Open Your Mind to Multi-Scale Guitars and Basses

The first time I saw a multiscale instrument in a guitar shop it was a Chapman 4 string bass, a signature model for someone I did not know. Since I didn't care if it was a signature model (and still don't - that's typically just an ego tax) I though I would give it a go. I played it for about fifteen minutes in the store, the first ten really just getting my head around things. Then it clicked when I stopped caring about which way the frets pointed and discovered how comfortable fan fret instruments can be. Unfortunately this particular instrument had some serious build quality and sound quality issues and I moved on.

But the concept stuck with me. When I decided I wanted to go beyond six strings for guitar, I started looking at eight string instruments, not because I wanted to Djent, whatever that is, but because I liked the idea of drone notes like you get on an old style harp guitar and I also liked the idea of extended tonal runs. I tried a few and then took a chance and ordered a Strandberg Boden Metal online. The only stores that had them were at least six hours and one province away. So confirming that I could return it at my shipping cost if I hated it, I bought it. Some player friends asked if I was getting into Metal or Djent because I got the metal model. I discovered that there is nothing particularly metal about this eight string other than metal players seem to have been more open to deep bass sounds from a guitar. So, no metal for me. It's not my thing.

The Boden is very easy to play. The body is very light and perfectly contoured for playing sitting or standing. The Fluence pickups give lots of very clean variety and it works well through pedals or into a clean or dirty amp. What is most pleasing to sixty year old hands with a bit of arthritis is the complete lack of pain after playing for an hour or so.

Here you can see the multi scale impact at the neck body joint. It is more evident closer to the nut

So when I decided I wanted another five string bass to go with my Fender Precision 5 String, I started looking for a multi-scale bass and found one from Ibanez. I bought it online from a shop in Ottawa because they had stock and the instrument was on sale. It's my second Ibanez, my first being a mid-seventies Artistwood Doubleneck like the one owned and played by John McLaughlin, although I learned that some twenty years after finding the guitar and adding it to my rack.

Just like the Strandberg, the Ibanez bass is very comfortable to play for an extended period and after I changed to flat wounds, I find myself able to get the tones that I like and without any pain or cramping.

There is a perception that multi scale only really matters if you are going to tune down and thereby reduce tension on the bass strings which in turn leads to them flapping about. This makes perfect sense from a physics perspective, but I can honestly say that I have ever tuned down a bass string, except once or twice on my EVH Wolfgang which has a D-Tuner. 

I do keep a Strat in E Flat but that's a different thing entirely. I like the E Flat for the same reason I like Baritone guitars. They sound different and encourage me to try different things.

My recommendation to look more seriously at multi scale really comes entirely from a comfort and fluidity basis. My hands are much older, larger and less dexterous than Strandberg artist Sarah Longfield, whose work I appreciate, so it's not about hand size. Everyone that I have met with a negative opinion about the 8 string Strandberg neck design admitted to never having touched one. They just didn't like the idea. Then again, they did not like the idea of multi scale and had not tried that either.

Whether you call it multi scale (because the scale length is different for each string) or fan fret is just verbiage. If you get a chance, try one out but give yourself at least 15 minutes to settle in. You may find it's something that makes a lot of sense for you.

Until next time, peace