25" scale micro basses anyone?

[Avezzano]

Well... updating the thread. When you think: "no, that's not going to happen TO ME..." it happened! I tried in the local shop and could not help but buying it! I bought my Fender micro bass, or more properly ukulele bass. It has a 20" scale (50 cm!), it is roughly shaped after the Precision, Total length: 81 cm, depth 8 cm. It has a sufficient volume for the unamplified couch practice. The small panel on the upper side has volume, tone, the tuner display and the on-off button. Amplified, it has the characteristic piezo sound: you may like it or not. Not bad, but somehow nasal. The headstock is tilted, so there's no string retainer and headstock is NOT glued-in / joint: it is obtained from a whole wood block (it seems quarter sawn, to me).

This bass is definitely not a toy: I paid it 240 euro. Strings are metallic roundwound. Possibly the core is silicone? Anybody knowing better? Touch under the fingers is consistent, not rubberband like and honestly, for me it is a joy to play! What I don't like: tuners are perfectly functional, but they could have been lighter. I would like a standard pickup, instead than the piezo. And "f" holes vs. the center hole. A full adjustable, individual saddles bridge, vs. the single bridge bone. Due to the ukulele strings, it requires a few days to stabilize its tuning. Not a big issue: once properly tuned, it stays there. This guy will always be coming with me whenever I will go out of town for a few days. Last one: From Thomann I ordered a baritone uke soft padded case that fits perfectly.

P.S.: I bought on the local "mercatinomusicale" a used 25w 8" cone Ashdown practice amp, Small, light, perfect for our living room rehearsals. As I get older, I go lighter and lighter...

 

[bassbrad]

Micro scale basses feel tiny to me but I have 2 anyway. Glarry 101 that has the high strings from a guitar set for piccolo sounz and a Mitchell EZBSB acoustic electric for travel.

 

[Avezzano]

Micro scale basses feel tiny to me but I have 2 anyway. Glarry 101 that has the high strings from a guitar set for piccolo sounz and a Mitchell EZBSB acoustic electric for travel.

well: they ARE SUPPOSED to be tiny! It is not your gigging axe, obviously, but something really comfortable for the evening tv session before sleeping (fingers stretch) or to be brought along whenever you travel... I like those a lot, even if I have lots of standard instruments...

 

[RJensen615]

Here are four of my micro bass guitars. From left to right. #1- I wanted a Vox Phantom bass, but didn't want to pay the high price of a real Vox. So when I saw this listed on Egay, I bid and won the bass. Didn't know till it arrived that it was such a small scale bass guitar. My bad for not asking. After a setup, it plays and sounds good. Glad it has a floating bridge, as intonation is almost spot on. I'm not sure where this bass was made. 25" scale. #2- Another buy from Egay. Again, did not ask about dimensions. You think I would learn. What's that saying, can't teach a old dog new tricks. In the listing, the pictures showed a very clean, almost new looking Made In Japan bass guitar. So I bid and won. My brother plays guitar, and he tells me that I can never get the bass to sound right because of the size of the bass.??? I did a setup, and removed the pins from the bridge, and intonation is very good. It plays and sounds fine. 23.5" scale. #3- This bass started out as a full cookie tin that my son got at Christmas. Cookies were eaten, and the cookie tin got moved around the kitchen table for about a month. I asked my son to do something with the tin, and he tells me, it's yours so you can make a guitar, as he is laughing. Well I got the last laugh. I put a block of wood running through the tin as a place to mount the neck, and give strength for the neck attachment. Then I found a maple board 3/4" x 3" x 3' and made my first neck. I copied the neck from the micro MIJ bass in #2. No truss rod, and reused old frets from a parts bass neck that I received damaged. Made a metal nut, a metal bar string retainer, a bent steel tailpiece, and a cut down bolt for the saddle. All other parts are leftovers from the parts bin. I have a lot of parts collected through the years. Strings are some old strings that I had laying around, and just cut down and unwrapped the outer string to fit the tuners. It is strung up as a two string E and A , but could be made into a four string. After playing it as a two string, I haven't been inclined to change it. As it makes you think and play differently, which I enjoy. It's not the best sounding, as the pickup came from a Bronco bass guitar, but it's not too bad. 23.5" scale. #4- Just got this Glarry micro bass, after seeing Ellen play the same bass on Youtube . I figured why not for $70.65 with tax and shipping. I'm very happy that I bought it. It plays and sounds pretty good ! It needed the nut recut, fret ends dressed, and a setup. But what do you expect for a $70 bass guitar. I'm not positive, but the body looks like Ash. Another minus for this bass, is that there is the thinnest finish on all of the wood. Which doesn't bother me too much, as I think I will shoot some nitro honey amber finish on this bass. 25.5" scale.

