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Best short scale basses?

#61
S.F.Sorrow said:
Yeah, I've never understood why string manufacturers make these ultra light gauge sets for short scale basses. The tension would be more or less comparable to 35-85 on a long scale bass! I guess it could be a matter of taste in SOME cases but then we have strings like the short scale Roto 66s which can only be described as scrap metal. Utterly useless! (I love the long scale Roto 66s though).

The only exception I can think of are the Pyramid Golds. For some reason they feel great at 40-100 (or even 40-95) which is lighter than I normally use on a short scale bass. But unlike most other strings the Pyramid Golds were designed specifically for short scale basses and have the required stiffness to work with lighter gauges.
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I have a love/hate relationship with Pyramid Gold flats, I absolutely love the tone but they are just to stiff for me, they seem to be low tension but high stiffness, I used a set and I ended up taking them off because they made my plucking hand hurt

The Rotos I have heard that the weird overtones go once they break in but imo a set of strings should be useable from the moment they are on the bass, also with rounds I love the tone of brand new strings so the fact I would have to wait for them to break in before they sounded ok was just a big no no for me
 
#63
Jack Deth said:
Ibanez EHB1005SMS
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Not only is this a great new short-scale option, but it's also the best EHB model to get right now--I've been able to set it up much better than the two longer-scale models that I've tried, although many buyers have had better luck than me. The super lightweight chambered bodies and the super lightweight carbonized necks make this a complicated factory build, with potential for sustain issues and dead spots. If possible, play before you pay.
 
#64
west al said:
The Epi EB-0. A 30.5" neck, 12" radius fretboard, and a 1.5" Jazz size nut. The Sidewinder Humbucking, puts out a great clear, deep low tone. New price, $269. with D'Addario ETB92S Nylons. This is the one bass I will not part with.

View attachment 4429957View attachment 4429958
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I've in interested in these for a long time but I wanted the EB3. I assumed they where the same other than the EB3 having a second pickup. But the EB3 isn't a short scale like the EB0 which really bummed me out. I love the look of these basses but I really want the ability to use a bridge pickup.
 
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#69
I only play medium and short scale basses.
My favorite sounding one is the Sterling Stingray, just sounds killer but the one that gets the most play time is my Squire Jaguar SS modded with Dimarzio pickups and hipshot ultralite tuners.
At 6 pounds and 3 ounces, it comes every rehearsal and most gigs! It has a very convincing P bass tone!
 
#71
Peeved T-40 said:
I've in interested in these for a long time but I wanted the EB3. I assumed they where the same other than the EB3 having a second pickup. But the EB3 isn't a short scale like the EB0 which really bummed me out. I love the look of these basses but I really want the ability to use a bridge pickup.
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I had a few of the EB-3's and liked the feel of the EB-0 better. The 1.5" nut is a great size for it on the EB-0.
 
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#72
The Squier Mini P is exactly what you think it is. Truth in advertising. Over in the club here a member convinced Labella to make a special 49-109 set of flats specifically for it's 28.6" scale. Very solid instrument but it will require a bit of TLC (a setup, rounding off some sharp edges, nothing major).

I have a shell pink Bronco and it's not bad at all but it's true that the tuners are finicky and the pickup is super noisy. It had to go. The bridge only has two saddles but it's very solid. At the price point I just might have gotten lucky but Squier makes great instruments these days. CNC machines are doing their job. Nice and tight neck pockets.

They are both mod platforms if you want to go down that road. The Mini P would be my choice.

You can't go wrong with a Mustang but beware of neck dive due to the full size tuners.

Or you could find one of the 50 Joe Dart Juniors and retrofit it with a big fat volume knob haha
 
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#75
Peeved T-40 said:
Those danelectros are pretty cool. been interested in them for a long time. I always wondered how fragile those horns are though.
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The horns are solid , here’s how the frame looks . Longhorn are not fragile at all , truth is they’re tough as nails 824DD25B-B356-4C47-B88C-AE070D12F428.png
 
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#76
0CC094CB-8967-48C0-A16D-139F68FB86F1.jpeg
Here’s a picture of the Ibanez Micro and the Gretsch G2200. Two good basses at low price, couple of hundred bucks.

My impression is that the Ibanez seems faster to play than the Gretsch, the sound is common to my ear of a P/J style pickups style. Nothing special sonically speaking, ok though.

The Gretsch has definitely louder pickups with more “agressive” (not meant in bad way) sound. Sounds of those seem also more different than the Ibanez when comparing playing through a solid state amp (SB106) and a tube amp (YBA100).

Which one do I like best? At this point, both.
 
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#77
GeorgesEric said:
View attachment 4430539 Here’s a picture of the Ibanez Micro and the Gretsch G2200. Two good basses at low price, couple of hundred bucks.

My impression is that the Ibanez seems faster to play than the Gretsch, the sound is common to my ear of a P/J style pickups style. Nothing special sonically speaking, ok though.

The Gretsch has definitely louder pickups with more “agressive” (not meant in bad way) sound. Sounds of those seem also more different than the Ibanez when comparing playing through a solid state amp (SB106) and a tube amp (YBA100).

Which one do I like best? At this point, both.
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What if you could only have one? which would you choose and is your choice based on the sound or the feel of the bass?
 
#78
GeorgesEric said:
View attachment 4430539 Here’s a picture of the Ibanez Micro and the Gretsch G2200. Two good basses at low price, couple of hundred bucks.

My impression is that the Ibanez seems faster to play than the Gretsch, the sound is common to my ear of a P/J style pickups style. Nothing special sonically speaking, ok though.

The Gretsch has definitely louder pickups with more “agressive” (not meant in bad way) sound. Sounds of those seem also more different than the Ibanez when comparing playing through a solid state amp (SB106) and a tube amp (YBA100).

Which one do I like best? At this point, both.
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I haven’t played the Gretsch but I agree about the Mikro. Very fast narrow neck and very low action.
 
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#80
Peeved T-40 said:
What if you could only have one? which would you choose and is your choice based on the sound or the feel of the bass?
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The Gretsch for both the sound and the feel.

The Ibanez neck is a little too short for a an already short scale bass, petite and light. If feels a little too much like a young learner’s instrument.

Pickups of the Gretsch are more along my preference. I also like the simplicity of having along with the pickup selector one volume and one tone knob. Simple.

The Embassy might be the next “Long scale” bass on my wish list. I hear it is light, it has a standard 34” neck yet feels for some like a short scale bass.
 

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