as someone with tiny hands the same size as my 5'2 wife, i agree. i thought i needed a shorty in the past but ultimately discovered they're not much different than full scale. i've discovered that thin necks, string spacing, and body shape/neck dive matter way more to me than scale length in terms of how well i can get my hand around.
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What's driving the shortscale revival?
- Thread starter mrpackerguy
- Start date
as someone with tiny hands the same size as my 5'2 wife, i agree. i thought i needed a shorty in the past but ultimately discovered they're not much different than full scale. i've discovered that thin necks, string spacing, and body shape/neck dive matter way more to me than scale length in terms of how well i can get my hand around.
Most (not all) short scales are narrower. Most are 1 1/2 inch nut width, and also thinner front to back. I don’t know of any short scales with a 1 3/4 inch nut width. And hand size definitely affects how easy it is to span a given number of frets. Hand size has a lot to do with short scales. Reach is important, too, of course, but folks with huge hands are mostly tall as well.
The reason I don’t play short scales is because my fingers get crammed together by everything being smaller. I play faster (and cleaner) on a full scale.
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I just measured the width around on my Fender Mustang and then on a Squier Classic Vibe Precision. They're close enough to be identical.
Mustang:
Precision:
Ric5
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- Jan 29, 2008
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- I like 5, 8, 10, and 12 string basses
What's driving the shortscale revival?
- tone
- playability
- less weight
- less neck dive
- tone
- playability
- less weight
- less neck dive
For some reason, most of the basses which really interested me over the past few years have been short scale, although a couple are medium scale. I think that in the past five years, I've bought about three basses, one of which was 34".
I learned on upright, and for years I played only 34" scale. But the short scales are a bit easier for my hand to span to 5th position and I like their balance as well.
I learned on upright, and for years I played only 34" scale. But the short scales are a bit easier for my hand to span to 5th position and I like their balance as well.
While we're onnit, all y'all do know what they say about smaller hands, right?
Yep.
Cheaper gloves.
I have really grown to love my Ibanez TBM30 I bought when I sprained my fretting wrist.
Also, I do wear the cheaper gloves.
Yep.
Cheaper gloves.
I have really grown to love my Ibanez TBM30 I bought when I sprained my fretting wrist.
Also, I do wear the cheaper gloves.
I had tried a few shorties (JMJ Mustang, a Warmoth, a Gibson SG bass, a cheap Douglas Hofner-style fretless... that thing was fun) and I was never 100% sold on the sound. So, I got rid of them. Then, over Christmas, I visited Mike Lull's shop. I played many of the basses in the showroom, but the one that stuck with me was the one and only shortie. Long story short, it just arrived today. Playing it this evening, my thoughts about its amazing sound and super-fun playability were (thankfully) reiterated. I'm slightly concerned about the fact that all of my other basses are 34" scale, and I don't want to sell them all, but I'm hoping that (like others in this thread) I can sample the joys of varying scale lengths without getting totally confused. I'm at work, so the only pic of it I have at the moment is the one I took at the shop... here it is:
Popularity of “offset” guitars, relative affordability (not anymore) of “vintage” shorties and trendiness being trendiness. As far as it being a revival, they’ve been around, just not the most popular flavor of FSO.
I was playing an old Fender Mustang for a while. It was a nice bass. The neck was “fast” and it sounded good.
I think that advancements in technique and materials have maybe made them sound better and play better? Some of the new short scale basses are pretty nice.
Arthritis was mentioned. Hey, getting old sucks. I could se myself on a short scale down the road. Nostalgia is maybe also in play.
I think the only shortcoming is MAYBE the B on a 5 string might not be great?
I think that advancements in technique and materials have maybe made them sound better and play better? Some of the new short scale basses are pretty nice.
Arthritis was mentioned. Hey, getting old sucks. I could se myself on a short scale down the road. Nostalgia is maybe also in play.
I think the only shortcoming is MAYBE the B on a 5 string might not be great?
If you had my hands, you'd realize the issue isn't cost, it's availability - it's hard to find gloves that fit my hands. Even what some call "XXL's" aren't long enough. I have similar issues with shoes.
I don't know of a specific reason, but I can tell you that it sounds great. Lull's T-Bird pickups are proprietary and legendary - much richer and fuller than others I've tried. The neck PU here is chocolatey, and the neck pickup has a nice burp with plenty of girth at the same time. Works for me!
I just bought a Reface CP to go with my YC.
You likely couldn't play 'em!
I remember my old man with his EEE boots being an issue every year ... was a hassle.
Custom-made?
There are some regular production shoes that are wide enough - I have 4 E's and 6E's - depending on the brand and model, sometimes I'm only a 4E. But they only come in a few models. If I end up waiting in a sporting goods (Dicks) store for my wife, I'll go over and see if they have any shoes that are my size. The most pairs I've ever found in one store that are my size are....1 pair. Most of the time, the answer is 0. As New Balance is the only manufacturer that has extra wide shoes in those stores, I only have to check their boxes.
I had previously believed that short scale basses automatically sounded inferior to their long scale counterparts. My learning experience was that this had more to do with entry-level (cheap) tonewoods and electronics than the scale of the instrument.
I'm about to pull the trigger on a custom Sandberg SL that will be well under 6 lbs. My P Bass Jr is 6.5 and besides being bad for downtuning, sounds huge.
Been playing, buying, and selling them for the better part of 7 years too, so I'd say I'm driving the revival singlehandedly.
Been playing, buying, and selling them for the better part of 7 years too, so I'd say I'm driving the revival singlehandedly.
