What's driving the shortscale revival?

[BassGH]

I think they often sound different, but not in a bad way. My birdsong 31” sounds fuller, warmer and more musical than my 34” basses. Especially on high strings. Same with an epi violin bass I had for awhile. If I played 2 basses at shows, I’d have the birdsong along for a few songs. But I don’t so I don’t.

 

[BAG]

i compared hand sizes to friends and realized i have small hands

When I switched from guitar to bass I started on a Jag Short Scale. Great little bass, but I was soon wanting something a bit better. At first I wanted another short scale, but when I spoke to a good friend who is one of the best pro bass players I've ever known she said "show me your hand".... I put my hand up and she put her hand on mine. He fingers barely reach the first knuckle on mine... my hand is SOOOO much bigger than hers. She just said "don't be a pussy and get a full-scale" . I got a good full scale and now the little Jag hardly gets played. Don't get me wrong, I still love the ease of short scale, but I love my full scale basses a bit more.

 

[MultiScaleMale]

Interest in the Beatles and Paul used a short scale and there is now a much better selection of short scale instruments that don't suck. Good selection of strings now also helps. Maybe the popularity of Americana helps too. But overall it's just a nice option to have. The tone can be huge because, ultimately it's a piece of metal vibrating in a magnetic field. The shortscale will often have a bigger fundamental, but usually less sustain. It's a desirable tone now.

 

[stelles75]

I've been gigging both types lately and there's definitely a difference in playability, I just don't know how to fully describe it yet. If you're gonna get real noodley a lot, a shorty probably gonna feel smoother.

 

[BarfanyShart]

To me, it has to have something to do with the massive improvements in electronics. I was most active 15-25 years ago, and back then digital effects, modeling, and peripherals showed a lot of promise, but still sounded pretty bad. Now I got this box that makes my bass sound like freaking anything, so I'm not sacrificing anything by choosing a short scale with a clean pickup if it is more comfortable.

Also, this is the era of the multi-instrumentalist, self-producer, so I can see people who are not primarily bassists gravitating toward a more wieldy bass when they are in need of one for their project.

 

[covermego]

What's driving it? Well, my musculoskeletal system is dictating me, so I guess I'm driven towards shorties. Shorter, less reach required, PLUS most of my shorties are 6lb 10oz to 7lb 9oz. I don't miss the "back burn" of a heavier bass one bit....... and since my rotator cuffs are toast and non-repairable (short of shoulder replacement), this is a great alternative to a full scale bass. Less reach=much more comfort.
I'll take comfort over pain any time.
I currently own 5 Squier-based Jaguar SS Basses, all 30" scale. Plus I have several other shorties, like a Bronco based fretless, An SX Precision with a Jaguar SS neck on it......hmmmm, I think that's all. I guess you know I like shorties. I'd absolutely LOVE to see Yamaha come out with one. It's high time.

 

[jdjk7]

I bought a Guild Starfire II last week, then came across a mint '71 Fender Musicmaster and am flipping the Guild. I think I'm in love.

For me, the interest in shortscale was several things. Age and the thought of something lighter and easier to play through a 4-hr gig was probably primary. Peculiar interest was another factor with a seeming uptick in shortscale threads here on TB. Also, mainstream guitar and bass companies targeting resources in the shortscale area: think EBMM with their Sterling Stingray Shortscale bass. Finally, as many of you probably have done, I started paying attention to shortscale information and read many of the shortscale threads here, learning a lot and piquing my interest. I think the biggest misconception I had was that shortscale could never sound close to regular scale basses. Wrong. At least to my ears.

I don't necessarily like short scales by virtue of them being short scales, but I do like that a lot of them are just designs you don't see anywhere else. Like the Musicmaster, or the Bass VI. Or the Squier Bronco, which, while I don't own one, is the only 4 string I'd likely buy from Squier, just because they often sound so good in the store.

 

[stelles75]

I don't think people are getting shorties for the difference in sound, especially if they're just smaller versions of existing/classic models. Pick up a Wattplower and tell me your Jazz feels like that.

 

[brianrost]

I thought it was because of all the threads here at TB

 

[LBS-bass]

Just wanting to point out that there would not be a great selection of SS instrument if people were not buying them. Demand drives production, it is not the other way around.

 

[friedlbug]

I’m going to go another direction with it: Our culture. We have multiple things, made at lower costs, allowing us to have 2nd, 3rd, or 10th basses. There no way the average guy with my skill level had 5 basses and 4 guitars many years ago. If I could only have one bass, it would probably be my Stingray (5H), but since I don’t, I sure like my Les Paul DC bass.

 

[msb]

I bought a Longhorn about twenty years ago , and to be honest I did not care for the short scale at first . And then started using it more and more , and realized it had become my go to bass .
Now I’ve got around nine short scales .
(edit).
My Les Paul DC Jr is probably my favourite thing to play

 

[UNICORN BASS]

Aging baby boomers

Hey, i resemble that remark.

 

[Lowendchamp]

I know I really wanted to get used to playing a SS because I travel a lot for work and it paid off. I still prefer the string tension of a 34" but I also appreciate the sound of a ss.

 

[micguy]

The thing thats' driving short scales is that very few folks have hands that are as big as mine. I kinda need a bass with as big a neck as I can get, or my fingers get cramped (I play faster on wide, thick necks).

You should play a bass that fits you. For me, that's a big wide neck, full scale. For many folks, that's skinny necks and/or short scales.

 

[stelles75]

I know I really wanted to get used to playing a SS because I travel a lot for work and it paid off. I still prefer the string tension of a 34" but I also appreciate the sound of a ss.

You tried thiccer gauge strings, right? You want at least medium gauge on there for less floppy, more tensiony.

 

[40Hz]

I suspect it’s driven in part by the quest to find a vibe that differentiates you from the rest of the crowd. Short-scales have a different look, sound, and feel. ‘Nuff said?

 

[mellowgerman]

I started on upright and long-scale basses when I was in elementary school. My first short-scale bass came to me out of the desire to get a vintage bass, as I was listening primarily to 60's rock and folk at the time. I was in high school and couldn't afford a vintage Fender, so I picked up a Japanese P-bass copy by the Cameo Deluxe brand. Was actually a sweet bass, played great and had one of those Maxon mini-bucker-looking single coil pickups. Sunburst, tort pickguard, chrome bridge and pickup covers... I was all about it. While owning it I don't think I was ever aware of the scale length. It still had the original flatwound strings on it and they sounded killer! Right around that time I also started to dive deep into Jefferson Airplane. I really wanted that roaring Jack Casady sound so I started researching his gear - enter the mighty Guild Starfire! This is also around the time I joined the talkbass forum and started to learn about the scale length differences. For about a decade then I bought, sold, and traded probably upwards of 100 different basses of all scale lengths, in an attempt to find what suited me best. Eventually I came to terms with the fact that nothing did it for me quite like a Starfire and that realistically I was spending 95% of my time playing them. Correspondingly almost all of my non-Starfire basses are also short scales, so that when I reach for something else it doesn't feel as foreign to my muscle memory.

 

[Chickenwheels]

You can play whatever the heck you want, really.
It’s been a bit hip to use shortscale and retro basses of late, thanks to a few name players spruiking them.
Long scale has better overtone content which suited the 80’s sound better, and you can always mute for a deader tone.

 

[Spirit of Ox]

I can answer this question in two words: Mike Watt