Eb vs D neck

[Paddy Morris]

I have 2 basses I use regularly.  One is a laminate Chinese slapper.  The other is a carved Westbury (also Chinese) which I use for jazz and swing.  But they have different neck scales.  So swapping between them plays havoc with the intonation, particularly in the upper registers and thumb position.

 

One solution suggested by a luthier is to carve a new nut to shorten the scale of the laminate bass and make both basses the same.  This sounds expensive, and I would be spending money on the inferior instrument. 

 

I have read that when players hire a bass with a scale they aren't used to, they will slip the bridge slightly off the f-hole notches to tweak the scale.  Do you think that might work for me?  I would doing it on the laminate, which presumably has a more robust top the carved one.  Tone wise it's not really an issue, because the laminate is kept really heavily damped down to control feedback.

 

 

[Beedster]

I had a similar issue playing a 4/4 and 3/4 during the same period, the 4/4 with guts for bluegrass and the 3/4 with steels for Jazzier stuff (I doubt anyone who knows Jazz would recognise my playing as Jazz BTW). I hate to say this but I can't help thinking that - as I found - it come down more to listening to yourself than to instrument mechanics. I'm sure - at least I hope - that others will have more helpful advice 👍

[Owen]

I must admit that playing an Eb neck has me keeping well clear of that end of the neck. If the bass is one you will keep, fashioning a new nut makes a lot of sense. It can sit on the present fingerboard. 

[Staggering on]

The Shen SB 100 that I use for jazz and my pathetic attempts at bowing in my lessons and orchestra is a D neck while the old Czech ply that I play for bluegrass has an E flat neck.

Not too much of a problem because when I play bluegrass I rarely play anything higher than C on the G string and find it easy to switch between the instruments. As Beedster said above, listening to yourself and making adjustments as you play is the way to go and don't worry about it too much. So far that's worked for me but I agree that it would be a problem farther up the neck and in thumb position.

[Bloopdad1]

I'd certainly advise against moving the bridge off it's F hole notches. That's the instruments datumn line (it'll change the balance, bowing geometry, top pressure interaction with the post and bass bar) 

Fitting a nut to reduce scale is relatively common on old English and large German instruments (it's called in the trade as "an English Nut"), it's quick and not an expensive job. 

Many early 3 string basses had huge 44" / 45" string scales, an English nut was often fitted to bring it back to 42" standard. Looks a bit weird and you'll have to recalibrate not to miss half position. 

But it's the better of the two options. 

 

Myself, I'm happy switching between a D neck and an Eb neck. 

Back when many basses were being made there was no such thing as a "standard" neck. Luthiers just made basses with whatever wood was available. 

[NickA]

Moving the bridge will alter the tone. Fitting a new nut will change the scale which will also play havoc with intonation surely? 

 

Learning to swap around is really the best way.  The note you get when your thumb hits the neck heel is a good cross check but electric bassists manage without it; good intonation depends on accurate position changes which is something well worth practising (over and over!).

 

I borrowed a 3/4 D(ISH) neck bass while my 4/4 Eb (ISH) neck bass was being mended.  It was no Biggie.  But I realised that using the neck heel as a reference was a bit of a crutch.

 

[Bloopdad1]

On 07/12/2025 at 22:24, NickA said:

 

 

On 07/12/2025 at 22:24, NickA said:

 

[Bloopdad1]

Getting used to different necks is definitely the best way and absolutely not relying on the base of the neck as a reference point. 

It's much better to rely on your ears and use (for example on the G string) D F and top A as "jumping off points" to navigate. 

That way you can play on any neck and any scale. (even old Kennedy chamber/church basses that have teeny 38" string lengths.) 

 

Fitting an English (false nut) was very popular back in the early 70's and 80's. It just makes the intervals easier to span with your left hand. You soon get used to it (just like fitting a capo right up the neck if a guitar). 

