Multi-scale - yes or no??

[carlsim]

I really want to dip my toe into two specific interests... headless and multi-scale...

 

I have never played a multi-scale before - is it relatively easy to adapt? I would also like a headless...

 

I don't want to £2k into a Strandberg... nor £1k into an Ibanez... I'm fickle and likely to sell it a bit later... mainly because if I like it I will want an expensive one and if I don't, I don't want to lose too much money!

 

I saw the Harley Bentons and am tempted... but it isn't headless. I could chop it off (I do like a build project!)... anything else I should consider? The HILS ones are a bit disgusting to my eyes... far too pointy and the scratchplate, don't get me started!

Sire's ones are available for several months... The G4M ones look a bit ugly too... 

I was considering an AliExpress job and have a fettle... there is a cool looking ferrari yellow Dingwall look-a-like which could work... I don't mind the work to chop off the headstock and convert to headless...

 

Anything else anyone could recommend? 

[carlsim]

These caught my eye on eBay...

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/395687604147?chn=ps&_ul=GB&norover=1&mkevt=1&mkrid=710-134428-41853-0&mkcid=2&mkscid=101&itemid=395687604147&targetid=2361039923645&device=c&mktype=pla&googleloc=1006751&poi=&campaignid=21697381820&mkgroupid=170109506289&rlsatarget=aud-1165553645205:pla-2361039923645&abcId=10027101&merchantid=5426806556&gad_source=1&gbraid=0AAAAAD_Lr1cKRPkSHkVGJ3yNHrkEVlr-e&gclid=Cj0KCQiAz6q-BhCfARIsAOezPxli0SGaLZVOCXUuxbAz1zegPm-qaXbt-IYYCKExStikVl906yMYCDgaAhm0EALw_wcB

 

I know they are probably the same as what you get from AE...

[Bassman666]

My main bass for the last 5 years has been a 35" scale lakland. It is the most comfortable neck I've ever played and has a great B string. However about a year ago I bought a dingwall d roc 5 (blind having never played ff). The fanned frets really take no time (at least for me) to adjust to and I can happily switch back and forth. The 37" scale does make it feel a fair bit bigger but it has an unbeatable b string. The neo pickups probably help with this but even unplugged it rings so clear. Both basses are awesome just different. Dunno if that helps, but it's there 😂 

[Sean]

I was asked skeptic but I love my SRMS805. It's 33.5-35.5. It felt a little bit long initially but not much of a reach and now I'm used to it. It's less of a reach than my 35" Spector but that's mainly down to that NS body shape and the upper horn. 

It took all of 5 minutes to b get used to the SRMS805.

 

I think you need to play before you commit but I'd heartily recommend having a go on one.

 

An alternative is a 145 B string. I swear by them.

[snorkie635]

From my perspective, fanned frets are fairly easy to get to grips with except if playing up at the dusty end. I can't really get overly comfortable with the angle of the frets up there. Maybe it's just me? I play a Dingwall Z3 btw.

[HeadlessBassist]

Multi scale with fanned frets always looks cool/odd, but feels surprisingly natural to play. I've only played a couple of fanned fret Dingwalls in dealers like Bass Direct, but found it incredibly easy. I guess if you have a technique that relies on the shape of the left hand, it comes very naturally.

 

As for going headless, I have one suggestion - I've got one of the Cort Space Bass 5's with the MarkBass preamp as a compact bass to carry around schools when teaching. I also use it sometimes when I play as house bass player at a local jam session. It's got a lovely clear sound and masses of tone for such a reasonably priced instrument. I was sitting playing it yesterday morning when a pupil failed to turn up, and I got 30 mins of paid practice in on the Space Bass.

 

I'll give you a link to a lovely guy I know near Manchester who has one for sale at the moment... 

https://www.gumtree.com/p/guitar-instrument/cort-artisan-space-5-string-headless-bass-star-dust-black-set-up-new-strings-wow-/1492731377

[AlexDelores]

I tried a Dingwall at the weekend and have to admit that I didn’t really enjoy or feel comfortable with the fanned frets. I don’t doubt it’s something I could get used to, but out of the gate i didn’t like it. Especially when trying to slap. I found the right hand felt like it was floating in space with the angle at the bottom of the neck… 

 

That said, my mate tried one and loved it so much he went home and ordered one.

 

Each to their own. You can always return it if it’s not your thing but you won’t know until you give one a bash. 
 

[KevG]

Massive thumbs up for the Cort Space from me. Had one for a year, really comfy to play and great sound. 
 

[Owen]

Do what you feel. I have owned one and realised that I REALLY like doing a side to side vibrato. This does not work well with roundwounds and fanned frets. Adapting to the fanned frets was easy peasy.

[Martyn R]

Yeah go fan fret, just play a few easy tunes or scales to get the feel of it. I dabbled with an Ibanez BTB805MS that was really good to be fair.

Sold it without blowing too much, £200 I think, and I just bought a Dingwall. Like everyone says, they are just awesome.

I kind of regretted selling the Ibanez but it's a distant memory now the Dingwall is here.

[SumOne]

I've owned a few headless or multi scales, the main negatives I remember were: 

 

Dingwall Combustion: Heavy, big.

 

Ibanez SRMS805: Tight string spacing

 

Cort Space 5: Parts of the body aren't rounded.

 

Ibanez EHB1005MS: .....not sure why I got rid of this, I think as I started only needing 4 strings for the band. It's the one I'd most highly recommend.

 

None quite had the 'character' tone like a J or P bass or Stingray, all quite 'modern' sounding which is good but a bit non descript.

 

But either being headless, or multi-scale, (or both), was never an issue on any of them.

 

 

[tauzero]

I've got an Ibanez EHB1265MS and an Iyv [1] headless fan-fret, as well as assorted other headlesses.  I don't have any problem swapping between fan-fret and parallel (and parallel fretless). I'm not all that convinced of the supposed advantage of fan-frets.

 

[1] Vietnamese maker, OEM supplier for Harley Benton apparently. This is the same model: https://reverb.com/item/65877497-iyv-5-string-headless-electric-bass

[carlsim]

I like the look of one of those Ivy basses… especially if they are from the same factory as the HBs… 

had a look online, nothing available in this country… will keep looking!

[Tom Android]

Sire M6 has recently been announced. Headless multi-scale coming later this year, probably 

[BassApprentice]

As Tom said, Sire is probably the most failsafe option for trying something in the market these days.

 

It might not be for you - but it will be good quality.

[carlsim]

I did look at the sires but delivery dates seem very vague! This is a shame as I think I would have plumped for one!

[carlsim]

13 hours ago, tauzero said:

I've got an Ibanez EHB1265MS and an Iyv [1] headless fan-fret, as well as assorted other headlesses.  I don't have any problem swapping between fan-fret and parallel (and parallel fretless). I'm not all that convinced of the supposed advantage of fan-frets.

 

[1] Vietnamese maker, OEM supplier for Harley Benton apparently. This is the same model: https://reverb.com/item/65877497-iyv-5-string-headless-electric-bass

Does that mean your may be for sale?? 😜

[Mottlefeeder]

It is also worth checking where the centre point of the fan is. On my Ibanez 5-string it is about the 5th fret, which is also my normal cage position, so the transition is very easy. If you often play down by the nut, your transition to fanned fret may take longer.

David