🎸 Bass Guitar Scale Length Calculator
Calculate fret spacing, nut-to-fret distances, and full scale measurements for any bass guitar
762 mm
812.8 mm
863.6 mm
889 mm
| Fret | Nut to Fret (in) | Nut to Fret (mm) | Fret Spacing (in) | Fret Spacing (mm) |
|---|
| Scale Type | Length (in) | Length (mm) | Fret 1 Spacing (mm) | Fret 12 Dist (mm) | Common Models |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Short Scale | 30" | 762 mm | 42.7 mm | 381 mm | Hofner Violin, Mustang Bass |
| 30.5" Scale | 30.5" | 774.7 mm | 43.5 mm | 387.4 mm | Gibson EB-0, EB-3 |
| Medium Scale | 32" | 812.8 mm | 45.6 mm | 406.4 mm | Birdsong, Guild Starfire |
| Long / Standard | 34" | 863.6 mm | 48.5 mm | 431.8 mm | Fender P-Bass, Jazz Bass |
| Extra Long | 35" | 889 mm | 49.9 mm | 444.5 mm | Ibanez BTB, many 5-strings |
| Extended | 36" | 914.4 mm | 51.3 mm | 457.2 mm | Custom 6-string builds |
| Fret | Position Ratio | % of Scale from Nut | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0.05613 | 5.61% | First semitone |
| 3 | 0.16369 | 16.37% | Minor Third marker |
| 5 | 0.25749 | 25.75% | Perfect Fourth marker |
| 7 | 0.33688 | 33.69% | Perfect Fifth marker |
| 9 | 0.40476 | 40.48% | Major Sixth marker |
| 12 | 0.50000 | 50.00% | Octave — exactly half scale |
| 15 | 0.57813 | 57.81% | Octave + minor third |
| 17 | 0.62844 | 62.84% | Octave + perfect fifth |
| 19 | 0.66844 | 66.84% | Octave + minor seventh |
| 24 | 0.75000 | 75.00% | Double octave (2nd octave) |
The Bass Guitar Scale Length is the distance between the nut and the bridge saddle. More exactly, one can measure it by means of the distance from the nut to the center of the 12th fret, then doubled. Like this, neck with 34-inch scale reaches 17 inches from the nut to the 12th fret, while 30-inch scale gives 15 inches.
For electric bass guitars the usual Bass Guitar Scale Length matches 34 inches, so a bit more than 86 centimeters. It became standard because of Leo Fender. The Fender Precision shows a typical sample of long-scale bass with around 34 inches.
Bass Scale Length: What It Is and How It Changes Sound and Play
Orchestral double bass has scale length between 41.3 and 43.3 inches, so Fender decided to use the 34-inch scale for his basic models, because it still gave quite a lot of deep bass for jazz recordings.
Bass guitars use various scale lengths. Basses with short scale have 30 inches or less. Medium-scale versions go from 30 to 33 inches, but they are rare.
The standard long scale extends from 34 to 36 inches. Extra long scale passes 34 inches, occasionally even passing 36 inches. Even so those ranges are only approximate.
When the Bass Guitar Scale Length grows, the notes spread more along all strings. It really affects the playability. Basses with shorter scale has frets more closely one to the other, what makes them comfortable for musicians with small hands.
30-inch scale with jazz-wide neck means faster and complex phrases then in average basses. Rather, the longer strings in long-scale bass gives rich tone, but one can not touch them as quickly because of the bigger space between notes.
The sound changes based on the Bass Guitar Scale Length. Basses with 34 inches or more deliver clear, strong sound with strong low clarity, what makes them fit for modern rock, metal and funk. Short-scale basses sound a bit rubbery compared to most 34-inch models.
Basses with full length commonly have more pleasant and varied sound. Also the sustain differs a lot. Bass of 34 inches can keep clear low E during several beats in average time, but on short-scale bass the low E disappears after only some seconds.
The speaking length of a bass string is the distance from the ball end to the taper or silk. On most basses the ball end rests very near to the bridge, so that the Bass Guitar Scale Length almost matches the speaking length. On some basses the ball end is some inches ahead of the bridge, so the speaking length passes the Bass Guitar Scale Length by some inches.
35-inch scale commonly marks the minimum for seven-string bass or for drop tuning. 36-inch scale works well for seven-string setups, even reaching the territory of multiscalefanned frets. Every Bass Guitar Scale Length has its own sound, feeling and use, from 37-inch models to 28.6-inch micro-bass.
