The Short Scale Bass Appreciation Society!

[ped]

On 30/12/2025 at 15:21, Woodinblack said:

 

Not in a standard musicmaster - one tone, one volume, one tone cap, one pickup, one socket, and thats the lot - built the cheapest it could be.

Further research shows that there is indeed a second cap fitted, which some people snip for more treble (I won’t) 

 

You can see them both here - one rectangle (the one some people snip) and a circular one behind it. I guess the rectangular one is the additional one to better voice the pickup for bass 

 

 

[Obrienp]

6 hours ago, Stub Mandrel said:

While a few people have genuine reasons for needing a short scale, the number of kids playing long scale on 'influencer' videos shows that they are not needed by most small folk.

 

Short scales sound and feel very different though, and to me they are a lot of fun to play.

I think it is more than a few people. Try oldies and there are a lot of us. Size, weight and stretch become issues when you have back and joint problems. You might be spared but many of us aren’t. The sweet spot for me at the moment is medium scale but shorties are even more forgiving and may become my standard in the not too distant future as arthritis progresses. At the moment I use a couple in one band because they suit the material we play.

 

I am not always convinced by the kids with full scale basses. They may be able to slap the hell out of a six string for 5 minutes but could they get through a full gig with that beast over their shoulder? I guess Tal Wilkenfeld is the prime example of a small person who can and is a brilliant bassist in multiple styles.

[Lozz196]

Def, short scale much better for me now for both weight and size.

[The fasting showman]

9 hours ago, Stub Mandrel said:

While a few people have genuine reasons for needing a short scale, the number of kids playing long scale on 'influencer' videos shows that they are not needed by most small folk.

 

Short scales sound and feel very different though, and to me they are a lot of fun to play.

Definitely agree re sound; when one of the guitar players in the band I'm in bought a bass IV, switching to a Fallout bass solved a lot of problems. 

I'd been using a very nice P bass up to then but the Fallout sounding so even across the board, ( particularly played high up the dusty end) it really sat in the spectrum below the bass IV without competing for the same space.

 

I marvel sometimes how 2 30 inch scale basses ( admittedly one into a guitar rig, one into a bass amp setup) can separate out so well. The Fallout is capable of being physically an octave above the bass IV yet feeling much deeper. It didn't work like that with the Precision. 

All very subjective and unique to that band situation obviously.