Using different scaled basses...

[dclaassen]

I am working up some fairly difficult (for me) jazz stuff, and am using my wonderful new Spector fretless. I went back to my fretted bass and had a moment where I could not sort out where I was. Turns out the Spector has a 35" scale...did I mention it is fretless? I love the feel and the bass sounds amazing, but I wonder if those guys did that just to snicker at us poor bass players. 

 

How do cope with switching around with basses of different scales?

 

 

[Newfoundfreedom]

I've never found it a problem jumping back and forth with either scale or number of strings. But I've never played fretless. I suspect that that would well and truly stump me. 

[dclaassen]

It's not that bad...I was playing an unlined fretless at 17 (waaayyyyyy back), and this one is lined, and a joy to play. It's actually strange going back to my fretted bass for a bit....

[Paolo85]

That's a very interesting question. I have a 34" fretless that I love playing. I am also craving a Squier CV Jaguar 32". My intonation is already not very good as things are, so I am holding back with the Squier..

[dclaassen]

55 minutes ago, Paolo85 said:

That's a very interesting question. I have a 34" fretless that I love playing. I am also craving a Squier CV Jaguar 32". My intonation is already not very good as things are, so I am holding back with the Squier..

MIne is a lined fingerboard...which helps a lot! The best way for me to get a feel for the different scale is (sorry) scales and arpeggios until I feel that my intonation is there....

[bassist_lewis]

I used to play long scales from when I started to my mid 20s, then I switched to short scales about 7 years ago. I find when I go back to long scales (usually at jam sessions) I have to think a lot harder about where I'm going. My solution? Only use short scales and don't go to jam sessions!

[cocco]

This is something I struggle with too. I had a Grabber that was very slightly different to 34" and I could never get used to it. 

[martthebass]

I use 30” and 34”, I find as long as I only take one scale for a gig and don’t swap mid gig then I’m fine.

[MichaelDean]

I've got three basses quickly available round the house. A Mustang, a Revelation p bass and a 5 string Dingwall. I've spent enough time with each scale length for it to not really make much difference when picking any of them up. In my experience, it's all about practice and I've spent years at a time with each one being my main scale length. But I think frets help me know where I'm going. Like I bump over enough to know that I've gone from 3rd to 7th fret, etc. Not sure how I'd cope with a fretless!

[tauzero]

I stick to 34"/863mm scale for fretless (I have several), but my fretted basses include a 36"/914mm which I don't have any trouble switching to and from.

[Paul S]

Surprisingly, given my general deficiencies in so many other aspects of bass playing, I can swap between various basses without any issues.  30", 32" or 34" scale, 4 string or 5 string, fretted or fretless, EUB.  I'm equally bad on all of them   The only thing that did my head in for a while was the headless cricket bat style - small body but 2 octvave neck - I was initially compensating for a lack of headstock by playing a couple of frets up, didn't seem right hanging off the end like that.  Got used to it in the end. 

[mr4stringz]

I seem to be largely OK between shorties (which I mainly play now) and 34” scales. Don’t know if this is because I’ve fiddled about over the years with everything from tenor ukes through acoustic and electric guitars to basses (of all scales). It makes sense to me at least that may be why I don’t struggle, cuz in my mind it feels like I should…

[SamIAm]

I started out on a UBASS (20.5 inch scale) and now have two short scale, one is 24.5 the other is 28.5.

 

I can swap back and forth between the two shorter ones, but find it difficult when I go to the 28.5 ... I find it is quite a stretch and I can't do what I'm used to in terms of fret spanning with my pinkie.

[hiram.k.hackenbacker]

I've never had an issue with it, nor thought it would be a thing of concern for others really.

I usually take a short scale headless Status 5 string and a 34" scale headed Modulus 4 string to most gigs and swap between the two.

I guess once you're used to swapping from one to the other, it becomes less of an issue.

[Jean-Luc Pickguard]

My basses range from around 21" to 42" I also have 30", 32" and 34" basses. There's no real problem going from one to another. The 43" one is an NS-Design CR5M so it is fretless. The dot markers help me stay in tune, and I would probably be a bit lost without them.

[Jean-Luc Pickguard]

Pls delete

Edited April 16, 2022 by Jean-Luc Pickguard
double post!