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«Sometimes One Bass Just Isn’t Enough · Bass Fretboard Map »

Bass Guitar Scale Length – Stretching Too Far?

Posted by Benjamin on October 12, 2008 Filed under: bass, bassguitar tagged: dingwall, overwater, scale length

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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25 Responses to “Bass Guitar Scale Length – Stretching Too Far?”

  1. Simon Little, on October 13th, 2008 at 4:34 PM Said:

    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.

  2. Benjamin, on October 14th, 2008 at 4:19 PM Said:

    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.

  3. Avoiding Sprains and Pains from Bass Playing | Bass Guitar Blog, on October 15th, 2008 at 9:37 PM Said:

    […] 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 […]

  4. zontar, on October 17th, 2008 at 6:21 PM Said:

    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.

  5. Benjamin, on October 17th, 2008 at 9:51 PM Said:

    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

  6. Bass Bridges | Bass Guitar Blog, on October 21st, 2008 at 9:45 PM Said:

    […] 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). […]

  7. Fan Fret DIY Bass, on December 23rd, 2008 at 11:01 PM Said:

    […] 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 […]

  8. Happy Bass!, on December 29th, 2008 at 11:06 AM Said:

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

  9. Ashbory Upright | The Bass Guitar Blog, on January 20th, 2009 at 3:34 PM Said:

    […] 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 […]

  10. Rich, on February 2nd, 2009 at 2:41 PM Said:

    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.

  11. Benjamin, on February 2nd, 2009 at 5:34 PM Said:

    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.

  12. One Finger One Fret | The Bass Guitar Blog, on February 5th, 2009 at 11:07 PM Said:

    […] 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 […]

  13. BOBBY PEELER, on September 16th, 2009 at 5:55 PM Said:

    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?

  14. Evert Albers, Streeff, on September 17th, 2009 at 2:48 PM Said:

    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.

  15. Violin, on October 15th, 2009 at 10:08 PM Said:

    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.

  16. Rich, on October 16th, 2009 at 7:24 PM Said:

    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.

  17. Beginning guitar lessons, on December 22nd, 2009 at 6:58 PM Said:

    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

  18. Vintagegibson, on July 2nd, 2010 at 1:38 AM Said:

    Great article.Thanks.

  19. Vintage Bass Guitar, on September 18th, 2010 at 2:10 AM Said:

    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.

  20. gerge, on October 25th, 2010 at 7:09 PM Said:

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

  21. Bill Taylor, on November 8th, 2010 at 2:40 AM Said:

    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…

  22. Benjamin, on December 21st, 2010 at 11:19 PM Said:

    That’s absolutely monster Bill!

  23. Lenard Champlain, on December 24th, 2010 at 2:22 PM Said:

    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

  24. Michael Manring Explains the Hyperbass | Bass Strings, on October 11th, 2011 at 7:01 PM Said:

    […] 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 […]

  25. axemanellis, on October 12th, 2011 at 4:53 PM Said:

    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.

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