• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Why Are Short Scale Basses Looked Down Upon?

#81
bassbenj said:
The downside of a short scale is the tone. It just doesn't "measure up". Compared to say my 35" Modulus 6 a short scale is dull, weak, floppy and doesn't cut.
Click to expand...

What short scale were you playing? I played a used Modulus at guitar center and it was horrible. The action was terrible. The tone was lousy. It really didn't measure up to the new Fender Mustang and Gibson SG that were hanging next to it. :) (Please see the playful sarcasm in my statement.)

As you can tell, I don't believe in blanket statements about the tone of short scales. That would be discrediting the whole concept behind Landing, Birdsong and Paul McCartney for that matter.
 
  • Like
Reactions: El Pelusa
#82
johnk_10 said:
'68 Gibson EB3
68eb3-1-w.jpg
Click to expand...

NICE! In really good shape, too. I gotta say, mine (1967) is very much the worse for wear, but still playable, an authentic road warrior. But the bridge on yours -- that's not original, is it? I see the mute is still in place with it. My bridge is like the bridge on your EB-2, a straight bar, and it has "rolled" a bit, so I had to file the bar down a bit in spots to get the action where I like it.
 
#83
These days, there are some very good short-scale instruments available, we all know that.

But the undeniable reality is that the MAJORITY (over 51%) of short-scale basses produced have been lo-budget or beginner instruments. True historically, still true today.

I can't hear the difference on a well-set up short scale with well-selected strings, hell, once you play below the third fret on a 34", you've shortened the vibrating string length anyway.
 
#85
GassieBall said:
Dammit, Drew, I'm a doctor, not a physicist... :) But I think the physics says that a short scale can produce the fundamental note just as well as a long scale can produce. The overtone series is not as complicated as a longer scale bass, thus people claim that the tone is different. But if you've seen my short scale soundclip challenge, people can't easily tell the difference.
Click to expand...

Fair enough. My point wasn't that you "can't" do this or that, just that there are compromises (string tension, string size and weight, etc.) that can (potentially?) have an effect on tone. And also that even if a 30'" scale is a perfectly reasonable (or even desirable) compromise, you can't keep reducing the scale length and not have things get unreasonable. Thus a bias against shorter scales.

IOW, my overall point wasn't "Long scales are better!", it was "Which set of compromises to you prefer?".
 
#86
KrisH said:
NICE! In really good shape, too. I gotta say, mine (1967) is very much the worse for wear, but still playable, an authentic road warrior. But the bridge on yours -- that's not original, is it? I see the mute is still in place with it. My bridge is like the bridge on your EB-2, a straight bar, and it has "rolled" a bit, so I had to file the bar down a bit in spots to get the action where I like it.
Click to expand...

thanks. the bridge on mine is original. '67 was the last year for the stud type, and in '68 they went to the 4 way with the nylon saddles so you can adjust the intonation easier. i actualy prefer the stud bridge though.
 
#88
drewfx said:
my overall point wasn't "Long scales are better!", it was "Which set of compromises to you prefer?".
Click to expand...

I really don't see any compromise from the way I play and my needs, based on the last short-scale I played, except for one: quality short-scale variety. I do think if there were more good ones available, they'd be more popular. And I guess if more people wanted them, more would probably be made. The cyclical quandry...

What I normally see in the stores is an occasional Bronco. Maybe an Epiphone Viola Bass, or SG bass variant. Those are fine, but a very small subset of most store's inventory, if available at all. A short scale Fender Precision and/or Jazz Bass that you could actually try at the store (not SX order) would surely be of interest to a number of folks.
 
#89
drewfx said:
IOW, my overall point wasn't "Long scales are better!", it was "Which set of compromises to you prefer?".
Click to expand...

I don't feel I'm compromising at all when I use a short scale but I do notice that my shortscales sound much more even than my longscales. From that POV I feel I'm compromising a lot when I use a longscale.

I love your "that's just a fundamental truth" pun. :)
 
#90
Mongo, I feel compromised when I try a 35" scale bass. They tend to be heavy and there is no way I can span the intervals I can reach on my shorties. Now I could make even more generalizations, but then I would be as guilty as the short scale haters. :)
 
  • Like
Reactions: El Pelusa
#91
Aside from the fact that I do think a *good* quality ss bass sounds just as good as a 34", the truth is I can just play better with a shorter scale.

They help me play more efficiently and more accurately.

I know someone will say just practice more, but with a career, a family and two bands time can be tight.
 
#93
Rant on...It matters to me as an older long time experienced bassist / engineer ( I also design and build tube guitar amps) who does know what he is talking about, gives advice which sits next to some kid spouting off about things he knows nothing about. A new person comes to these forums looking for GOOD advice not BS. Yeah, I know everyone is entitled to their opinion but an uninformed opinion is worthless and could be harmful. But how can a newby or a less learned person tell the difference...Rant off
 
#94
I think it's pretty important to judge each bass on it's own merit, lumping short scale basses together is no different from lumping standard scale basses together, 30 years ago maybe, but these days there's just too much out there.
Interestingly enough, my short scale bass experiences have mainly consisted of "non-modern" instruments, EB-O, Mustangs, that sort of thing. I wouldn't really consider owning one of these basses(I own purely to use, not collect) because I feel like my ability to approximate the short scale vibe with a standard scale bass is good enough for my needs, but there's nothing like the real thing.
Also, I'm not sure if they've been mentioned yet: anyone doubting the depth and richness that a short scale bass can offer needs to play an Ashbory, it will blow your mind, promise!
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back