30-32 inches scale bass ?

[gnmaster779]

'Sup guys !

I got small finger so I'm looking for a small and good sounding bass. I got a 34" 24 frets and I find it a little bit to big. Frets are too bigs.

I was thinking of buying a Ibanez GRSM20 and put better pickups. What do you think of it ?
If you're not favorable with this idea, which 30-32 inches scale bass should I buy ? (I would like to have at least 21 frets )

 

[dannylectro]

Seriously. Check this out. Dolphin Nose Bass 4

 

[5string5fingers]

I would suggest the Essex basses,but judging from your english (no offense) I take it you're not from this country. I would look at the ibanez ART basses,both the solid body and semi hollow. Many people praise the Ibanez Micro basses as well.

 

[AntAir267]

I would try a Squier Bronco. Needs a definite pickup (and maybe bridge or tuner) upgrade, but after that you should be set. I'm doing a complete overhaul of the one I'm buying but that's because it's the last bass I plan on buying for a while.

 

[NoiseNinja]

Jerry Jones longhorn bass4.

 

[RoadRanger]

I was thinking of buying a Ibanez GRSM20 and put better pickups.

I have two and they are great! Check out the thread on them:
"Official" Mikro Bass Club - TalkBass Forums
The stock pickups sound fine to my ear. They are a 28.5" scale if that matters to you.

The Cort Action Bass Jr. is a 30" scale and very nice too but you can't get a "P" bass sound from it - but great if you like the single pickup Music Man sound . I picked one up to do a Journey tribute band with. Back around 1980 I had a stoopid heavy Guild that had a single humbucker that was my main bass.

 

[ebonalley]

what's your price range? have you tried a 30 and 32. I found the 30 was too big of leap from the 34 and am happy with my 32 jazz from rondomusic.com

 

[dlenaghan]

I made the switch from a 34" G&L ASAT to a 32" MIJ Fender Jazz Special and a 30" Fender Mustang, and I love them both. If it wasn't for the fact that I recorded our band's last album with the G&L I would have no regrets at all about parting with it.
OR... Look for a used Squier Musicmaster on eBay. Lots of the benefits of a Mustang for half the price. Different pickups, including the through-body stringing that vintage Musicmasters don't have.

 

[dlenaghan]

This guy:
FENDER SQUIER MUSICMASTER BASS VISTA SERIES SHORT SCALE - eBay (item 280650861495 end time Apr-26-11 23:29:58 PDT)

 

[gnmaster779]

Thx for the answers guys !

@5strings5fingers: Yeah i'm not from US. I'm from Qc, Canada

This was my first bass : Epiphone Musical Instruments - Bass Collection

I bought a RedFox 34" scale cauz it was the only cheap bass that I liked. But I was more comfortable with my EB-0.

And I have a question... How do you buy basses from other countries or by internet without trying it ? Cauz I would like to try them but there's not a lot of music stores near of my location

 

[spade2you]

There are a lot of freakishly small dudes playing freakishly big basses. Good technique goes a long way.

 

[bucephylus]

There are a lot of freakishly small dudes playing freakishly big basses. Good technique goes a long way.

+1 Small hands are NOT the reason to play shorter scales. Forget the 30" to 35" bass guitar scales; you will find MANY highly accomplished bassists with tiny hands in the various orchestras playing 42" to 44" scale instruments, and they will literally play rings around most EBG players. Technique, technique, technique (which comes from practice, practice, practice).

That said, there are some extremely nice shorter scale instruments. At the lower price points, I have played several Fender Jaguar Basses (now discontinued, I believe) that were very nice. At the extreme upper end, Alembic absolutely excels at the shorter scale instruments. However, all things being equal, essentially every player out there should be able to get around on a standard 34" scale. YMMV.

 

[spade2you]

I guess my gripe with a lot of shorter scale basses is that they often feature a very short top horn, which often adds a little neck dive and often the first position isn't that much shorter due to the horn and bridge position.

 

[Bryan R. Tyler]

There are a lot of freakishly small dudes playing freakishly big basses. Good technique goes a long way.

I read this post and my first thought was that pic of you with your Conklin, Sam

 

[spade2you]

I read this post and my first thought was that pic of you with your Conklin, Sam

This one?

 

[Bryan R. Tyler]

That'd be the one

 

[4StringMonster]

I have small hands. But that doesn't make me get a 30-32" scale bass. Man up and stick to the ol' 34" axes!!! It's all about technique and dedication, not who has the biggest hands.
-Byron

 

[ghostdog93]

There are reasons to play a short (or medium) scale bass...but I agree with what the others have posted here. Small hands shouldn't be one of them.

BTW, all of my short(er) scale bass suggestions have fewer than 21 frets.

 

[bassobrutto]

+1 Small hands are NOT the reason to play shorter scales. Forget the 30" to 35" bass guitar scales; you will find MANY highly accomplished bassists with tiny hands in the various orchestras playing 42" to 44" scale instruments, and they will literally play rings around most EBG players. Technique, technique, technique (which comes from practice, practice, practice).

You may well be right about small-handed orchestral bassists, but isn't it a bit unhelpful to compare classical professionals with decades of highly rigorous, technical training to the average, small-handed DIY beginner on electric bass? What % of the latter are likely to have the level of dedication and instruction necessary to acquire the kind of technique you are talking about? What's so wrong about just getting comfortable with a smaller instrument first? Are there no "real" shorter scale basses?