In a raid the other night, somebody asked me a question about an Epiphone SG bass guitar.
To me, buying a bass guitar is all about two things:
1) How does it feel playing it.
2) How does it sound on your chosen amplification.
Do not worry about anything else.
The scale of a bass affects its playability. SG basses, I've always found, have a short scale--the distance between the nut at the top of the neck and the bridge, where the strings cross over on the body of the guitar.
That short scale affects how tight the strings feel--they feel a little floppy to me.
How close to the neck the strings can be set up without buzzing is one of the qualities that tells you whether you have a well-made guitar. Short-scale basses don't have to have the strings close to the neck to be playable. But I don't like that feel, and I can't stand the small change in intonation when the string is depressed.
More: When you push the string down with your finger, you want the note to sound in tune with the string when it's played with an open note. Intonation is closest to perfect when the strings can be set up close to the neck.
I like the longer scale of the Fender Precision bass, which comes in a very affordable model. The Precision sound is quite distinctive too. If you want a more middle-of-road sounding bass, there are lots of options.
I do not have huge hands, but I have no problem depressing strings with my pinky finger. That's an ability anyone needs to develop when playing the bass. It's not so necessary on short-scale basses though.
To me, buying a bass guitar is all about two things:
1) How does it feel playing it.
2) How does it sound on your chosen amplification.
Do not worry about anything else.
The scale of a bass affects its playability. SG basses, I've always found, have a short scale--the distance between the nut at the top of the neck and the bridge, where the strings cross over on the body of the guitar.
That short scale affects how tight the strings feel--they feel a little floppy to me.
How close to the neck the strings can be set up without buzzing is one of the qualities that tells you whether you have a well-made guitar. Short-scale basses don't have to have the strings close to the neck to be playable. But I don't like that feel, and I can't stand the small change in intonation when the string is depressed.
More: When you push the string down with your finger, you want the note to sound in tune with the string when it's played with an open note. Intonation is closest to perfect when the strings can be set up close to the neck.
I like the longer scale of the Fender Precision bass, which comes in a very affordable model. The Precision sound is quite distinctive too. If you want a more middle-of-road sounding bass, there are lots of options.
I do not have huge hands, but I have no problem depressing strings with my pinky finger. That's an ability anyone needs to develop when playing the bass. It's not so necessary on short-scale basses though.
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