Bass Guitar Scale Length – Stretching Too Far?
The length of the neck on a bass guitar is one of those curious variables that make the bass such a varied instrument. You don’t hear of long scale or short scale violins do you? Ok, now I’m worried incase someone comes out of the woodwork to prove me wrong! I’m no expert on violins, so let’s stick to bass!
Scale length refers to the length of the vibrating bit of the string (from the nut down to the bridge). Despite the general metrification of the world, it is usually measured in good-old inches, with 34 inches being the most common scale length for a bass. It hasn’t always been that way. Back when I first started playing bass, it wasn’t uncommon to find short scale 30 inch basses in music shops, as well as the occasional medium scale 32 inch bass.
The long scale 34 inch bass dominates as the standard these days for a range of reasons. A longer scale length means higher tension and/or thinner strings can be used, generally producing a better tone. Intonation is also less tricky at longer scale lengths (keeping the bass in tune across different notes). 5 string basses are often made in the slightly longer 35 inch scale length. This helps to keep the low B from being too flabby and gives a punchier sound in the view of many.
It was probably Overwater who first pushed things further, introducing the 36 inch scale, and today the longest scale length I know of in production is the Dingwall fanned-fret bass, which has a scale length of 37 inches, but only on one side of the fretboard! A longer scale length also means more space between each fret (read: bigger finger stretches for octaves and the like), which is why many players like to stick with a 34″ scale.
Think of those on upright bass, where a 41″ scale length is very common. Of course it is a different playing style, but you can see why double bass players user fingers 1 and 4 for playing octaves – you need that reach. Which length is best for you? Well, if you have extra-big hands, the world is your oyster. If not, then sticking with a 34″ scale probably makes the most sense. It gives a broad choice of basses. That said, if you are in the 5+ string club, check out a 35″ scale and see if it is to your liking. Remember, if you are using a longer scale length you’ll need to check that any strings you buy are long enough to fit your bass.
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I mainly use Warwick Thumb basses, which have a 34″ scale. I find that basses with a shorter scale are less responsive and have less attack.
Interestingly, as an upright player I tend to use upright fingering (ie; not using the 3rd finger) on bass guitar too, unless I’m playing something particularly fast. I think this approach is quite common with upright players.
When I had my FNA 5-string made, I went for the longer scale 35″ neck, which made such a difference on the B-string. I think if you’re playing a fiver you really need the extra length for added stability and tone.
Thanks, Simon. That upright technique does seem to work nicely doesn’t it? It took me a while to get over my ‘one finger per fret’ hand ups, but once I did, it is much more gentle on the hand – stretch and strain isn’t a good thing.
[...] post was kicked off by Simon Little’s comments on “Bass Guitar Scale Length – Stretching Too Far?” (do check out his blog). Talking about extended scale lengths, then comparing and [...]
I have a short scale–which was great for when I started. I’ve considered “upgrading” many times over the years–but I keep sticking with my EB-3 copy. I love the sound, I love the feel, it looks great and it’s fun to play.
The only problem I have is how hard it is to find short or medium scale strings for it.
The ones on it now are overdue for a change.
Hmmm… You should be ok with longer strings, you just need to bend and then trim them… I’ll do some photos or a video to show how in the next couple of days…
-Benjamin
[...] Lakland basses have their own variant on this idea, with a MusicMan style bridge. What you can’t see in this picture is the string ferrules on the other side of the bass where the strings are seated. The set up results (at least theoretically) in more down force on the bridge. It also means longer strings are required (back to the discussion on scale lengths). [...]
[...] is a fan fret design (mentioned back in Bass Guitar Scale Length). The scale length is longer for the lower strings, shorter for the higher ones. This gives an [...]
[...] Bass Guitar Scale Length – Stretching Too Far [...]
[...] the neck too. Because it has an increadibly short-scale (at 18 inches – compare that with a normal bass scale length!), it can be quite hard to get the intonation right – a little bit of a wobble puts you half a [...]
Hi, quick question. Ive been playing a 34″ (my first bass) for over a year now, and my fingers have stretched but nowhere near enough. At the top end of the bass (frets 1-5) I can only span 3 frets (even this requires stretching), so playing anything that covers four frets requires alot of jumping around and is quite painful.
Do you reckon my fingers will stretch anymore or should I just buy a 30-32″?
I can play fine from fret 6 and downwards, and the width of the neck is not a problem.
Hi Rich – their are a couple of ways around that issue – other than buying a shorter scale bass… Let me get out my camera and I’ll write a post to show what they are.
[...] that further up. That can make it quite uncomfortable for many. Rich posed this question on “Bass Guitar Scale Length – Stretching Too Far?“: I’ve been playing a 34″ (my first bass) for over a year now, and my fingers [...]
I CAN REACH EXACTLY 4 FRETS FROM FINGER 1 TO FINGER 4 ON A 34IN 5 STRING. I WOULD LIKE TO TRY A 35IN FOR THE TIGHTER B STRING. WOULD I BE A CANDIDATE FOR A 35IN?
The difference in fret distance is just a couple of millimeters, so don’t worry. You only need to worry if you have short arms, because it’s an extra ” stretch.
There are multiple scales for violins. However, they aren’t called short or long scale, they use fractions, 4/4 being the “full sized.” Many children start out on 3/4 or 1/2. The fraction has no actual bearing on the relationship between violin (or scale) sizes.
Haven’t been bassing recently due to bad carpal tunnel (a bit of a nuisance when your only 19!). Its actually not related to the bass playing (found out its due to a back problem I have), but I’m still thinking downsizing will only be a good thing.
Great info for the ladies amongst us that play the base here, certainty a 34″ will be more suited to most and a lot easier to get you hands around. I find that as a beginner it’s a lot easier to practice and learn to play with a shorter neck