| Author | Message | ||
| phylo
Member Username: phylo Post Number: 77 Registered: 10-2005 |
I see that you can order short scale 6 strings, but I don't think I have seen any in the archives/showcases. Does anyone know of such a beast (or a med scale) out there? | ||
| bsee
Senior Member Username: bsee Post Number: 1899 Registered: 3-2004 |
There are certainly medium scale sixes out there and I know I have seen short fives. Not sure I've seen a short six. | ||
| room037
Advanced Member Username: room037 Post Number: 203 Registered: 9-2003 |
Hi phylo, hieronymous's double neck has 6 st. short scale. It's called "baritone guitar", but the scale is 30". I own 6 st short scale fretless. (not Alembic) The tuning are E to F. (additional high-C, high-F strings). I have no plan for B string on it. Eiji | ||
| funkyjazzjunky
Member Username: funkyjazzjunky Post Number: 65 Registered: 5-2007 |
Does a low B short scale bass have a decent sound? Is it flabby? | ||
| keurosix
Advanced Member Username: keurosix Post Number: 254 Registered: 10-2005 |
I think a low B needs 34" at the minimum, 35" scale is better IMO. My Europa 34" scale has a low B, and it sounds not nearly as defined as my 35" scale Modulus Graphite & Dean Edge 6 low Bs. Kris | ||
| olieoliver
Senior Member Username: olieoliver Post Number: 1772 Registered: 2-2006 |
I'd have to agree with Kris. The low B on my 35" MK does sound better than my 34" MK or S-2. Olie (Short and Flabby?, there's a joke there somewhere LOL) | ||
| bsee
Senior Member Username: bsee Post Number: 1901 Registered: 3-2004 |
Flax has some recent 32" B string experience and it has been positive. The overall construction becomes critical as the scale gets shorter. Quality of wood and tight glue joints plus a lot of mass through ebony and brass become more important. Anyone can bolt on a neck to a body and make a decent 35", but you have to do everything right to get a shorter B to sound good. I had an older Persuader five (32") and it was very usable. It wasn't world class, but it was still quite good. | ||
| flaxattack
Senior Member Username: flaxattack Post Number: 1917 Registered: 4-2004 |
this is true- i have b's on both my medium scales tuning is very precise- thats my only comment string tension is better with chromes as opposed to TI;s i have used both and the sound is fine i do not think alembic will make a short scale B string bass- 1- is gonna be waay floppy 2- you need to use a long scale string since no one i know makes a medium scale B so cutting the string makes it highly unlikely you will be able to use it. | ||
| bsee
Senior Member Username: bsee Post Number: 1902 Registered: 3-2004 |
I do remember seeing an SC five for sale a year or two ago, there may be a post or two in the archives about it. It was a standard with a maple neck with walnut pinstripes and the guy had real trouble moving it. If it had full stringers, I might have gone for it, and I suspect it would have sold more quickly, though I would have converted it to high C. It may even have changed hands a couple times in a short period. | ||
| mica
Moderator Username: mica Post Number: 5173 Registered: 6-2000 |
I preface this with the statement that all my comments are in regards to Alembic basses. Your experience with other maker's products may be different, and probably is. We have made short scale 5 and 6 string basses with short scales. These were for customers who well knew what to expect. Sure, it's going to be looser feeling than a longer scale. Somewhere out there, lives a Stanley Clarke Deluxe 6-string short scale with a Purpleheart and Vermilion neck. This was in the days before I took thousands of pictures, so I don't have any photographic record of it. When someone I don't really know well approaches us to get a short scale 5-string bass, I invite them to string up a 4-string short scale Alembic BEAD. Even without intonating the bridge or having the perfect setup, you'll be able to tell if the feel of the B string will bother you enough to interfere with the music. What I don't think we'll make any more of is a Small Standard body with 5- or 6-strings. It just doesn't really work out for balance. Scale length is not the sole determining factor for good tone from a B string. Shorter scale basses get a bit of prejudicial treatment since some of the medium and short scale basses of the 60's weren't particularly great sounding. I don't think these would magically transform into wonderful sounding instruments if you put a longer neck on them. Materials, quality of construction, strings and setup play a huge role. And then of course, there is the talent and skill of the player. And while I can confidently say you will always feel a mechanical difference with different scale lengths, it's not always true you will hear a difference that you can attribute to the scale length on an Alembic bass, especially comparing 34" to 35" when listening only. One of the best reasons to get a 34" scale 5-string is that you'll have the largest selection of available strings. Pickins aren't slim in the 35" aisle either, but you'll have more choice available to you in standard long scale. And in my experience, one of the single most powerful tone controls you've got on an Alembic bass is the choice of strings. Changing the strings can make it sounds like a whole new bass. | ||
| pace
Advanced Member Username: pace Post Number: 361 Registered: 4-2004 |
