Short scale

[adimanto]

hi there i'm Alan from italy,i'm lefty sigh  ,i'm plan to buy an alembic soon,but i have to choose between balance k or brown bass,i have never tried a small scale,it's similiar to play as a normal bass?i need special strings?it sound deep like a normal bass,help me!i have fear of the short scale!

[dadabass2001]

I believe the short scale is 30.75, the same as a Guild Starfire or Gibson EB2. It's still in the same register as a Fender or long (longer) scale instrument. I played a Guild Starfire for many years, nobody ever accused me of sounding thin or tinny. Try one at a store. If your hands are smaller, you'll appreciate the shorter scale, it's a much easier reach than 34 or more.
 
Also the balance K is a body style, and could be ordered with a short scale neck. The Brown Bass typically means an Alembic small standard body with a walnut top and neck laminates and a short scale neck, like Stanley's Alembics.
 
Mike

[jazzyvee]

HI Admanto, I have both long scale and short scale basses from alembic and to me the difference in the length of the neck does not feel great. There is less string tension on the short scale so they are a bit more flexible and smaller frets make it easier to play.
 You do need short scale strings for basses which I have only been able to order on-line.
 
As for the sound, I think my short scale bass has a richer sound than my other alembics and the deep bass sound seems more powerful than the E string on any of my long scale basses. Overall I prefer the sound of my SC short scale signature bass to any of the others.
 
Short in scale length does not mean short in sound.  
Jazzyvee

[pierreyves]

Hi Adimanto, I live in Geneva, Svizzera, I have all what you need.
Come and try it, feel the difference but... I'm righty

[slammin]

I think the biggest difference besides the frets being closer together, which btw is probably not too hard to get used to (wasn't for me) and I have 34 and 35 basses, is the string tension.
 
Do not underestimate the fact that lower string tension can affect not only your sound, but more importantly, it will have an effect on the way you HAVE to play the instrument.  As you adjust your playing technique to the shorter scale, you might be amazed at the new dynamics you are able to get out of your bass.
 
You really cannot play a 32 bass with the same force you would play a 35.  This is assuming you like low action and have your basses setup with low action.  
 
I love my 32 Persuader and am saving up for my 30 dream base! Alembic, of course.
 
I love stretching notes.  I probably over-do it sometimes, but I am so looking forward to 30 scale!

[xlrogue6]

Set up a Stanley Deluxe for a customer yesterday.  Man, that thing was too much fun.  The E string on an Alembic short scale is unlike the E on any other short scale bass I've played.  Most short scales have a kind of middy, floppy sounding low register--not the Alembic.  Fat, tight, and present are the words that come to mind.  Not sure if I'd want a short scale as my primary axe, but I'd sure like to give it a try.  Too bad my bank balance won't facilitate that...

[dlbydgtl]

Anybody use a 5 string short scale that they could comment on? Really struggling with my next Alembic body shape. I like the s.c. body shape but, concerned about low b on neck length. Thanks. John

[benson_murrensun]

FWIW, I can tell the difference in tension of the low B string between a 34 scale and a 35 scale. I would imagine that a short scale (30) low B would tend to be really floppy. When I play the 34 scale I pluck the B string closer to the bridge so it feels tighter.

[tbrannon]

I am going to completely expose my ignorance here, but oh well   I've never owned a bass that wasn't a 34 or 35 scale.  
 
Aren't the short scale strings designed differently to address the shorter scale?  I figured that as a result, the tension of short scale strings on a short scale neck would be roughly similar to what you'd expect to find on a medium or long scale neck.  
 
please educate me.

[adimanto]

seem that i have started an interesting question!i feel my self much more clear to the question,what do you think about the way to buy a right handed small body and turn it upside down for a lefty?it's expensive to do,and difficult to do? we have to change birdge tail pice and nut ....info please and suggestion,mica probably could answer,thank you

[David Houck]

I would think that having your left arm resting on the controls would be a bit of a problem.

[crgaston]

Hi Toby!
 
Tension at a specific pitch and scale length is a function of the mass of the string between the bridge and nut.  So to get the same tension with a short-scale you would have to use more massive strings.  So string construction methods and alloys play a part in addition to string gauge.  An easy and obvious example of this is steel vs. nylon guitar strings.  
 
Practically, though, I can't make any observations about who has the highest-tension short-scale strings.  I use Pyramid Gold flats on my short-scale and they sound and feel fantastic, but haven't really compared them to anything else.
 
Also I would confirm the observation that short scale basses have plenty of bottom.  If anything, you lose some of the upper harmonic content compared to a 34 or 35 scale.

[tbrannon]

Thanks Charles- that's about what I thought, but you helped clarify things for me.  
 
I've been meaning to shoot you an email lately- just haven't gotten around to it.  Hope all is well.

[jazzyvee]

Benson_murrensun, I would imagine if someone had a 5 string short scale it would be tuned E to high C rather than B to G for that very reason.
 
Jazzyvee

[hieronymous]

And I would be one of those people! I bought a Stanley Clarke 5-string with the intention of converting it to E-C tuning. Here's my showcase thread, with links near the top to earlier threads that might give some indirect insight into 30 scale low-B strings. I think that Alembic may not offer them anymore...
 
As far as converting a righty-bass to lefty, you might want to check out Mica's comments in this thread.