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Scale length
- Thread starter lowstrung
- Start date
Aussie Mark
Well-known member
Short scale (30.5" from nut to bridge saddle) is "easier" to play if you have small hands/fingers. They're a good learner's bass, especially for teenage girls, young boys, or for guitarists wanting to get into bass. Short scale don't have the sustain or "piano like" tone that good long scale basses have, and it's quite difficult to find a short scale bass that has a decent thump from the E string. Cons are that you have less string brands/types to choose from, and short scale strings are often not sold in your local music shop. Examples of well known short scale basses are the Gibson EB series (EB-0, EB-3 - solid bodies, EB-2 - semi hollow body), Epiphone Rivoli (semi hollow body), Hofner "Beatle" bass and copies (eg. Epiphone Viola), Fender Mustang, Fender Musicmaster, Gibson Les Paul Triumph/Recording.
Medium scale is very uncommon indeed. I think the scale length is around 32". Rickenbackers fall somewhere between medium and long scale, at around 33" scale (from memory)
Long scale (34" - 5 stringers are often 35") is by far the most common scale. Virtually every major bass manufacturer's best known models are long scale - Musicman/Ernie Ball (all of them) Fender Precision, Fender Jazz, Gibson Thunderbird, Gibson's current Les Pauls, Epiphone Jack Cassady, Lakland. The list goes on. Long scale strings are easy to buy in many different types and gauges.
Then again, bigger is better, so you could always try and find something with a 39" scale, like my Scroll bass
Medium scale is very uncommon indeed. I think the scale length is around 32". Rickenbackers fall somewhere between medium and long scale, at around 33" scale (from memory)
Long scale (34" - 5 stringers are often 35") is by far the most common scale. Virtually every major bass manufacturer's best known models are long scale - Musicman/Ernie Ball (all of them) Fender Precision, Fender Jazz, Gibson Thunderbird, Gibson's current Les Pauls, Epiphone Jack Cassady, Lakland. The list goes on. Long scale strings are easy to buy in many different types and gauges.
Then again, bigger is better, so you could always try and find something with a 39" scale, like my Scroll bass
Rod Trussbroken
Moderator
I'd know that yard anywhere 
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bovinehost
Administrator
I think that's a bit oversimplified. Plenty of 34" basses sound as good if not better than an equal number of 35" basses.
Someone, I think, just likes to show us his long-scale tool, if you ask me!
bassmonkeee
Well-known member
bovinehost said:I think that's a bit oversimplified. Plenty of 34" basses sound as good if not better than an equal number of 35" basses.
Someone, I think, just likes to show us his long-scale tool, if you ask me!
Not that we think anyone is compensating for anything.
Honestly, I've not heard a 35" scale, or longer, bass that had as good a B string as my 34" scale US Curbow. At least, I haven't heard one that had a better sounding B string.
Not to mention, that super long scale 'D' and 'G' strings generally sound worse to my ears on electric basses.
Morrow
Well-known member
I have three shortscale hollowbody basses, an old Hofner, A Danp Longhorn, and a Rivoli.The Hofner and the Rivoli have serious thump.The Dano is a cheap little thing that's fun to play and sounds pretty good too.I generally put a couple of hours on one before I take it to a gig because most of my playing is on longscales or an upright.They are fun basses .Just the ticket if you want something different.