I have a SC 30.75" 6'er, but it's tuned E-E. Sorry I cant comment on the B..... It does have some neck dive, but not bad. I was dead-set in my specs, and I assured Mica that the neck dive wouldn't be a problem (especially with a nice wide strap). To be honest, it isn't a problem~ I cant put the thing down long enough for it to dive!!!! BTW, we used a guitar sized crown headstock template, and Gotoh tuners (which I guess are lighter than the Shallers). | ||
| room037
Advanced Member Username: room037 Post Number: 204 Registered: 9-2003 |
I own small standard body with 5 strings. The bass has medium scale, but the balance is fine for me. Unfortunately It needs some repair work, and I will set up for high-C string. My all 5 strings basses have nice B strings sounds. (LSB fretted, MSB fretted & fretless, MSB Graphite) My plans are LSB for B string, MSB fretted for high-C as tenor bass, MSB Graphite for slap. By the way, standard body with short scale 5 strings was produced at 1979. The bass is converted 5 to 8 strings now.   Eiji (Message edited by room037 on March 01, 2008) | ||
| rami
Senior Member Username: rami Post Number: 759 Registered: 6-2002 |
That is just AWESOME!!!!! I'd like to know how the conversion was done.... It's hard to believe it wasn't originally made as an 8 string. Was the conversion done by Alembic? Just beautiful!!!!!!!!!!!!! Rami | ||
| 811952
Senior Member Username: 811952 Post Number: 1352 Registered: 10-2003 |
That's gorgeous! | ||
| bsee
Senior Member Username: bsee Post Number: 1904 Registered: 3-2004 |
That might have been either a headstock replacement or full neck replacement. Although, I suppose one could remove the headstock veneers and fill in the original holes before relaminating and cutting new holes. Either way, replace the bridge and nut to finish the job. | ||
| room037
Advanced Member Username: room037 Post Number: 205 Registered: 9-2003 |
This 8 strings bass was sold by Bunny bass few years ago. Their coments is here. Nobody who looks at this beautiful instrument will imagine the weird and convoluted history of this pretty 8 string, the narrative is a veritable theater drama (or soap opera!). It seems that in every great drama there is always a father figure, in this case it is Larry Robinson - "custom made by Larry Robinson" is printed in the electronics cavity. As you probably know, Mr. Robinson is today one of the most renowned inlay artists in the U.S. and makes incredibly beautiful inlay works on musical instrument for several high-end builders. There is also an excellent book about his work, "The Art of Inlay" by Miller Freeman books, which is really a joy to read. But back to the bass - it turns out that was completed back in 1979 when Larry Robinson was still working at Alembic, and interestingly enough, in its first incarnation this bass was a short scale 5 string bass (!) tuned EADGC, with wide neck and 3+2 mechanics on a zebrawood headstock. I'm sure it must have come out very nice and pretty with the incredible macassar ebony wood, etc., but for whatever reason the owner after a while decided that he didn't want it as a 5 string bass any longer and brought the bass back to Alembic to get it modified into a more "normal" 4 string bass. So the people of Alembic changed the bridge and nut, narrowed the neck, upgraded the electronics to Series II standards, inset side LEDs and thus gave the macassar beauty a new life - sounds like a good ending, but you've seen the 8 strings so you know this is not the end of the story! The following years must have been exciting ones, with lots of touring and stages, hands and cases, because the bass was then sold to a new owner and according to him the bass was not looking very nice when he bought it. Lots of dings, holes from extra strap pins, and some bad lacquer here and there. He also don't liked the look of this big beautiful shaped headstock with just 4 lonely, lost looking mechanics on it. So the bass went to a very skilled bassbuilder and finally got her present look and voice as a 8 string bass. The work is perfectly done, complete with custom-orderd parts from Alembic. The new macassar headstock veneer also exactly matches the grain and color of the rest of the instrument - perfect. Even under close examination, no one would ever think that anything on this instrument is anything other than what it was when originally born, and probably for the first time in the life of this bass the unique fan-like design is as functional as it is beautiful. The sound is so lush and lovely that I can hardly imagine it in any configuration other than 8 string, and the bass plays like a dream. ~harry. In my opinion, the bass was born with narrow neck as my 70's 5 strings. Fan head was standard for 5 strings at that time. So the wood work is original, except the top and back veneer that I think. I was very interested the bass, and I asked about it to Bunny bass. But unfortunately someone got it. Who own it now !? Hi phylo, Sorry for highjack as "5 strings" thread. But I think your opinion is "How about the B string on short scale ?". I can't talking about it. I only said "the sound of B is good on MSB". Eiji | ||
| phylo
Member Username: phylo Post Number: 78 Registered: 10-2005 |
Thanks everybody. Pace do you have pictures? I am sure all would love to see your SC. | ||
| jazzyvee
Senior Member Username: jazzyvee Post Number: 1114 Registered: 6-2002 |
Here is an article I found interesting about scale length and tone. http://www.novaxguitars.com/info/technical.html Jazzyvee |
