Why would someone shorten their bass scale length?

[imtiaz3]

Hi all

I have a 5 string MIA Jazz Bass I am looking to sell. However it has what I'd consider an unorthodox mod done where the bridge was moved up closer to the bridge pick up, effectively shortening the scale length.

I bought the bass about 10 years ago and it came this way, and I didn't think much of it until some time later. I don't have the original sellers contact info to find out the reasoning, so I'm left to guess about this.

From my time with the bass, I feel it plays and sounds fine. Things like intonation could be an issue but to my ear I never hear anything that sounds off. I've used the bass substantially especially in some live gigs.

I've attached pics, you can see the black sticker on the front of the bass covering the original screw holes and string holes, and the blue plugs on the back covering where the strings would be inserted.

Despite me calling it out in my ad, most sellers are asking alot about this and feel it's hurting the sale of my bass. I'm curious why anyone would ever want to do this? I have my own theories but would like to expand my view on this if possible.

Part of me has contemplated on moving the bridge back to it's original posotion but still wanted to make an informed decision before I try anything drastic.

 

[RSBBass]

That looks like a replacement bridge. Check the intonation. If you can get it to intonate, leave it alone. If not, change it.

 

[JMacBass65]

I'm just gonna say, there is ZERO chance that bass is intonated properly. ZERO!

 

[JMacBass65]

My guess is that the bonehead who did this wanted the bridge pickup to be closer to the bridge, as that alters the tone and some people prefer that sound. They were ignorant regarding intonation, and thought this was a viable and easier solution when compared to routing the body to move the pickup. I REALLY hope no professional "luthier" type of person was involved in this mod. If so, they should have their tools confiscated.

 

[202dy]

I'm just gonna say, there is ZERO chance that bass is intonated properly. ZERO!

Maybe. Maybe not. It all depends on the exact location of the bridge itself and the amount of travel available in the individual saddles. If the strings can be intonated properly there is nothing wrong.

The saddles for the fourth and fifth strings are installed incorrectly. They need to be reversed.

 

[Pilgrim]

Unless the neck was changed to correspond to the bridge placement (about 2 chances in 100) the bass cannot be intonated.

As @JMacBass65 suggests, it's certainly not that unusual for someone who is unaware of the issues involved in changing bridges or necks to screw up a bass by changing one or the other incorrectly. This looks like the poster bass for that.

Try intonating it and you'll have your answer. Then my guess is that you'll move the bridge back where it belongs.

 

[JMacBass65]

Maybe. Maybe not. It all depends on the exact location of the bridge itself and the amount of travel available in the individual saddles. If the strings can be intonated properly there is nothing wrong.

The saddles for the fourth and fifth strings are installed incorrectly. They need to be reversed.

Sorry, but there is NO way that intonates correctly. The bridge has been moved forward a couple of inches. As for a couple of saddles being installed incorrectly, you're wrong again. Just look at it, and imagine flipping the two you mention. It simply wouldn't work. I have the same bridge (4 string version), the saddles are correct.

 

[byacey]

Perhaps the neck was replaced with a short scale neck, and the bridge had to be moved to intonate correctly.

 

[skycruiser]

Could you please measure the distance between the nut and Fret 12? From that you can determine the scale length the neck is designed for (multiply that distance by 2).

 

[JMacBass65]

Perhaps the neck was replaced with a short scale neck, and the bridge had to be moved to intonate correctly.

I suppose that's possible, but I think unlikely.

 

[imtiaz3]

Thanks everyone for the indepth discussion, some answers to peoples questions below that may help unravel this mystery

Perhaps the neck was replaced with a short scale neck,
and the bridge had to be moved to intonate correctly.

Unsure, the neck seems original, I looked up the SN based on Fender's numbering scheme which suggests it's a 97 or 98 bass. My thought is if the neck was replaced, then this person took another Fender neck to do it? To me the chances of that seem slim, but then again what do I know?

Could you please measure the distance between the nut and Fret 12? From that you can determine the scale length the neck is designed for (multiply that distance by 2).

Did the measurement, I'm not sure up to what specific spot on the bridge it should be measured to, so here is the pic to backup it up if it helps. But basically, the way I interpret this is 17 inches from the nut to the 12th fret. Then if scale length is that multiplied by 2, the bridge should be at 34 inches? I see the bridge, specifcally where the strings meet the saddles is between 34-34.5 inches. In that case, I should be good right? and I can attempt intonating to be 100% sure?

 

[LetItGrowTone]

They also moved the neck out farther, so it might actually work.

 

[C Stone]

Looks to me like they chopped up a two octave neck removing some off the heel of the neck, (check the pick guard hack) if it intonate’s it intonate’s, was 24 frets now it’s a 22 fret 34” scale again. GLWTS

 

[imtiaz3]

The neck seems like it's fine, there's a smooth finish at the end that suggests to me the neck was not chopped. The pickguard however shows 1 corner of it may have been cut or sanded down. I also went as far as detaching the neck from the body to see if there are any numbers there that can help identify the body. I'm suspecting maybe the body now is from a different bass. To me if the bridge was moved up, the scale length should not match the measurements I did, and because the scale length seems fine compared to the distance from the nut to the 12th fret, doesn't make sense if all the parts are stock. See the pics below, I've yet to try and deciphering the numbers on the body.

 

[BassKees]

The neck seems to be replaced with a 22-fret, original is 20. So the bridge had to be moved to be able to intonate properly. IMHO of course.

 

[Matt Liebenau]

Yeah, that’s a minimum of interesting. I don’t know what the neck and body were originally other than not together. Looking at the picture with your measurements it should be ok. You may want to double check the intonation, open string and the note at the 12th fret should be the same.

 

[imtiaz3]

So I just ran through intonation, it was initially off just a tad on some strings. Some strings were a tad bit flat, nothing alarming IMO. After running through proper intonation, all strings are intonated now without issue. So at least I've cleared that part up. I'll update my ad to emphasize the intonation is correct, and as for what version of Jazz Bass this is, I'll be open about the parts possibly coming from different places and drop the price a bit to account for that.

Appreciate everyone's prompt responses to help unravel this mystery.

 

[C Stone]

So I just ran through intonation, it was initially off just a tad on some strings. Some strings were a tad bit flat, nothing alarming IMO. After running through proper intonation, all strings are intonated now without issue. So at least I've cleared that part up. I'll update my ad to emphasize the intonation is correct, and as for what version of Jazz Bass this is, I'll be open about the parts possibly coming from different places and drop the price a bit to account for that.

Appreciate everyone's prompt responses to help unravel this mystery.

Very probable a 1997 Fender Jazz Bass Deluxe 5 (22 fret) neck that was married to a generic unidentifiable J body and they just made it work for them. GLWTS

 

[skycruiser]

The picture showing the stamps on the neck also show it was reshaped on the treble side to make it fit. There is a notch cut out on the side of the heel of the neck. That could explain why the cut-out for accessing the truss-rod looks a little off-center. The neck is a little off-center because they shaped it to fit on only one side. The strings appear to be slightly shifted toward the bass side because of this.

It might all still fit together just fine and feel like a good 5 string J bass though. It looks like care was taken to adapt the parts. Maybe the biggest down side is that black rectangle hiding the old bridge holes.

 

[MYLOWFREQ]

If you move the bridge closer to the heel, you have to use a shorter scale neck, or, you have to re-fret it and the new frets are going to be at completely different locations. I'm sorry to say that your bass is useless. If I were you, I'd install the original back to bridge where it was before.

Edit: see my post #24