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Why DON'T you play a short-scale?

#361
BassHappy said:
"Is there a tonal difference? Yes, definitely. For one thing, short scale basses sometimes use a heavier string gauge than their long scale brothers, which imparts a thicker and more bass-heavy tone than lighter strings with more brightness and snap.
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Yeah, I guess a 43 inch double bass has a tone so "bright and snappy" that it is beyond the limit of human hearing then? If you want to prove your point then quoting marketing copy is useless. This argument will go nowhere until someone makes and posts some spectrograms. Seems to me that if short scale basses had a tone that was clearly superior to long scale basses then they would have displaced them entirely in the decades since the electric bass was first mass marketed. Likewise, if the tone of short scale basses were so inferior that they were useless they would have disappeared.

As a long scale player I have both short scale and longer scale yet owners telling me that the tone of their basses are superior because of the scale length! So either Leo Fender chose the optimally poor scale length to standardize on or all these "my scale length has better tone than your scale length" claims are more wishful thinking than "fact". I tend to believe the latter but show me the spectrograms and I can be convinced.

Ken
 
#363
topo morto said:
The better your technique, the more you can do on a given instrument. But with a given level of ability, couldn't you do more on a smaller instrument with the same range?
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You're butting heads with the industry standard. You kinda remind me of someone years ago who developed a better keyboard than QWERTY. The layout made more sense, and someone who got used to it would theoretically be able to type faster. The problem was that nobody really cared. Everybody learned on a QWERTY keyboard, and people can type quite fast on it as it is.

You like the short scale bass. Bully for you. But you're smacking your head against the wall by trying to convince the rest of us that short scale basses are in any way superior or more playable or whatever. (Besides, there are actual real reasons why a longer scale bass is superior for most players, reasons already mentioned in this thread.)
 
#365
BlueTalon said:
You like the short scale bass. Bully for you. But you're smacking your head against the wall by trying to convince the rest of us that short scale basses are in any way superior or more playable or whatever. (Besides, there are actual real reasons why a longer scale bass is superior for most players, reasons already mentioned in this thread.)
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That wasn't really my motivation - mainly just wanted some answers to my question. The basic answer I've got is : "Cos most of us have got bigger hands than you"... I hand no idea how many people have an 8" fingerspan! (http://www.talkbass.com/forum/f21/whats-your-finger-span-995013/). Definitely learned something there.

I guess I would still suggest to someone without at least a 6" fingerspan that they give a shorty a go, so I do have to plead somewhat guilty, especially as short scale basses seem to have at least a little more support (and availability) than non-qwerty keyboards...
 
#367
I play a short scale Mustang, and a 34" scale Jaguar as my main basses. I have no problems with playing either, and frequently switch between the two. Next gig I'm planning on the Mustang, but as far as it goes, I don't notice a difference in sound generally enough for it to make a difference which I take.

A good quality PJ set up in a Fender short scale would be great, considering modding one of those SS Squier Jags but I haven't had the opportunity to try one yet.
 
#369
Nothing wrong with a short scale.

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#370
topo morto said:
That wasn't really my motivation - mainly just wanted some answers to my question. The basic answer I've got is : "Cos most of us have got bigger hands than you"... I hand no idea how many people have an 8" fingerspan! (http://www.talkbass.com/forum/f21/whats-your-finger-span-995013/). Definitely learned something there.

I guess I would still suggest to someone without at least a 6" fingerspan that they give a shorty a go, so I do have to plead somewhat guilty, especially as short scale basses seem to have at least a little more support (and availability) than non-qwerty keyboards...
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Well for me the answer is obviously because using the finger-stretch test, I do 6 7/8" comfortabley - without pushing my fingers apart of anything like that. Glad to hear I'm not a douche for liking longer scale since I've got manky hands. A short scale makes some triple-stops impossible for me in upper register that are easy on a longer scale instrument. I'm not hating on short scale instruments - I had a really sweet, vintage Vester copy of a Peavy bass,5 string, 31" scale, narrow spacing. It was an odd ebay win. I loved it's tone but it didn't fit my hands. Tried selling it here and got no takers so I gave it to a nephew who is of much smaller stature and hands. I'm still thinking that majority of short scale basses are crap because they dominate the inexpensive,beginner market. A lot of long scale entry level instruments are crap too, but a long scale definitely doesn't fit most 13 yr. olds' hands.

BTW: My hand is going across a 6 string , long scale bass neck in my avatar.
 
#371
edpal said:
..that's the one I generally think of when I think I don't like short scale basses. Just don't feel it, body feels small, neck feels cramped. YMMV:D
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You must have a hell of a time trying to play a guitar.

I enjoy my long scales, but c'mon, a lighter body with less effort moving between notes? That's hardly a negative in my book.