 

But if you can, don't fixate on if it's a C, D, Eb or even an E neck... "Just play the bloody thing!" *quote from the legendary Jack McCormack

[Woodwind]

On 05/12/2025 at 17:03, Paddy Morris said:

I have 2 basses I use regularly.  One is a laminate Chinese slapper.  The other is a carved Westbury (also Chinese) which I use for jazz and swing.  But they have different neck scales.  So swapping between them plays havoc with the intonation, particularly in the upper registers and thumb position.

 

One solution suggested by a luthier is to carve a new nut to shorten the scale of the laminate bass and make both basses the same.  This sounds expensive, and I would be spending money on the inferior instrument. 

 

I have read that when players hire a bass with a scale they aren't used to, they will slip the bridge slightly off the f-hole notches to tweak the scale.  Do you think that might work for me?  I would doing it on the laminate, which presumably has a more robust top the carved one.  Tone wise it's not really an issue, because the laminate is kept really heavily damped down to control feedback.

 

 

 

 

Bit late to this, sorry.

 

What is the actual difference in scale length between the two basses?

 

A friend of mine tours internationally and when she can't take her instrument she has to make do with whatever the venue or promoter has managed to hire for her gigs.

 

This means she adjusts to different string lengths and D/ Eb necks with very little time to practice with an instrument.

She has a little leather patch with double sided tape that she sticks on the neck at the D position as physical marker for her thumb on Eb necks.

Works brilliantly.

 

As you own both these basses you could make a wooden block to a similar shape curve to D neck and hide glue it on to the Eb neck. Easily removed if you wanted to sell the bass. That's what I'd be inclined to do.

 

As others have said, please Don't shift the bridge - a couple of mm is fine in reality, but there would be no gain in doing this as the difference in scale length is probably an order of magnitude greater than what you could compensate for by moving the bridge (and you would need to tweak the soundpost after moving the bridge).

 

Carving the new nut is definitely the only way to make them have the same scale length without commiting to a neck graft.

It shouldn't be expensive and if you are handy is not an especially difficult DIY project, certainly to test the waters at least.

You don't need to use ebony. 

Your Luthier may in fact want to nudge the bridge towards the fingerboard by a few mm to help maintain a D neck with the new nut etc etc, but they will then adjust the soundpost.

 

As others have said the aesthetics may put you off, but I was close to buying a bass with an extended nut which had a C extension so it all ended up looking pretty good indeed!

 

 

Let us know what you decided to do.

Good luck

Edited 10 hours ago by Woodwind

[Paddy Morris]

12 hours ago, Woodwind said:

 

 

Bit late to this, sorry.

 

What is the actual difference in scale length between the two basses?

 

A friend of mine tours internationally and when she can't take her instrument she has to make do with whatever the venue or promoter has managed to hire for her gigs.

 

This means she adjusts to different string lengths and D/ Eb necks with very little time to practice with an instrument.

She has a little leather patch with double sided tape that she sticks on the neck at the D position as physical marker for her thumb on Eb necks.

Works brilliantly.

 

As you own both these basses you could make a wooden block to a similar shape curve to D neck and hide glue it on to the Eb neck. Easily removed if you wanted to sell the bass. That's what I'd be inclined to do.

 

As others have said, please Don't shift the bridge - a couple of mm is fine in reality, but there would be no gain in doing this as the difference in scale length is probably an order of magnitude greater than what you could compensate for by moving the bridge (and you would need to tweak the soundpost after moving the bridge).

 

Carving the new nut is definitely the only way to make them have the same scale length without commiting to a neck graft.

It shouldn't be expensive and if you are handy is not an especially difficult DIY project, certainly to test the waters at least.

You don't need to use ebony. 

Your Luthier may in fact want to nudge the bridge towards the fingerboard by a few mm to help maintain a D neck with the new nut etc etc, but they will then adjust the soundpost.

 

As others have said the aesthetics may put you off, but I was close to buying a bass with an extended nut which had a C extension so it all ended up looking pretty good indeed!

 

 

Let us know what you decided to do.

Good luck

Very helpful.  Thanks.