Multi-scale/Fanned fret basses - which brands are out there?

[MrWalker]

Playing around on the Internet in these lockdown times, and am looking for my latest fascination, multi-scale/fanned fret basses!

I have found quite a few, but was wondering if there are any serious contenders in the low to mid range pricewise?

I've found the following brands doing multi-scale basses (constantly updating the list, but the high-end builders are coming in at the end of the list) 😉

• RedSub (a new line of quite attractive models available this autumn, apparently)
• Brice (from Ronco Music)
• Ibanez
• Cort
• ESP/Ltd
• Schecter
• Chapman Guitars
• Dingwall
• Novax
• ACG Guitars
• Acacia Guitars (not to be confused with the old Matt Friedman basses)
• Strandberg
• Ormsby
• Maruszczyk
• Mayones
• Warwick (only seen one Rockbass Corvette so far)
• Kiesel
• Claas Guitars
• Legator
• Kalium (shouldn't be forgotten, the KING of multi-scale, with a 37" to 40" fan!!!) 😉
• Overwater
• Le Fay

Also, to be "worth it", how big difference should there be between the short and the long scale strings? The RedSub is actually quite "fanned" ranging from 34" to 36.25", while some of the others have much less of a difference, maybe from 34-35" or similar. I believe Dingwall has a range of 34"-37" on a 5-stringer?

So.... please share your suggestions and experiences!

There are also a few "unnamed" brands on AliExpress offering multi-scale basses, but I haven't included those here... if you're interested, a search on AliExpress will reveal them 🙂

Edited April 6, 2020 by MrWalker

[bnt]

A while ago I started this thread looking at the low end, and got a few ideas there. Two more names for you list would by Ormsby and Maruszczyk, and I believe AC Guitars have done some before. Harley Benton (Thomann) used to sell one but have pulled out: I wonder if they’ll be back?

[itu]

A real multiscale is a 274 cm Steinway or a 90 key Bösendorfer.

The difference is mostly about your preference and how playable the bass is. How about other details like the string spacing?

Edited April 6, 2020 by itu

[MrWalker]

10 minutes ago, bnt said:

A while ago I started this thread looking at the low end, and got a few ideas there. Two more names for you list would by Ormsby and Maruszczyk, and I believe AC Guitars have done some before. Harley Benton (Thomann) used to sell one but have pulled out: I wonder if they’ll be back?

Ah, I thought I searched, but apparently not well enough! Will look at your thread! Thanks!!

Yes, the HB model got pulled, but it looked quite similar to the Brice version 🙂

It was actually quite nice to look at, but I have no idea how well it plays! 

You're right about Ormsby and Maruszczyk! Will add them! Will check out the AC Guitars 🙂

[chris_b]

I don't know if Novax are still in business, but they are the guys who started the fanned frets idea on electric basses.

[MrWalker]

3 minutes ago, itu said:

A real multiscale is a 274 cm Steinway or a 90 key Bösendorfer.

The difference is mostly about your preference and how playable the bass is. How about other details like the string spacing?

True that 🙂

The multi-scale concept is introduced, presumably, to make the deeper strings sound better due to a longer vibrating string length. So that's what I referred to. If the string length is changed by a very low percentage, I would also presume that the sonic difference would be minimal. So when Dingwall varies from 34" on the G-string to 37" on the B-string, I would assume it makes a bigger sonic difference than on basses that make the G-string shorter to 33" and the B-string only sligthly longer to 34.5". Just assumptions. Is why I ask

 

[MrWalker]

3 minutes ago, chris_b said:

I don't know if Novax are still in business, but they are the guys who started the fanned frets idea on electric basses.

They are still in business, it seems 🙂

[itu]

My basses (33.8 - 36") have suffered most, as well as benefitted most from string choices. Fretless: SS RW. Fretted: SS RW. Especially the low B was a PIA. I tried lots of strings to get the sound that I want. .005 makes a difference, believe me. Scale length is only my personal (physical) preference, and although I do like longer scale, the acoustic sound is now very similar from bass to bass.

[MrWalker]

4 minutes ago, itu said:

My basses (33.8 - 36") have suffered most, as well as benefitted most from string choices. Fretless: SS RW. Fretted: SS RW. Especially the low B was a PIA. I tried lots of strings to get the sound that I want. .005 makes a difference, believe me. Scale length is only my personal (physical) preference, and although I do like longer scale, the acoustic sound is now very similar from bass to bass.

Yes, strings are a big issue, of course... when you mention 33.8" to 36", is that for a multi-scale, or for a selection of basses with different scale lengths? I personally have a bunch of basses, and they range from 30" to 35", but I have no multi-scale basses, and no basses with longer scale length than 35" 🙂

[itu]

Several basses. I do not own multi-scale, I am so old that I will not learn to play such a monster any more. A 5-string took around 6 months to understand and this was very long ago.