Then again, I'm the kind of guy who doesn't have a firm conviction of what a bass should sound like. I simply play basses, and either it's a cool sound or it's a lame sound. I could switch between an SG, a Jazz, a P, an L2000, a Ric, a Thunderbird, or a Hofner without ever batting an eye. It's more of a case of whatever I'm in the mood for.

Wish I had a Thunderbird now. Man, that's a nice feeling bass.
 
#372
DrSpunkwater said:
You must have a hell of a time trying to play a guitar.

I enjoy my long scales, but c'mon, a lighter body with less effort moving between notes? That's hardly a negative in my book.

Then again, I'm the kind of guy who doesn't have a firm conviction of what a bass should sound like. I simply play basses, and either it's a cool sound or it's a lame sound. I could switch between an SG, a Jazz, a P, an L2000, a Ric, a Thunderbird, or a Hofner without ever batting an eye. It's more of a case of whatever I'm in the mood for.

Wish I had a Thunderbird now. Man, that's a nice feeling bass.
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Yes, a chording on a guitar is terrible. I am quite alright with the decision the orchastra teacher made on day 1, "you're a nice big boy, we'll put you on string bass.":bassist: Just as well, didn't have to compete with my sister who was the violin protege par excellance' I play a nice piano too - have an octave +2 reach, but my fingertips are kinda wide so I have an issue of them virtually getting stuck between the black keys. PArticularly on cheap keyboards where they cheated them a little small.

Lighter body IS on the wish list. I big, not dumb. I think:rolleyes:

I have a modern Thunderbird with the 34" scale. I totally agree if the tone is good then just play what you have and like. Love the one you're with. Gotta leave this thread and go load 12 motorcycles in the rain.:help:
 
#375
mtsens1 said:
I say to each their own. To put down one or the other usually comes from those who cant play well. If you have short fingers, arms, both, or just dig less weight and a great sound, go for a medium or short scale. These famous players did;

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
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Great link. No doubt (as Paul and Stanley play shorts) that it is a tone and fret feel issue, not a skill issue..... just like guitar players choose shorter scale Gibsons vs longer scale Fenders (24.75 vs 25.5") EVEN if they're using the same pickups, as many do now, the harmonics are different, and there is more room to cram your fat fingers into upper frets in a Fender.
 
#376
I'm with DrSpunkwater. Scale length doesn't make a difference for me. Friday night jams with some friends I was going from my Thunderbird to a Longhorn to a Kala u-bass. I don't have discriminating taste in instruments as some others do. I wish I did. For me ,if it has 4 strings, sounds good and has a decent setup i'm a happy camper. I wish I had the magic touch that others have and can distinguish little nuances in instruments that really make a difference. Thats a gift that i'm not blessed with.
 
#377
I had tried a short-scale bass (Squier VM Mustang Bass) because I was straining my fingers from playing a long-scale bass (Squier Standard Jazz Bass) despite playing for almost a year, but then I found that while it was easier to play the lower frets, the higher frets were uncomfortable (and I had a limited tonal variety, but that's not the point of this post), so I am now going to try a medium-scale bass (SX Jazz Bass) and see if that does it.
 
#378
DrSpunkwater said:
I'm curious now how many people on TB play guitar in addition to bass. Cause I sure do. Wish I had my Paisley Tele finished instead of being in pieces.

Short scale basses. Just another flavor in the scheme of things.
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Two 34" basses, one 25.5" (I think) Telecaster, and whatever the heck my Taylor acoustic is. I found minimal difference between 35" and 34" on bass but it took me a while to adjust to a Fender-style guitar from a Gibson style. Probably because I move my left hand around on bass for single notes but stretch more for chord patterns on guitar.
 
#379
1stnamebassist said:
I'm with DrSpunkwater. Scale length doesn't make a difference for me. Friday night jams with some friends I was going from my Thunderbird to a Longhorn to a Kala u-bass. I don't have discriminating taste in instruments as some others do. I wish I did. For me ,if it has 4 strings, sounds good and has a decent setup i'm a happy camper. I wish I had the magic touch that others have and can distinguish little nuances in instruments that really make a difference. Thats a gift that i'm not blessed with.
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Maybe we're the ones who have the gift. There ought to be a club for guys like us.
 
#380
mtsens1 said:
To put down one or the other usually comes from those who cant play well.
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Could also be that people who care about scale length are the better players - so good they notice any little thing impeding their success at doing so. Might depend on what kind of material you play - country/blues, primal death metal or CHristian contemporary it probably doesn't matter since you have lots of time between notes or fewer note changes. For playing fast rock, technical jazz,etc. one plays best on something that feel perfect in their hands. A short scale will never feel right in my paws. I'm not putting them down, I'm sure there are some great ones.

But thanks for assuming our playing sucks.
 

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