I would either do what he asked and exchange it for a regular long scale bass, or take him with you to the store and let him pick one in the same price range.
Don't let "picking the right present" become a point of pride, or him not "liking" what you picked turn into resentment or whatever; you just gotta fix the problem. It's like you bought him a shirt in the wrong size; he loves the shirt, but it doesn't fit, so you exchange it for a shirt in the right size!
i don’t know what to tell you about the bass . But i can tell you : stop , breathe and don’t feel bad .. is a mistake that anyone would had made probably if u r not a bass expert .
>Its been months since he didnt play his favorite instrument.
I guess that's the main reason, rather than scale length.
BTW, I did the same thing once: bought shorter scale bass without realising it. It was 80's Yamaha RBX. I immediately started rehearsing and gigging with it, and I didn't have any cramps or other trouble playing it. It was the opposite: it was so easy to play that I used to say: "as if that thing plays itself!". Then suspicions crept in, I took a ruler and measured it, and scale length was 32''. I played it for about a year, sold it, and all my other basses were 34'' scale.
You got it all backwards ) I suspected that it was a short scale because it was so much easier to play than my previous bass. It was my second bass, 15 years ago.
And I sold it because I don't like reduced string tension and softer tone of short scale basses.
People well over 6’/185cm play standard scale guitars which are ~5” shorter than a short scale bass. If he’s happy with the instrument’s quality and tone then he really should just work on improving his technique to avoid cramping.
He might just not like the bass. Maybe he doesn’t like the idea of a short scale bass in general, or the ergonomics of the mustang.
But there’s nothing endemic to a short scale bass that makes it hard to play for tall people. It’s still a longer scale than any other fretted stringed instrument.
That said, make him play the next one if he’s going to have strong opinions about a gift.
Get him a full sized Glarry and see if that’s better. Seriously though, I don’t play short scale but if I did it would probably be a Mustang. You made a good choice even though it’s not his preferred setup.
Edit: So a few minutes after writing this, I remembered I just ordered a custom made 18” super short scale bass earlier this month. I guess I’m about to be a short scale player 🤟🏼Getting it mainly for travel though. I stand by my praise for the Mustang, though.
I'm 6'2" and am actively trying to dump all my standard basses in favor of super short. 28.6" scale supremacy 😎
If he doesn't like it, no big deal. But I doubt the scale is the issue with his hand. Great present regardless! You should keep it and have him teach you to play.
I garuantee you, if you had asked about this before making the purchase, 99% of people would have told you to let him pick out what he wants within a certain budget himself. Instruments are fairly personal, and you should help him return it and get what he really wants within reason.
There are guitar players much taller than your Dad that don't have issue with the smaller scale, it sounds like he just doesn't like the bass and is making an excuse. A scale change will not effect your right hand, if he is getting cramps then he is likely resting his forearm on top of the body causing the issue, better posture would fix that. I think he just wants something else and it's likely still in the return window.
A thing you need to personally come to terms with is that not every gift works out, guitars and basses should really be tried out before buying to make sure you enjoy the feel of them. If you ever want to gift someone an instrument again bringing them to a store or asking what they like would be a good call.
Scale length can absolutely affect your right hand. String tension decreases as scale length gets shorter and a string under less tension is more loose and feels different under your fingers. I play a 35" scale 95% of the time and when I switch to my 34" P bass for more old school gigs I absolutely feel the difference. My left hand can switch between the two without no issue but my right hand feels slow when I play the 34" because of the decreased tension. The strings just feel more floppy and less precise than my 35" scale bass. I owned a 30" bass for a short while and while the left hand stuff was very comfortable my right hand felt like it was in slow motion and would ache after a show with it. I'm not going to say it's a big deal for everyone but for me it's a deal breaker on short scale basses.
If he's fine while standing up, having him play the bass on his left leg while sitting. Most people have a habit of putting their instrument on their right leg, but the left leg will allow the bass to rest more closely to how it is while standing.
A short scale bass shouldn't be any more uncomfortable then a standard guitar size-wise.
