The Official Short Scale Bass Club -- Part 2

Here is my latest addition short scale I received about a week ago. Plays well and the quality is great as a Squier goes.

Squier Vintage Modified Mustang Bass:





I am not keeping it stock though. Here is my project progress thread.
http://www.talkbass.com/forum/f8/squier-vm-mustang-project-pic-heavy-809171/

Here's the borrowed Bronco.
All I had to do was adjust the D string height to stop some fret buzz.

Apologies for the messy desk

My time has been spent about equally between short and regular scale basses. When I got back into bass playing several months ago, I got a Jazz (always wanted one) which I love but..........

This thing is LoooooooooNG, particularly on small stages and the headstock is like a canoe paddle. I'm jones-ing for my SG-copy, which is not only short scale, but has the smaller, tilted headstock. I like that smaller, tilted headstock.

So.....I'm thinking of refurbishing the SG-copy and putting her back into service. She's a pretty good girl. But......I have also fallen in love with the neck on the Jazz. What I'd really like is a short scale bass with the smaller, tilted headstock and a neck that is as delicate as the Jazz. Very thin, really, and narrow.

Old Fart said:

What I'd really like is a short scale bass with the smaller, tilted headstock and a neck that is as delicate as the Jazz. Very thin, really, and narrow.

Click to expand...

Try an Ibanez Mikro. Here is a LINK to the club.

Old Fart said:

So.....I'm thinking of refurbishing the SG-copy and putting her back into service. She's a pretty good girl. But......I have also fallen in love with the neck on the Jazz. What I'd really like is a short scale bass with the smaller, tilted headstock and a neck that is as delicate as the Jazz. Very thin, really, and narrow.

Click to expand...

Also, maybe warmoth could make something for you. They do the jazz shorties now. Perhaps you could talk them into a different headstock??

Old Fart said:

What I'd really like is a short scale bass with the smaller, tilted headstock and a neck that is as delicate as the Jazz. Very thin, really, and narrow.

Click to expand...

While they are thin, they aren't THAT narrow... but in every other way you described, a Gretsch is just what the doctor ordered:

I have this one: G2202:


Harder to find, and more expensive, G1222:
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But now, Gretsch is branding them as the G2210 and G2220, respectively:






Also, i also liked the Jazz, but wanted a shorter neck... so i got an SX ss Jaguar, and i. am. in. love.:

Old Fart said:

...What I'd really like is a short scale bass with the smaller, tilted headstock and a neck that is as delicate as the Jazz. Very thin, really, and narrow.

Click to expand...

Try a Landing: L30T is the Jazz type model (see link)



Link Removed

Old Fart said:

My time has been spent about equally between short and regular scale basses. When I got back into bass playing several months ago, I got a Jazz (always wanted one) which I love but..........

This thing is LoooooooooNG, particularly on small stages and the headstock is like a canoe paddle. I'm jones-ing for my SG-copy, which is not only short scale, but has the smaller, tilted headstock. I like that smaller, tilted headstock.

So.....I'm thinking of refurbishing the SG-copy and putting her back into service. She's a pretty good girl. But......I have also fallen in love with the neck on the Jazz. What I'd really like is a short scale bass with the smaller, tilted headstock and a neck that is as delicate as the Jazz. Very thin, really, and narrow.

Click to expand...

As long as everyone else is suggesting alternative shorties, let me add Hofner to the list. They have short, small, tilted headstocks and the necks are narrow--but the taper may be different from what you are used to. The width at the nut is more like a P, but they have a narrow bridge (something less than 15 mm string spacing), which results in a neck that has "average" width at the nut but becomes quite narrow at the 12th fret and beyond. If you are at all interested, you should check one out in person to see how it handles and how much "room" it takes up when you put it on a strap. Hofners also have a unique fundamental-heavy tone.

DWest1981 said:

Hello, my name is #256 and I am a shortieholic.
Invalid Link Removed
All the best,
DW

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Please tell me more about the white Tele bass! Got any close up pics? That's just awesome!

shannons said:

Please tell me more about the white Tele bass! Got any close up pics? That's just awesome!

