Scale Length

fronobulax

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Over here I seem to be the only person who would even consider a short scale bass. :shock:

I know there is a different sound/tone from those extra 4 inches of scale length. I also note that Jack "Mr. Starfire" Casady's signature bass is a long scale so there must be something to it. String tension makes a difference in playability. And, if your vocalist is a wuss and you have to tune down so he can do "Immigrant Song" I can see why long is better.

But for a beginner?

I'm thinking that it has to be easy to play. The beginner will never get better if it hurts to practice so hand size ought to be a factor.

I admit that I have small hands for a six footer and I also suspect my one finger per fret LHS technique borders on unorthodox, but am I really alone in suggesting hand size is a reason to consider the short scale?

(I think I need to get my Starfire I refinished in pink and add a "Hello Kitty" motif...)
 

hieronymous

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I have really come to love short scale basses - 3 Gibsons and a Starfire I bass are proof of that - but unless someone really has trouble with long scale, I think it would make sense to start with a long scale bass. I played long scale basses with no problem starting at age 14 or 15 - actually my first bass might have been 30" scale (a Greco EB-0 copy), but when I switched to long scale soon afterwards I didn't even know the difference. Plus, a few years ago I had a 36" scale bass that was really fun to play. And that's nothing compared to an upright bass!

The main reason for me is I think that learning on and being able to play a long scale bass will be less limiting in the long run - there just aren't very many short scale basses to choose from.

But my bass of choice these days is a 30" scale Gibson Les Paul Triumph bass, and I have no problem with the low end. But I don't tune down either, and these days a lot of people do, so that's another factor to take into consideration. Plus, it'll be easier to get strings with a long scale!
 

danerectal

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I really like the sound and feel of a short scale bass. I just thought since Graham said the character in question was tall, he may want a ls. I'm about 6'7" and a short scale bass can feel a whole lot like a regular guitar scale if you've even touched a long scale. I have to say though, if one is tuning to drop-D, a shorty can start to sound a little sloppy. I should say that I started on a long scale to put my words into perspective.
 

jp

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You're not alone frono. I like each instrument for what it is. I love Fender Jazz and P-basses. But I also love the woody thunk of hollowbody basses, so according to GoG, I am a sissy! (Step off, Kurt, or I'll give you such a pinch!)

I have a hollow body and a semi-hollow, both short scale. I'm not a very tall guy either, so they work very well for me. Reach and string tension don't bother me, since I also play upright, but I think the shorter scale and lower string tension has a lot to do with the tonal character each of them has.

Plus, I think I look ridiculous with huge basses.
119-huge-bass.jpg
 

fronobulax

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The Guilds of Grot said:
jp said:
...so according to GoG, I am a sissy!
Please realize that the opinions in my post were from the viewpoint of a 16 year old hormone driven rocker-to-be!

Isn't that a description of yourself? :lol:

(Actually, I thought the post was spot on and a pretty good analysis, but hey...)
 

Happy Face

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Guess I have to come down on Frono's side on this.

"I'm thinking that it has to be easy to play. The beginner will never get better if it hurts to practice so hand size ought to be a factor."

Anything to keep the frustration level down will help a kid stay with it. There are small scale violins as well. But then, maybe the urge to be s stud bass playing rock star is enough to keep a young lad on track. :D

I learned on a P-bass, but my speed made a quantun leap when i jumped to an EB-3.
Now I swap between short and long scale basses, depending on the song we are playing. Best of both worlds.
 

jp

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fronobulax said:
jp said:
Plus, I think I look ridiculous with huge basses.

ROFL. I'll bet you get a lot of practice with scales...
:lol:
fronobulax said:
The Guilds of Grot said:
jp said:
...so according to GoG, I am a sissy!
Please realize that the opinions in my post were from the viewpoint of a 16 year old hormone driven rocker-to-be!

Isn't that a description of yourself? :lol:

(Actually, I thought the post was spot on and a pretty good analysis, but hey...)
+1
 

krysh

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don't worry frono,
as in real life it is not about length, but passion and ability. :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen:
 

jp

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Unfortunately, that's not me. I wish I could claim to have bagged those monsters. This is actually a pic from coastie-ville around Three Kings Island. NZ is famous for giant deep sea bass.

species-bass.jpg
bass.jpg
 

Default

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comes with a 55 gallon drum of coleslaw and hushpuppies the size of basketballs!
 

mgod

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Fish aside, I find that scale length is never an issue. You just play whatever's there and play it how it wants to to be played rather then trying to force your will on it.

DS
 
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