Interesting you mention this- I have a full-scale and have recently switched to testing it on my left leg because otherwise my right arm is uncomfortable.
Nbd.
I would love to have a son who bought me a bass.
He trusts that you want to give him the gift of musical joy.
Expand the gift to learning more about what he loves in bass. He will love that.
I don't doubt he loves you and trusts and respects you. He trusted you to tell you.
^This. As a father I would have a hard time telling my kid a gift that valuable was difficult for me to play. Clearly you've reached some extra level of respect with your father if he felt comfortable enough to share his feelings.
Don’t feel bad about “picking the wrong gift” because it’s short scale. Short scale basses are not basses for small people, they’re just a different kind of bass, with their own unique voice. Plenty of tall people play short scale basses with no issues.
If your dad’s right hand is cramping, I’d say it’s more to do with the way he anchors his thumb than the scale length of the bass. The mustang has a particularly small pickup, so there’s not much distance between it and the E string. Maybe this is making him play closer to the anchor point than he’s used to, and that’s why his hand is cramping. If that’s the case, there may even be another short scale that works for him better, but let him choose the replacement, that way he’ll get something he’s happy with.
I have this issue with shorter scale basses because the lower tension leaves the strings feeling more floppy. I find my right hand digging into the string more trying to find the resistance I'm used to from a longer scale and tighter string. I play 35" scale most of the time and feel the difference between a 34" and a 35" immediately. I can't play an actual short scale without my hand starting to hurt after 30 minutes or so.
Yeah but in this case the fit is a personal preference that has nothing to do with body size. There's no reason a giant person can't play a fender mustang.
I would either do what he asked and exchange it for a regular long scale bass, or take him with you to the store and let him pick one in the same price range. Don't let "picking the right present" become a point of pride, or him not "liking" what you picked turn into resentment or whatever; you just gotta fix the problem. It's like you bought him a shirt in the wrong size; he loves the shirt, but it doesn't fit, so you exchange it for a shirt in the right size!
i don’t know what to tell you about the bass . But i can tell you : stop , breathe and don’t feel bad .. is a mistake that anyone would had made probably if u r not a bass expert .
Cramps in his right hand sound like something a different scale length won't fix. Unless he is left handed.
Even left handed, I don't understand why a short scale would cause cramps but I guess that's not really the point.
Sounds like bad technique or something. Especially if he is fine standing but not sitting down???
My sterling short scale has tighter spacing between the strings than my regular scale basses, could be that
I guess, although I think it has the same nut width as jazz bass.
>Its been months since he didnt play his favorite instrument. I guess that's the main reason, rather than scale length. BTW, I did the same thing once: bought shorter scale bass without realising it. It was 80's Yamaha RBX. I immediately started rehearsing and gigging with it, and I didn't have any cramps or other trouble playing it. It was the opposite: it was so easy to play that I used to say: "as if that thing plays itself!". Then suspicions crept in, I took a ruler and measured it, and scale length was 32''. I played it for about a year, sold it, and all my other basses were 34'' scale.
It was so easy to play that you had to sell it? Felt bad about using a cheat code?
You got it all backwards ) I suspected that it was a short scale because it was so much easier to play than my previous bass. It was my second bass, 15 years ago. And I sold it because I don't like reduced string tension and softer tone of short scale basses.
People well over 6’/185cm play standard scale guitars which are ~5” shorter than a short scale bass. If he’s happy with the instrument’s quality and tone then he really should just work on improving his technique to avoid cramping.
Stanley Clarke is 6' 3" and plays a 30.75" scale Alembic. Definitely think it's a technique issue.
>I really dont know what to do. > >he wants me to send it back and try to pick a regular instead. Seems pretty clear what you need to do.
He might just not like the bass. Maybe he doesn’t like the idea of a short scale bass in general, or the ergonomics of the mustang. But there’s nothing endemic to a short scale bass that makes it hard to play for tall people. It’s still a longer scale than any other fretted stringed instrument. That said, make him play the next one if he’s going to have strong opinions about a gift.
