Multiscale Bass, Explained: What Fanned Frets Actually Do

If you have spent any time around modern bass, you have seen a fretboard where the frets aren't straight. They fan out, angled, like someone sat on the neck. That is a multiscale bass, also called fanned-fret, and it is not a gimmick or a metal-only thing. It is actually an elegant solution to address some relatively unseen issues bass players faced without really thinking about it.

What a multiscale bass actually does

Start with the physics, because that is the whole story. A vibrating string's pitch comes from three things: its vibrating length, its tension, and its mass per unit length (roughly, how thick the string is). For any given note those three trade off against each other: change one and you have to change another to stay in tune.

On a standard bass, every string shares one scale length, usually 34 inches, so that length is a single compromise across strings that want very different things. Tuned to pitch on 34 inches, a low B sits at relatively low tension and needs a thick string to get there. Low tension leaves the fundamental less dominant, and a thick string adds inharmonicity, meaning its overtones drift slightly sharp of true and smear the sense of pitch. None of that is a flaw in the string; it is what one 34-inch length forces on the lowest note.

Multiscale removes the compromise by giving every string its own length: longer for the lows, shorter for the highs. Here is the key bit: for a fixed pitch and a given string, tension rises with the square of the vibrating length. Lengthen the low B from 34 to around 37 inches and, for the same note, it carries roughly 18 percent more tension. That higher tension tightens the fundamental, and because you can now reach the pitch with a slightly thinner string, inharmonicity drops too. The high G keeps a shorter length so it stays comfortable rather than stiff, and the frets fan between the two because each string now has its own scale.

The audible payoff:

• Even tension from string to string, so you stop compensating for one slack string and one stiff one.
• A tighter, more defined low B with a stronger fundamental - the single biggest reason players switch.
• Cleaner intonation across the whole neck, because each string vibrates at a length that suits its pitch and gauge.
• An ergonomic bonus: the fan roughly follows the natural angle of your fretting hand, especially near the nut.

It is also why drop tuning feels so good on a multiscale. All that extra length keeps the low string under tension, so when you drop it to drop A, drop G or lower, it stays tight and defined instead of turning to jelly. That is a big part of why the metal and djent crowd switched to fanned frets so quickly, and why Dingwall ended up on so many of those stages.

One thing to be clear about: none of this makes a multiscale automatically better, just different. Plenty of great players stay on a parallel 34-inch scale on purpose, because that even, familiar feel and that particular round low end is exactly the voice they want. A 34-inch B is not a bad B: that is a myth. Pick up a Mayones or a Moon and tell us otherwise. Multiscale solves a specific set of problems, and if you do not have those problems, you are not missing out.

Where the fan comes from

Angled frets are older than you would think - the idea goes back centuries to lutes and viols. The modern bass version is largely down to Sheldon Dingwall, who built his company around it in Canada and turned fanned-fret from a curiosity into a category. Today you will also find multiscale from Spector, Ibanez, Legator and others, but Dingwall is still the name most players mean when they say multiscale. We happen to be one of the largest Dingwall dealers in Europe by the way.

What it feels like to play

This is the part people worry about, and it is the part that turns out to be a non-issue. The angled frets look alien and play normal. Your fretting hand adjusts faster than your brain expects: figure a couple of minutes to feel at home in the lower register, and about five before the upper frets stop looking weird. After a week (or even less) you stop noticing the fan entirely, and going back to a straight-fret bass is what feels strange.

Right-hand technique barely changes. The bridge is angled too, so your plucking hand sits at a very slightly different angle per string, but it is not something you have to think about.

Who makes a multiscale bass worth buying

Not all fanned-fret basses are equal, and the spread is wide:

• Dingwall is the benchmark. From the Ready-to-Play Combustion, SP1 and NG series up to the Canadian Custom Shop, the multiscale is the whole point of the instrument.
• Spector brings the fan to its NS Dimension line, pairing multiscale with the growl Spector is known for.
• Plenty of boutique builders now offer multiscale as a custom option, which is worth knowing if you are speccing a bass from scratch.

If you want to feel the difference for yourself, the Dingwall collection is the place to start. That is where the fanned-fret idea is done properly.

Do you need special strings?

Slightly, yes. Because the low strings are longer, a standard long-scale set can come up short at the ball end on the bass side. Multiscale-specific sets (D'Addario makes NYXL and XS multiscale sets for 5 and 6-string, for example) are cut long enough to cover the extra reach. Most Dingwalls ship with the right strings, and any restring is straightforward once you have a set made for the scale.

Multiscale bass FAQ

Is a multiscale bass only for metal?
No. Metal players adopted it early because of the tight low B and the drop tuning capabilities, but the even tension and clarity help just as much in funk, gospel, session work, pop and jazz. The fanned frets don't have a genre.

Is a multiscale bass hard to play?
No. A couple of minutes in the lower register, about five up top, and within a week you forget the frets are angled at all.

What scale length is a multiscale bass?
It varies by model, but a typical 5-string runs around 37 inches on the low B down to 34 inches on the high G, with the frets fanning between the two. Four-strings use a shorter spread.

Do I need special strings for a multiscale bass?
Yes, a multiscale-specific set, since the low strings are longer than standard long-scale. Thankfully, there are more options than before (D'Addario, Dingwall, DR Strings,...).

Still not sure if the fan is for you? That is what we are here for. Talk to us - we play these things every day, and we would rather point you to the right bass than the most expensive one.