Scale length

charlyg · Post by **charlyg** » Sat Jun 30, 2007 2:08 pm

At the risk of sounding completely stupid, why would someone change the scale length of a bass?

My 72 EBO has a Badass bridge that is right at the end of the body, making the scale length 34 instead of 30.5. I am trying to round up all the parts to put a three point (73 but better design) Gibson bridge back on it.

Sometimes my grasp of things mechanical leaves plenty to be desired. I had always assumed that the distance between the frets varied with scale length?

What piece of info am I misunderstanding?

On a side note, It will cost me 130 bucks to get the neck reset locally. So, I'm into it for 400 bucks so far.

jingle_jangle · Post by **jingle_jangle** » Sat Jun 30, 2007 2:40 pm

Changing the scale length would require changing the distance between frets. If this hasn't been done it will never play in tune...

charlyg · Post by **charlyg** » Sat Jun 30, 2007 4:25 pm

Whew, that is what I thought. I wonder what this dude was thinking.

ken_j · Post by **ken_j** » Sun Jul 01, 2007 1:05 am

Gibson made a few of these 34" scale. You need to measure from the nut to the 12th fret to see what you have.

charlyg · Post by **charlyg** » Sun Jul 01, 2007 2:57 am

We can see the dowels that were inserted in the body when the original bridge was removed. We are gonna put it back the way it was, whatever the scale.

charlyg · Post by **charlyg** » Sun Jul 01, 2007 2:59 am

What effect does changing the scale have on tone, if any, everything else being equal?

charlyg · Post by **charlyg** » Sun Jul 01, 2007 3:25 am

Here is a shot of a short scale 72 EBO. Compared to mine, it is not 4 inches away from the old bridge position, so the proof is in the measurement of the first 12 frets.

charlyg · Post by **charlyg** » Sun Jul 01, 2007 3:29 am

I do know the L series EBO and EB3 is 34 but the neck is longer.

jingle_jangle · Post by **jingle_jangle** » Sun Jul 01, 2007 3:59 am

If this was originally a 30.5" and a previous owner just changed the scale length because he thought it would give "deeper" sound or look cool, can you imagine how it plays? EVERYTHING will be off; the note at the 12th fret would not be an octave but could be as much as three or four semitones off!

charlyg · Post by **charlyg** » Sun Jul 01, 2007 4:17 am

It will be interesting to hear what Eric has to say once he gets the neck reset! I bought a complete three point bridge assy online that I should get this week. I will have him put that on so he can give it a setup and it should be good to go.

charlyg · Post by **charlyg** » Sun Jul 01, 2007 1:57 pm

bump to see if Ken meant the L version or something like what was done to mine?

rictified · Post by **rictified** » Sun Jul 01, 2007 2:48 pm

The two point bridges aren't bad. I have both and don't really have a preference except that you have to loosen the strings on a two point to raise or lower it or else you can strip the screws.

rictified · Post by **rictified** » Sun Jul 01, 2007 2:52 pm

Ken was right you would really have to measure to the 12th fret to really see whether it was a 30.4 or 34, ask someone here who has an EB-3L. Dave who moderates the Rickenbacker forum at the dudepit has one. Although seeing the dowels pretty much seals it if they are in the same place as a 30.5. I've never seen a 34 inch like that, just the L's. Dave has said the long scale doesn't really change the sound very much.
Charlie, if I were you I'd look for a good Gibson EB-3, they sound much better.

charlyg · Post by **charlyg** » Sun Jul 01, 2007 3:33 pm

I know, but at 500 bucks total investment, this is what I was playing in 72. It's a nostalgia kind of thing. If I like it the way I remember, I will look to upgrade. I really like the tone of my cii so it's not as if I don't have the humbucker sound. And being a 72, the pup is not up against the neck. And I don't think they made a 34 scale with a short neck either, but I am not an expert.

charlyg · Post by **charlyg** » Mon Jul 02, 2007 8:40 am

Weird! He says it is 17 inches to the 12th fret (34 inch scale). It does not look like the neck is as long as the ones on the L, so now I am even more confused.