 

[RJensen615]

Here are four of my micro bass guitars. From left to right. #1- I wanted a Vox Phantom bass, but didn't want to pay the high price of a real Vox. So when I saw this listed on Egay, I bid and won the bass. Didn't know till it arrived that it was such a small scale bass guitar. My bad for not asking. After a setup, it plays and sounds good. Glad it has a floating bridge, as intonation is almost spot on. I'm not sure where this bass was made. 25" scale. #2- Another buy from Egay. Again, did not ask about dimensions. You think I would learn. What's that saying, can't teach a old dog new tricks. In the listing, the pictures showed a very clean, almost new looking Made In Japan bass guitar. So I bid and won. My brother plays guitar, and he tells me that I can never get the bass to sound right because of the size of the bass.??? I did a setup, and removed the pins from the bridge, and intonation is very good. It plays and sounds fine. 23.5" scale. #3- This bass started out as a full cookie tin that my son got at Christmas. Cookies were eaten, and the cookie tin got moved around the kitchen table for about a month. I asked my son to do something with the tin, and he tells me, it's yours so you can make a guitar, as he is laughing. Well I got the last laugh. I put a block of wood running through the tin as a place to mount the neck, and give strength for the neck attachment. Then I found a maple board 3/4" x 3" x 3' and made my first neck. I copied the neck from the micro MIJ bass in #2. No truss rod, and reused old frets from a parts bass neck that I received damaged. Made a metal nut, a metal bar string retainer, a bent steel tailpiece, and a cut down bolt for the saddle. All other parts are leftovers from the parts bin. I have a lot of parts collected through the years. Strings are some old strings that I had laying around, and just cut down and unwrapped the outer string to fit the tuners. It is strung up as a two string E and A , but could be made into a four string. After playing it as a two string, I haven't been inclined to change it. As it makes you think and play differently, which I enjoy. It's not the best sounding, as the pickup came from a Bronco bass guitar, but it's not too bad. 23.5" scale. #4- Just got this Glarry micro bass, after seeing Ellen play the same bass on Youtube . I figured why not for $70.65 with tax and shipping. I'm very happy that I bought it. It plays and sounds pretty good ! It needed the nut recut, fret ends dressed, and a setup. But what do you expect for a $70 bass guitar. I'm not positive, but the body looks like Ash. Another minus for this bass, is that there is the thinnest finish on all of the wood. Which doesn't bother me too much, as I think I will shoot some nitro honey amber finish on this bass. 25.5" scale.

I swear I used spacing between each description. ????

 

[Jonathan horne]

I just bought this on reverb. I’ll see it in a week or a bit. It looks like it has rounds on it, ones cut down from a longer scale. I’d like to find a set of flats that are made for this micro scale bass. It’s for couch playing and recording. Any clues or recommendations?

 

[Rocket Queen]

I just bought this on reverb. I’ll see it in a week or a bit. It looks like it has rounds on it, ones cut down from a longer scale. I’d like to find a set of flats that are made for this micro scale bass. It’s for couch playing and recording. Any clues or recommendations?

Thread 'For those who want under 26" scale flatwound strings.'

Mar 14, 2017

For those of you who have very short scale basses and want flat wound strings, Gold Tone has commissioned La Bella to make under 26" scale flat wound Deep Talkin' strings. I bought a set a couple of weeks ago for my SmallGuitars.com MB-1 mini P-bass 24.5" scale. Nice improvement, the gauges are .049 .069 .089 .109. I ordered another set for my custom 24" Rickenbacker 325 from China and it's not even close how much better the La Bellas are than the crap stock ones. I just ordered two more sets for my custom SG EB-1 from China and my ESP Jr. guitar conversion to bass. Am I glad I ran across...

• KohanMike
• flatwound scale
• Replies: 42
• Forum: Strings [BG]

• 

 

[Avezzano]

Justv ordered my Harley Benton JB-62CC seafoam green. Still not yet in Germany, available first days of 2026. I could preorder it, though. Can't wait... Alnico pickups, 23" scale. Not a toy!

 

[Bassamatic]

Agree - they are NOT Toys! I have a Greg Bennett design Corsair, made by Samick. As well made as most medium priced basses. I also have the little Glarry and it sound and plays amazing! Both 25.5" scale. The BIG problem with the sub-shorties is strings! Be advised you can get strings of the right scale from Gold Tone for their mini basses. Flats and Rounds. Very good quality.

 

[RodRy]

Justv ordered my Harley Benton JB-62CC seafoam green. Still not yet in Germany, available first days of 2026. I could preorder it, though. Can't wait... Alnico pickups, 23" scale. Not a toy!

I was confused. The Harley Benton JB-62CC is a 34" scale bass, and the Harley Benton JB-62CC Mini is a short scale bass. Currently listed as sold out, on HB's website, so it looks like you got one of the last of them! Good score, and let us know how you like it when it comes in.

Allow a moment of nit-picking: Maybe it's my computer, or their photography, but what they are calling 'seafoam green' on their website looks much more like 'surf green.' I have examples of both at home, and what I see from HB is the more yellow shade of surf green. Warmoth has a good video which compares the two similar shades, for the curious.

