short scale basses ?

[ahpook]

mr. watt,
firstly respect is due - i've only recently come across your own fine bass playing, but you're blowing me away !

secondly - i see you seem to favour gibson basses ? is it a short scale thing ? just curious.....

all the best

mark

[watt]

hi mark,

yes, I have several gibson basses but I like fenders very much. my moon bass is like a fender jazz and I have a 1956 p-bass (w/thunderbird pickups though - the original pickup was removed and there was a big hole there - the t-bird pickup covered it up nice and has a great tone). I played a telecaster bass for the longes time in fIREHOSE and then end of the minutemen. that bass was stolen from my apartment when I was out on tour in 1996. I had gone to the thunderbird cuz of the body shape and neck access. had to put in a bartolini preamp for much punch and tone though. those gibsons I've gotten on tour very econo over the years.

the little bass I play now, a gibson eb-3, works well for me cuz of the short scale. it has a bartolini preamp too. as the years have gone on, my left hand was really hurting from all the big stretches and the pain disappeared after using the little one. I had to use heavier gauge strings (g string = 50) but I got used to that. it was the stretches that really hurt me. the t-birds have 34 1/2" scales! the eb-3 is four inches shorter! I like recording w/the moon - a longer scale gives you better low string sounds but live I like the little bass for joint salvation. I want to keep playing! I will make any changes I need to endure!





on bass, watt

Originally posted by ahpook
mr. watt,
firstly respect is due - i've only recently come across your own fine bass playing, but you're blowing me away !

secondly - i see you seem to favour gibson basses ? is it a short scale thing ? just curious.....

all the best

mark

[Mr, Wise Man]

Watt:

Do you have any back-up shortscale basses, or are you looking to get any? Gibsons aren't exactly the sturdiest instruments ever made, as you well know, and you certainly have been spaking the hell out of yours over the last year!

The nicest shortscale bass I've played in a long time is the new Ampeg based on the old plexiglas ones, but without the see-through body, and with a more massive bridge and a Stingray-ish pick-up. Really comfortable to play, sounds clear, and the E string has got more UMPH to it then just about any other shortscale I've played, probably because the strings go through the body like on the old Fenders. Not cheap enough (about a grand), but really well built (in Japan), which takes some of the sting off of the price.

[watt]

hi,

you're telling me! this little bass has had it's headstock busted off at least twice - once while I've owned it. had a boatwright here in town cement w/marine epoxy! you got a link or something where they got info on that ampeg? sure dig this little one I got though. I like strings through the body but there is a heavy angle most times on the string as it comes over the bridge and you know about me wrestlin' w/them... leaves them a little vulnerable.




on bass, watt

Originally posted by Mr, Wise Man
Watt:

Do you have any back-up shortscale basses, or are you looking to get any? Gibsons aren't exactly the sturdiest instruments ever made, as you well know, and you certainly have been spaking the hell out of yours over the last year!

The nicest shortscale bass I've played in a long time is the new Ampeg based on the old plexiglas ones, but without the see-through body, and with a more massive bridge and a Stingray-ish pick-up. Really comfortable to play, sounds clear, and the E string has got more UMPH to it then just about any other shortscale I've played, probably because the strings go through the body like on the old Fenders. Not cheap enough (about a grand), but really well built (in Japan), which takes some of the sting off of the price.

[Mr, Wise Man]

http://www.ampeg.com/products.htm?catid=26