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Oh, okay! Yes, it is awesome. Not white though, it's a light sonic blue that's getting washed out by the bad lighting.

That's what is now known as a Invalid Link Removed and is kind of a joint venture between Jimmy Wilson of Landing Guitars and a couple of us Talk Basstards. The pickups are AERO AB Series single coils that are reverse-wound, reverse-polarity for hum canceling. The bridge is a Hipshot Tele guitar bridge that is custom drilled for bass saddles.

The pickups and bridge are purpose-built for these bases and were my contribution to the project. The body/neck ideas came from :::BASSIST::: here on the forum and Jimmy did all of the hard work.

What can I say about it? A fun instrument, no doubt. The neck pickup is everything a big single coil should be; full, a bit edgy, good response. It is essentially an AERO SCPB that is put on a Tele-style bobbin, same as the bridge. The bridge is where things get interesting, because of the slant. The E and A strings are absolutely killer. They're overdriving machines, and just a huge amount of fun. The D and G strings are something I'm still learning how to play with. The more and more I do, the more I like them for melodic lines and I really feel like there's a whole lot of potential there that I just haven't gotten into yet. They have very little bass power, but an ultra-clear set of higher frequencies that sound very unique.

Other than that, the controls are VVT with a 3-position selector switch that controls the pickups. I'm considering asking Jimmy to build me a simple VT with the 3-pole switch, because having VVT and a switch just doesn't make any sense to me.

If you'd like closer pictures, I can take some later today.

All the best,
DW

Oooh, the Gretsch is now available in sunburst. Awesome.

Picked-up a new Stagg Fusion short scale (30") recently.

Bass had a high action with saddles all the way down - neck was shimmed and bridge replaced.
The nut fell off when the strings were removed and 3 of the tuner bushings were loose.

Babicz bridge - 1/2 the cost of the bass, but I would replace all my bridges with this type.
You can prevent (lock) both the saddle height and intonation from moving.

Haven't really noticed any difference shielding the cavity, as my tone pot still exhibits a lot of static
when turned up. The edge of this copper tape is razor sharp and will cut you if not handled with care.

Metal volume/tone knobs. The volume pots are responsive, but the tone pot is noisey (static-hiss)
when turned up. Probably needs to be replaced.

Here's the finished product: new bridge; neck oiled; nut reattached; electronics cavity shielded;
new strings (XL ENR71S); tuners tightened. No neck dive and preferred over my ex-Squier Jaguar SS.

Looks great, WildWes. Congratulations!

Mine is in red.

Can I get a number?

Sweet looking bass LNF and the red should really pop. Appears we're thinking along the same lines, as I have a red SX jazz short-scale bass on the way.
Definitely post some pics of that Hagstrom low rider when it arrives. WW

I finished customizing my 30" Squier Mustang this past weekend

Before:


After:


This bass is really fun to play

WOW! TK4261.

That natural wood grain pickguard with the black screws really pops off the black gloss finish. The knobs are a nice touch too. Well done. WW

That is beautiful work Wildwes and TK4261.


I posted this photo in the original Short Scale Bass Club thread (in November 2007) but do not recall if I asked for or received a club number
(Birdsong Fusion 7F-003 One passive Lace pickup, Veritone control):




..and, because I recently got a jones for something completely different, I have just arranged for this to find its way to me
(Landing L300 Three active EMG pickups, 5-way selector switch, two tone controls):




I wonder what their offsping will look like.

If a number is to be assigned let's do that.

MCML said:

That is beautiful work Wildwes and TK4261.

I posted this photo in the original Short Scale Bass Club thread (in November 2007) but do not recall if I asked for or received a club number
(Birdsong Fusion 7F-003 One passive Lace pickup, Veritone control): ..and, because I recently got a jones for something completely different, I have just arranged for to find its way to me (Landing L300 Three active EMG pickups, 5-way selector switch, two tone controls):

I wonder what their offsping will look like.

If a number is to be assigned let's do that.

Click to expand...

Thanks MCML and the same about yours too.

Better keep them separated or give them the birds(ong) and bees lecture. Couldn't help myself. :scowl: WW