off Ebay that the seller incorrectly said was long scaled. When I first got it I was bummed, despite its beauty and build quality. It felt like a freaking toothpick in my hands, and it only weighs about seven pounds (which is good). But I got it for a fair price, and I just kept it for noodling around.
Click to expand...
I'm 5'7... wanna trade heights?
 

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