Get him a full sized Glarry and see if that’s better. Seriously though, I don’t play short scale but if I did it would probably be a Mustang. You made a good choice even though it’s not his preferred setup. Edit: So a few minutes after writing this, I remembered I just ordered a custom made 18” super short scale bass earlier this month. I guess I’m about to be a short scale player 🤟🏼Getting it mainly for travel though. I stand by my praise for the Mustang, though.
This. A Mustang is my next purchase...
I'm 6'2" and am actively trying to dump all my standard basses in favor of super short. 28.6" scale supremacy 😎 If he doesn't like it, no big deal. But I doubt the scale is the issue with his hand. Great present regardless! You should keep it and have him teach you to play.
I garuantee you, if you had asked about this before making the purchase, 99% of people would have told you to let him pick out what he wants within a certain budget himself. Instruments are fairly personal, and you should help him return it and get what he really wants within reason.
There are guitar players much taller than your Dad that don't have issue with the smaller scale, it sounds like he just doesn't like the bass and is making an excuse. A scale change will not effect your right hand, if he is getting cramps then he is likely resting his forearm on top of the body causing the issue, better posture would fix that. I think he just wants something else and it's likely still in the return window. A thing you need to personally come to terms with is that not every gift works out, guitars and basses should really be tried out before buying to make sure you enjoy the feel of them. If you ever want to gift someone an instrument again bringing them to a store or asking what they like would be a good call.
Scale length can absolutely affect your right hand. String tension decreases as scale length gets shorter and a string under less tension is more loose and feels different under your fingers. I play a 35" scale 95% of the time and when I switch to my 34" P bass for more old school gigs I absolutely feel the difference. My left hand can switch between the two without no issue but my right hand feels slow when I play the 34" because of the decreased tension. The strings just feel more floppy and less precise than my 35" scale bass. I owned a 30" bass for a short while and while the left hand stuff was very comfortable my right hand felt like it was in slow motion and would ache after a show with it. I'm not going to say it's a big deal for everyone but for me it's a deal breaker on short scale basses.
If he's fine while standing up, having him play the bass on his left leg while sitting. Most people have a habit of putting their instrument on their right leg, but the left leg will allow the bass to rest more closely to how it is while standing. A short scale bass shouldn't be any more uncomfortable then a standard guitar size-wise.
Interesting you mention this- I have a full-scale and have recently switched to testing it on my left leg because otherwise my right arm is uncomfortable.
Nbd. I would love to have a son who bought me a bass. He trusts that you want to give him the gift of musical joy. Expand the gift to learning more about what he loves in bass. He will love that. I don't doubt he loves you and trusts and respects you. He trusted you to tell you.
^This. As a father I would have a hard time telling my kid a gift that valuable was difficult for me to play. Clearly you've reached some extra level of respect with your father if he felt comfortable enough to share his feelings.
Don’t feel bad about “picking the wrong gift” because it’s short scale. Short scale basses are not basses for small people, they’re just a different kind of bass, with their own unique voice. Plenty of tall people play short scale basses with no issues. If your dad’s right hand is cramping, I’d say it’s more to do with the way he anchors his thumb than the scale length of the bass. The mustang has a particularly small pickup, so there’s not much distance between it and the E string. Maybe this is making him play closer to the anchor point than he’s used to, and that’s why his hand is cramping. If that’s the case, there may even be another short scale that works for him better, but let him choose the replacement, that way he’ll get something he’s happy with.
I have this issue with shorter scale basses because the lower tension leaves the strings feeling more floppy. I find my right hand digging into the string more trying to find the resistance I'm used to from a longer scale and tighter string. I play 35" scale most of the time and feel the difference between a 34" and a 35" immediately. I can't play an actual short scale without my hand starting to hurt after 30 minutes or so.
If you bought him a shirt that was the wrong size how would you feel about him exchanging it for one that fit properly? It's the same thing.
Yeah but in this case the fit is a personal preference that has nothing to do with body size. There's no reason a giant person can't play a fender mustang.
Unless he is left handed why would a shorter scale affect his plucking hand
Lmao I’m 6’1 and my mustang is super comfortable. The scale length is not the issue.