 

[Avezzano]

Agree - they are NOT Toys! I have a Greg Bennett design Corsair, made by Samick. As well made as most medium priced basses. I also have the little Glarry and it sound and plays amazing! Both 25.5" scale. The BIG problem with the sub-shorties is strings! Be advised you can get strings of the right scale from Gold Tone for their mini basses. Flats and Rounds. Very good quality.

Thanks: precious info, for me!

 

[brianrost]

Years ago I had an Airline/Supro “pocket bass” with a 25” scale. I couldn't find 25” strings for it then, so used 30"short scale strings which were floppy and too easy to bend when fretting. Both knobs are for volume…there was a second pickup in the bridge.

 

[RodRy]

Agree - they are NOT Toys! I have a Greg Bennett design Corsair, made by Samick. As well made as most medium priced basses. I also have the little Glarry and it sound and plays amazing! Both 25.5" scale. The BIG problem with the sub-shorties is strings! Be advised you can get strings of the right scale from Gold Tone for their mini basses. Flats and Rounds. Very good quality.

Both Pyramid and Dogal sell strings to shorter lengths. I got a very nice set of Pyramid Gold flats custom length for my 30" scale bass (first headstock in my avatar picture) for a very reasonable price. I remember that Dogal sells really short scale strings, but I don't recall the length.

 

[Krizz]

I recently acquired a Glarry GW101 from eBay for just under $57 brand new. It had a lot of issues out of the box that took me a few weeks to get sorted between work, gigs and travel. I'm actually rather impressed with the little thing, even though I find the scale length hard to adjust to. I bought it more as a novelty than anything serious to use. Tone wise it is on par with most low end instruments. I had intended to upgrade a lot of items on it, but lost interest in doing that and decided to leave it with all the stock components. The only things I did to it were shield the pickup routes and the control cavity, a full fret job and repainted the headstock (the Glarry logo was very faint and I thought it looked terrible). After the headstock repaint, I had a leftover "JC Bass" signature decal from a kit build I did that I slapped on there (because I hate blank headstocks), along with a decal on the back of the headstock that has a serial number for security purposes. Then cleared over the top of the headstock completely to seal in the decals. I had some different style knobs laying around that I put on there as well. It's fun, and like I said, kind of a novelty, but for less than $60 it's a great playing little thing.

View attachment 7185422

Cool, there’s been a few of these over the last few weeks on a local online auction site. There’s one tomorrow night, I may throw a $25 high bid on it (it’s currently at $7), which would make it around $31 with auction fee and tax. Looks like fun.

 

[brianrost]

Anybody tried putting guitar strings on a Glarry GW101 or other 25” scale bass to use as a piccolo bass?

 

[shade_1313]

This one was the recent subject of a thread here. It continues to not be terrible, although I am away from it for the holidays.

 

[Avezzano]

I was confused. The Harley Benton JB-62CC is a 34" scale bass, and the Harley Benton JB-62CC Mini is a short scale bass. Currently listed as sold out, on HB's website, so it looks like you got one of the last of them! Good score, and let us know how you like it when it comes in.

Allow a moment of nit-picking: Maybe it's my computer, or their photography, but what they are calling 'seafoam green' on their website looks much more like 'surf green.' I have examples of both at home, and what I see from HB is the more yellow shade of surf green. Warmoth has a good video which compares the two similar shades, for the curious.

Yes, it is confusing, but I could go through the order route and now it is an "open order" waiting for the basses coming to Europe on the next week or two weeks, so they replied to my email! Note: it is NOT a short scale, it is a 23" scale (2 inches shorter than a Stratocaster!)

This one was the recent subject of a thread here. It continues to not be terrible, although I am away from it for the holidays.

View attachment 7394608

What is this?

 

[shade_1313]

Yes, it is confusing, but I could go through the order route and now it is an "open order" waiting for the basses coming to Europe on the next week or two weeks, so they replied to my email! Note: it is NOT a short scale, it is a 23" scale (2 inches shorter than a Stratocaster!)

What is this?

The topic

It’s absurd. But it was cheap, and kind of fun. I’m going to be tinkering with the stupid thing for years, I suspect.

 

[Avezzano]

So, for all the interested and out of their mind like myself ones, you can actually put in your cart this little rascal...

 

[Avezzano]

So, here it is at home: 23" scale Harley Benton JB62 Mini bass in SFG. Overall, it is a good instrument. Not a toy. Good pickups (alnico5) a good bridge with brass saddles, roasted neck and good, smooth tuners. It plays well and the default strings are not that bad. Just a minimum setup and voilà.

I am happy but for one single thing: the fretboard edges "cut" and even if when you play you do not pay attention to this anymore, nevertheless this is something that even at this price point (171 euro shipping incl.) is not acceptable.

Since the neck Is roasted, I am not going to use the 600 grit sandpaper to roll the board edges: the white of the neck could come out (am I right? Pls, educate me!) so I will live with this little bug.