Vigier Passion II is the shortest, fretted Modulus has 35", and my custom fretless 36". My next instrument is possibly a 35 - 36" fretless 5. Strings are D'Addario EFX220, or EPS220-5. GHS Super steels (long scale +) are a functional option.

[MrWalker]

Just now, itu said:

Several basses. I do not own multi-scale, I am so old that I will not learn to play such a monster any more. A 5-string took around 6 months to understand and this was very long ago.

Vigier Passion II is the shortest, fretted Modulus has 35", and my custom fretless 36". My next instrument is possibly a 35 - 36" fretless 5. Strings are D'Addario EFX220, or EPS220-5. GHS Super steels (long scale +) are a functional option.

Thanks for sharing! 🙂

I'm just curious to test them out and see what benefits there are (if any). I have a couple fan fretted acoustic guitars, and on one of them I'm running alternate C6 tuning. The added string length helps a lot to keep the low C-string focused. I like it. On the other (which is an 8-string) I'm planning on adding bass strings on the lower strings to double as a bass guitar in addition to the acoustic 6-er. Project, projects.

[fretmeister]

I had a Dingwall ABZ 5.

Aside from the annoyance of getting strings I liked (this was a few years ago when Dingwall was pretty much the only choice) I didn't find the B was nearly as good as the Marleaux Consat Custom 5 I had at the time as well.

 

I like Dingwalls very much, but I am very much of the mind that a fan fret design is only needed if the basic construction hasn't been done as well as Marleaux manage to do.

[Machines]

I've got one of the RedSub Coliseum 6 strings. It is remarkably cheap but of course is not to the standard of the £1k+ instruments. That said, it achieves the intended goals of an extended/multiscale bass. Sounds great but did need some time on a good setup. I think if I replaced the pickups/preamp it would very much contend with the expensive more basses (but probably double the cost of the instrument). 

I had a Dingwall NG3 and whilst it was a better instrument (tonally), the cost difference wasn't justified (for me).

If you want to experiment with the principle and then upgrade later, I can't see a better option unless you find a 2nd hand Ibanez at a good price. 

I put up a quick demo here, recorded on my phone unfortunately: 

 

[MrWalker]

1 hour ago, Machines said:

I've got one of the RedSub Coliseum 6 strings. It is remarkably cheap but of course is not to the standard of the £1k+ instruments. That said, it achieves the intended goals of an extended/multiscale bass. Sounds great but did need some time on a good setup. I think if I replaced the pickups/preamp it would very much contend with the expensive more basses (but probably double the cost of the instrument). 

I had a Dingwall NG3 and whilst it was a better instrument (tonally), the cost difference wasn't justified (for me).

If you want to experiment with the principle and then upgrade later, I can't see a better option unless you find a 2nd hand Ibanez at a good price. 

I put up a quick demo here, recorded on my phone unfortunately: 

 

Excellent demo! It sounds very nice, especially for a cheap bass like that! Well played as well. And it looks sexy as well. You have to agree, as a check it's probably an excellent starting point 🙂 Thanks for demoing it!

1 hour ago, fretmeister said:

I had a Dingwall ABZ 5.

Aside from the annoyance of getting strings I liked (this was a few years ago when Dingwall was pretty much the only choice) I didn't find the B was nearly as good as the Marleaux Consat Custom 5 I had at the time as well.

 

I like Dingwalls very much, but I am very much of the mind that a fan fret design is only needed if the basic construction hasn't been done as well as Marleaux manage to do.

See, this is why I haven't really gotten into the fan fret business so far, because I have a lot of basses with great B-strings. So I haven't felt the need to tighten the low-end up. But now that I have everything else covered, and given the experience I have with my acoustic fan frets, I was just curious as to what the hype is all about... and eventually test it out for myself, one day. 🙂

And a Dingwall is definitely a little too high cost to use as a "test" 😉

Thanks for your input!

 

hmm... makes me wonder... is multi-scale a solution to a problem that doesn't exist?! 😮

Edited April 6, 2020 by MrWalker

[therealting]

2 hours ago, Machines said:

I've got one of the RedSub Coliseum 6 strings. It is remarkably cheap but of course is not to the standard of the £1k+ instruments. That said, it achieves the intended goals of an extended/multiscale bass. Sounds great but did need some time on a good setup. I think if I replaced the pickups/preamp it would very much contend with the expensive more basses (but probably double the cost of the instrument). 

I had a Dingwall NG3 and whilst it was a better instrument (tonally), the cost difference wasn't justified (for me).

If you want to experiment with the principle and then upgrade later, I can't see a better option unless you find a 2nd hand Ibanez at a good price. 

I put up a quick demo here, recorded on my phone unfortunately: 

 

What’s the weight and the neck like? I liked the Ibanez SRFF806 I had, but the neck was too skinny and gave my hand cramps. 

[therealting]

 

I really like the Dingwall medium scale. 32-35” is incredibly comfortable to my hands, and has more of a Fenderlike sound while having a tighter B and a freer singing G.