Comments on: Bass Guitar Scale Length – Stretching Too Far?

By: axemanellis

axemanellis — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 16:53:55 +0000

I tend to agree with Benjamin. I think there will always be innovators out there who are never satisfied with “the standard”, but for most of us 30″ to 34″ will do just fine. I guess 35″ would be my limit. But 37″, 39″ I mean who has arms that long anyway.

By: Michael Manring Explains the Hyperbass | Bass Strings

Michael Manring Explains the Hyperbass | Bass Strings — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 19:01:54 +0000

[...] neck covers three octaves (yes, 3), with a 34 inch scale length. There is a deep cut away to allow access to the higher parts of the (fretless) fingerboard, right [...]

By: Lenard Champlain

Lenard Champlain — Fri, 24 Dec 2010 14:22:48 +0000

You spoke about a few engaging points in this post. I came across it by searching Google and I must confess that I am currently subscribed to your website, it is quite decent ;D

By: Benjamin

Benjamin — Tue, 21 Dec 2010 23:19:05 +0000

That’s absolutely monster Bill!

By: Bill Taylor

Bill Taylor — Mon, 08 Nov 2010 02:40:32 +0000

Carvin currently tops out at 35 1/4″ scale length. You want LONG scale? Knuckle Guitar Works in Seattle (look ‘em up) produces a bass with a 39.55″(!)scale…

By: gerge

gerge — Mon, 25 Oct 2010 19:09:08 +0000

carl thompson makes 4 strings up to 38″ inches in scale.
I would love to have a 36″ scale bass.

By: Vintage Bass Guitar

Vintage Bass Guitar — Sat, 18 Sep 2010 02:10:15 +0000

The short 30.5″ scale was the norm for all Gibson basses when they first came out. Eventually Gibson saw the light in ’63 when they came out with their 34″ Thunderbird.

By: Vintagegibson

Vintagegibson — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 01:38:06 +0000

Great article.Thanks.

By: Beginning guitar lessons

Beginning guitar lessons — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 18:58:08 +0000

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

By: Rich

Rich — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 19:24:41 +0000

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.

By: Violin

Violin — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 22:08:03 +0000

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.

By: Evert Albers, Streeff

Evert Albers, Streeff — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 14:48:06 +0000

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.

By: BOBBY PEELER

BOBBY PEELER — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 17:55:28 +0000

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?

By: One Finger One Fret | The Bass Guitar Blog

One Finger One Fret | The Bass Guitar Blog — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 23:07:32 +0000

[...] 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 [...]

By: Benjamin

Benjamin — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 17:34:43 +0000

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.

By: Rich

Rich — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 14:41:51 +0000

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.

By: Ashbory Upright | The Bass Guitar Blog

Ashbory Upright | The Bass Guitar Blog — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 15:34:35 +0000

[...] 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 [...]

By: Happy Bass!

Happy Bass! — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 11:06:00 +0000

[...] Bass Guitar Scale Length – Stretching Too Far [...]

By: Fan Fret DIY Bass

Fan Fret DIY Bass — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 23:01:22 +0000

[...] 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 [...]

By: Bass Bridges | Bass Guitar Blog

Bass Bridges | Bass Guitar Blog — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 21:45:17 +0000

[...] 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). [...]

By: Benjamin

Benjamin — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 21:51:42 +0000

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

By: zontar

zontar — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 18:21:37 +0000

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.

By: Avoiding Sprains and Pains from Bass Playing | Bass Guitar Blog

Avoiding Sprains and Pains from Bass Playing | Bass Guitar Blog — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 21:37:05 +0000

[...] 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 [...]

By: Benjamin

Benjamin — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 16:19:17 +0000

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.

By: Simon Little

Simon Little — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 16:34:47 +0000

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.