Whether for professional studio recordings or just for fun, bass strings are an essential component in your musical journey. With the introduction of extra long scale strings, bassists can now make an even bigger impact with their instrument.
From low, thumping tones to soaring solos, extra long scale strings offer amazing sonic possibilities. Read on for a closer look at what these strings have to offer and some reviews from satisfied customers.
Long Scale Bass Strings: Our Top Picks
Regular Light Super Long Scale Bass Strings
Whether you’re a professional musician or just starting out, Ernie Ball’s Regular Light Super Long Scale Bass Strings provide an impressive range of sound possibilities. They offer deep, thumping tones and clear, soaring notes that make any bassist sound better.
The strings have excellent action and sustain that make playing a joy. For those seeking the ultimate combination of tone, feel and quality, these strings can’t be beat. Highly recommended!
D’addario bass strings: Super Long Pro Steels
For any bassist looking for a set of strings that provide amazing sound and performance, d’Addario’s Super Long Scale Pro Steel Bass Strings are the perfect choice. They offer exceptional tones that range from deep, thumping sounds to clear, soaring notes.
The strings have great action and excellent sustain that makes playing a delight. If you’re looking for an extra-long scale string set that provides the ultimate combination of tone, feel and quality, these strings can’t be beaten.
Long scale, medium scale & short scale basses
Bass strings come in a variety of lengths, from short to extra-long, and finding the right size for your instrument can make a big difference in sound. Long scale basses are the most common type, with medium and short scales also available.
What is extra long scale bass?
Extra-long scale basses provide the deepest, thumping tones and clear, soaring notes that make any bassist sound better. These strings offer great action and sustain for an even bigger range of sound possibilities.
How long is a super long scale bass?
Long scale bass strings are usually 34” and standard four string sets measure up to 36”. Super long scale bass strings measure longer than 40”, allowing for lower notes and improved tone quality.
Why choose a short-scale bass?
Short-scale bass instruments have become increasingly popular over the last few years due to their ease of playability and smaller size. While they may not provide as much resonance or volume as longer instruments, they are ideal for those who want to increase their speed playing or those who have smaller hands who may find larger instruments harder to play.
Which Famous Musicians Play Long-scale Basses?
Many famous players including Jaco Pastorius, Anthony Jackson, Cliff Burton and Flea have all used long scale basses to great effect.
Do Long Scale Basses Sound Better?
Long scale basses offer a range of sound qualities, including deep and thumping tones that have great resonance and volume. The longer strings also provide an extra edge in tone quality and sustain.
They are ideal for heavier playing styles such as jazz, funk or heavy rock, where the creamy sounds of the low strings are required.
What Length Are Long Scale Bass Strings?
Long scale bass strings measure up to 34” in length; their four string sets reach up to 36”. This provides enough space for the lower notes required for heavier styles of music.
What Does Long Scale Bass Strings Mean?
Bass strings come in a variety of lengths, from short to extra-long. Long scale bass strings refer to the bass strings that specifically measure up to 34” in length as part of their four string set. The longer measurements providing more expansive sound capabilities with greater complexity and depth than other shorter scales can deliver.
How Long Are Long Scale Bass Strings?
Long scale bass strings measure up to 34” in length as part of their four string set; this gives plenty of room for lower notes whilst retaining an overall balanced instrument size suitable for various musical genres
What’s The Difference Between Short Scale and Long Scale Basses?
Short-scale and long-scale basses both have four strings, but the length of the strings makes a huge difference in the sound produced. Long scale basses measure up to 34” in length as part of their four string set, whilst short-scale basses measure about 30”.
The longer measurements on a long scale provide more expansive sound capabilities with greater complexity and depth than shorter scales can deliver.
How Many Frets Does A Long Scale Bass Have?
Long scale basses usually come with anywhere between 21-24 frets depending on the model of instrument; this is adequate for most musicians playing styles. However, some models may include up to 26 frets giving more range to those looking for greater fretboard access.
What Are The 3 Different Types Of Strings?
Bass guitars are typically strung with round wound or flat wound strings. Round wound strings have a rounder shape and they produce bright tones while flat wound strings have a flatter surface and they produce mellow tones.
There are also coated strings which offer better protection against corrosion and oxidation but tend to produce weaker sounds than their uncoated counterparts.
What Is Short Scale And Long Scale In Numbers?
Short scale bass instruments measure up to 30″ across all four strings, whilst long scale basses measure up to 34″ across their four string set; this gives plenty of room for lower notes whilst retaining an overall balanced instrument size suitable for various musical genres.
Why Play A Long Scale Bass?
Long scale bass guitars provide more expansive sound capabilities with greater complexity and depth than shorter scales can deliver. The longer measurements create a bigger range of tones and notes, allowing the musician to play lower notes while still retaining a manageable instrument size suitable for various musical genres.
Are Longer Strings Louder?
Generally speaking, no; increased string length rarely has an effect on volume or loudness. However, longer strings can lead to improved tone quality and sustain; this means that even if the string is not necessarily louder or have more volume its clarity might be improved due to its length.
What Is Considered Long Scale Bass?
A long scale bass refers to any instrument whose four-string set measures up to 34” in length. This provides room for deeper notes whilst maintaining an overall balanced instrument size suitable for various playing styles.
Do Basses Have Longer Necks?
No, although some models may appear larger than others due to their pick-up placement and body shape, bass necks all measure the same length across all instruments regardless of whether it’s short or long scale.
What is A bass with 6 strings called?
These are known as six-string basses. They can be medium scale, they can be a short scale bass or longer scale instruments. It’s not the amount of strings that dictates the scale of an instrument. Because modern production standards are so good these days, pretty much any number of stringed bass can be made at any scale.
Is A 6 string bass good for beginners?
It really depends on the person learning. Most electric basses are 4 stringed instruments and, for this reason, much of the beginner teaching material on the market is aimed at four string players. However, the way the fretboard is laid out and the logic behind the patterns is always the same no matter how many strings you have. Even if you have a shorter length instrument that won’t change.
It’s best to try a few things for yourself and make your own mind up.
Can you play bass on A 6 string guitar?
Technically, yes but it’s really not the same. The guitar is an octave higher than the bass guitar so, even if you play the right notes on an electric guitar, it won’t provide the same punch and low-end warmth that a precision bass would for example.
If you’re really keen on the bass guitar then it’s best to pick up an actual bass like a precision bass or a mustang bass.
Are six string basses worth it?
This really depends on the player and what music they want to play with it. For some styles like metal and prog-rock, a six-string is almost essential. For example, a player like John Myung from Dream Theater used a six-string to great effect.
However, for more traditional styles, medium scale basses with less strings might be better because some styles of music just don’t need anything lower than a low E string.
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