The short scale bass guitar is one of three different scale types of guitars that you can buy. Before you buy a guitar, you need to determine the type of sound you want, the number of strings that you want, and the size of the guitar that you want. The short scale bass guitar is the shortest of the three types of guitars that you can buy, with only 30 inches of space between the nut of the guitar and the bridge saddle. Medium scale bass guitars have 32 inches between the nut ad the bridge saddle, and long scale guitars have 34 inches. The five string long scale guitar has 35 inches between the nut and the bridge scale, and the six string long scale bass guitar has 36 inches.

For beginning players, the short scale bass guitar is often suggested. This is due to the fact that these guitars tend to be slightly lighter than other models, making them ideal for a beginner to learn to cope with the weight of the instrument. As short scale bass guitars often have only four strings, there is less for a beginner to learn how to cope with.

Before you determine whether or not the short scale bass guitar is right for you, you need to decide what kind of music that you want to play. The short scale bass guitar is very common and flexible, allowing it to play many styles of music. However, some types of music require five or six strings, which make the short scale bass guitar unusable for those types of music. Beginners are commonly detoured from approaching the five or six string bass guitar until they have had at least several years of experience learning the standard four string bass guitar.

Due to how common the short scale bass guitar is, you can select from hundreds of different models and appearances of these guitars. Almost all brands make short scale bass guitars, so you can buy the perfect instrument for you. As these tend to be the type used for training, you can acquire an inexpensive guitar to learn on, and then upgrade to a high end Fender or other brand of guitar.

Once you own a short scale bass guitar, you will need to make sure that you take good care of it. Replacing the strings as needed, polishing the wood and keeping the guitar in its case can prolong the life of your guitar by several years. A damaged guitar will not have as good of a sound as one that is well maintained, so it is vital that you work to keep good care of your instrument.