Help Quick! Short Scale Advice

[toz22]

Ok, so I'm in a bit of a dilemma here and I could use some honest advice. I am in the market for a cheap (under $200) short scale bass. I need to buy it ASAP, going into the studio and would love to have it available. I have narrowed it down to 3 basses.

SX Ursa 4 JR RN VWH
http://www.rondomusic.com/ursa4jrrnvwh.html

SX Ursa 3 JR MN VWH
http://www.rondomusic.com/ursa3jrmnvwh.html

Squier Vintage Modified Jaguar Bass Special SS
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/bass/...ss-short-scale


Out of these three, which one do you think would be my best bang for your buck deal? I've heard complaints about the pickups in the Squier, but I honestly haven't heard much about the SX pickups so I'm curious. Let's assume that I don't want to have to do any upgrades, which one would be the best, out of the box deal?
Thanks, I appreciate the help!

[morgansterne]

why would you want to take an untried bass into the studio? Any of those basses you buy would probably require a professional setup before you record with them. If you have a bass that's working, set-up well, and you're familiar with it, I'd use that instead.
I bought a nice acoustic from guitar center for my first band recording and returned it when we were done. I was just out of college and dirt poor or I would have kept it.

[toz22]

For one, I am a guitar tech, so It will be professionally set up (by me). Two, I'm looking for some new tones in the studio, and in particular tones that are associated with short scale basses. Please, more advice on the basses themselves.

[SolarMan]

I would get the Squier. Can't touch it for the money.

If you really want some different tones - try an acoustic short scale.

I just picked up this 30 inch acoustic electric:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

$85 shipped

$20 for GHS Phosphor Bronze strings

$5 for some Danish oil to make the fretboard look nice



It is pretty damn good for the the money! And it sounds great - especially through an amp.


I've spent all morning inventing new tones.

[ajpaul59]

I've owned the squier. Very playable with some truss adjustment. P pickup was good, j pickup was pretty much useless...
Also, much easier to sell the squier...

[hhenry]

Jaguar SS is excellent value. As mentioned, jazz PU is a bit weak compared to the P out of the box. Raise it up a bit and all is good. You won't be disappointed.

[grvthang]

I bought the Squier SS Jaguar about 6 months ago based on great things I read about it here. It was my first short scale in 30+ years of playing bass. I'm very happy with it, stock, although I agree with ajpaul that the j pickup is just about useless. Check out the threads on it here on TB.

[agent77]

+1 on the Squier, nice bass.

[grisezd]

I've got an SX shortscale Jazz. I sounds like a Jazz. In fact none of my short basses sound short. No special shortie magic. If you want something short because it sounds short you'll need something more iconically (sp?), er, short. Like an EB, or an old Japanese vintage thing, hoffner, etc.

Me, I I'd probably pick up a used low line Hoffner. Not in your price range, but I don't think anything new is going to be that will sound good and short.

[Wagz]

If you want a really different set of SS tones, I'd take a peek at a Danelectro too. They're cheap, funky and the single-coil lipstick pickup along with the semi-hollow masonite body can give a really thumpy SS sound, especially with a set of flats.
Otherwise +1 on the Jag over the SX's

[Stompin Tom]

There's some magic in my SX shortscale. I'm not sure if I got lucky or what, but the neck is great and the tone has a nice amount of spank to go with the plunk. that said, I put a butt ton of work into it (a little fret work, refinished neck, new tuners/bridge, etc.). If I wanted a mod free short scale, I'd go with the jaguar. I only played one once at a music store, but the p pup sounded pretty gosh darn good and the hardware seemed solid enough. It needed a serious set up, though.

[ajpaul59]

Originally Posted by grisezd

I've got an SX shortscale Jazz. I sounds like a Jazz. In fact none of my short basses sound short. No special shortie magic. If you want something short because it sounds short you'll need something more iconically (sp?), er, short. Like an EB, or an old Japanese vintage thing, hoffner, etc.

Me, I I'd probably pick up a used low line Hoffner. Not in your price range, but I don't think anything new is going to be that will sound good and short.

Don't go for a hofner unless your looking for that very specific sound. I own all three variants (obviously I need them for my band) but they are indeed one trick ponies... If you are after that Hofner sound, You could get near enough using flatwound strings and the P P/U only on the ss Jag IMHO...

[iiipopes]

And now for something completely different:

Harmony reissue. It has the one pickup that has both regular and the "baritone" switch, which is a switchable inline capacitor kind of like RIC does. BONUS: the tailpiece anchor is at the heel of the body, so it uses regular scale strings instead of short scale strings.

As much as I like the SS Jaguar, it is still essentially a jazz bass. In the initial post, you indicated you want different tones instead of just scaled down regular tones. This bass will do it. Since the pickup is up next to the neck, it will do the Hofner tones as well. The switch will give you something completely different, eminently suitable for signal processing. http://www.samash.com/p/Harmony_H22G...FQKoPAodoGgAZQ

Unless you purchase a Bronco, you're not going to find a new instrument in the under $200 price range. But if you do get a Bronco, swap out the stock pickup for a Seymour Duncan Cool Rails neck pickup for clean, quiet tone. http://www.guitarcenter.com/Search/D...rc=bronco+bass

[toz22]

Thanks for all the help! I think I'm going to go with the Jag. I'm torn between the candy apple and the black. Either way I'm planning on putting a tortoise shell pickguard on it. Will I need a special size pickguard since its a short scale, or is it just the neck thats scaled down?
Just a little photoshop job to see what it would look like.

[mystic38]

still confused over "short scale tone"....... i simply dont think there is such a thing.

[mazareth]

No experience with the SX basses, but I own and like the Jag. The j pickup is a little weak its true, but it works just fine for adding a bit of flavor to the p-bass sound.

I don't know if you're going to get the difference in sound that you want. From my own experience, the sound you're talking about comes from the humbucker in the neck position. Don't know what's out there in your price range.

[toz22]

Just ordered the black Jag. Thanks for all the help, I'll make sure to post about it when it comes in on Tuesday!

[agent77]

I like the black

[Formula144]

Originally Posted by toz22

Either way I'm planning on putting a tortoise shell pickguard on it. Will I need a special size pickguard since its a short scale, or is it just the neck thats scaled down?
J

I asked Jeannie's recently and got this back:

Here you go just ask for red tort when you pay.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/white-pearl-...#ht_845wt_1017

Right now I have GHS Precisions(short-scale set) on my Jag SS and like them a lot. My other short scale is an Ibanez Mikro with GHS Pressurewounds, which also seems like a good combination. I had the D'Addario nylon tapewounds on the Jag but didn't like them.

[knumbskull]

Just as a side note, i bought a Squier Mustang SS and gigged it same day. Didn't touch it between leaving the shop and soundcheck, it was perfectly set, played and sounded great. Good QC!