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Why isn't 33" scale more popular?

#61
My first guess it's not enough of a difference from 34" for a lot of people.

35" has the reputation for a great B, 32" is known for the easier playability while still sounding like a 34", 30" has a tone all its own and a reputation for sweeter sounding high notes and good tone on the D, G, and C strings. I've never heard an attribute around the 33", other than its the Rick length.
 
#62
blue4 said:
My first guess it's not enough of a difference from 34" for a lot of people.

35" has the reputation for a great B, 32" is known for the easier playability while still sounding like a 34", 30" has a tone all its own and a reputation for sweeter sounding high notes and good tone on the D, G, and C strings. I've never heard an attribute around the 33", other than its the Rick length.
Click to expand...

Have you played a 33" scale bass?

I owned (2) Ricks, and truthfully wasn't even aware that they were less than 34".

The Aria Pro II 33' scale IG Bass which I own is a Japanese-built absolutely top-tier bass and it has a MAJOR difference in feel over a long-scale.

The + is that it does not give me the down-sized feel that a medium and certainly a short-scale bass does.
YMMV.
It has the heft and "hang" of a long-scale, but with just enough difference to offer a lot of advantages, mostly in its ergonomic feel, and ease of facility, especially with the neck profile on this bass, a tad-slimmer than a Jazz width.
Amazing combination.
This particular model is offered in a different finish, in long-scale. I would, with this bass, go for the 33" all day long, and would love to play other builders versions of 33" if offered.
 
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#64
B-line said:
Have you played a 33" scale bass?

I owned (2) Ricks, and truthfully wasn't even aware that they were less than 34".

The Aria Pro II 33' scale IG Bass which I own is a Japanese-built absolutely top-tier bass and it has a MAJOR difference in feel over a long-scale.

The + is that it does not give me the down-sized feel that a medium and certainly a short-scale bass does.
YMMV.
It has the heft and "hang" of a long-scale, but with just enough difference to offer a lot of advantages, mostly in its ergonomic feel, and ease of facility, especially with the neck profile on this bass, a tad-slimmer than a Jazz width.
Amazing combination.
This particular model is offered in a different finish, in long-scale. I would, with this bass, go for the 33" all day long, and would love to play other builders versions of 33" if offered.
Click to expand...

No I haven't played one, so i have no opinion personally on them. Seeing as how I'm primarily a 30" player, I doubt that length would fit my preferences though. I'm just saying that I've never heard of any one particular attribute that 33" is known for, and that probably contributes to it being little known. I would think 31" probably is in the same boat.
 
#65
If you have smaller hands like mine, you can appreciate any small difference in scale.
I have a Japanese medium scale bass and to me, it's easier to play but doesn't have the sound of a 34 scale bass
 
#66
I think it's great that the 33" scale is an option, but I would not generalize to the notion that the 32 or 30 inch scales are obsolete.

Ergonomics is a very personal thing, and while the tone may be better preserved the longer the scale, if a player's ergonomics aren't suited by a 33, there is no reason not to go to a 32 inch scale.

I also think it's important to recognize that if one's ergonomics benefit from a shorter scale, they may also benefit from a sharper fretboard radius.

In my search for the best ergonomics for my stubby digits and slight hands, I've noticed my hands can handle longer scale basses if the fretboard radius is vintage (7.2). The flatter the radius, the shorter the scale is best for me.
 

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