• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Best sounding short scale bass?

M

MonkeyMan2

Mar 12, 2018
32
17
#1
I am not trying to kick the hornets nest here, and I realize this is subjective. I enjoy playing short scale basses. But I can never get the tone I am looking for. At rehearsal last week I picked up a Ernie Ball Music Man Sterling bass. I plugged it in and I was surprised by how much different it sounded than my Reverend Wattplower short scale. I have tried about six different short scales and the Wattplower blew everything else away.

I know that short scales and full size basses are structurally different, and I realize there are a ton of other factors like pick-ups and amps etc that can change the sound.

What I am looking for is the short scale that sounds closest to a full size, or my specifically, closest to the Ernie Ball Music Man Sterling bass that I played or even a P-bass. Or maybe I am looking for a unicorn... who knows.

Thanks in advance.
 
  • Like
Reactions: stuntbass77 and mikewalker
#5
Yes, definitely subjective. For me it's the Fender Mustang LE P/J available through Guitar Center and Musician's Friend. I tried a couple of the Reverend Wattplower basses but the didn't have the P bass style oomph (technical term) I like from my Mustang LE.
 
#6
MonkeyMan2 said:
Hmm - I had a Fender Mustang short scale bass, but the neck was warped in so many places I had to return it. Maybe I need to check those out again.
Click to expand...
I've owned a few Japanese ones and never had a problem. There's a high end Mexican one and new American ones and I think there's a Squier now too. To me they sound like ballsier precisions.
 
#12
MonkeyMan2 said:
I am not trying to kick the hornets nest here, and I realize this is subjective. I enjoy playing short scale basses. But I can never get the tone I am looking for. At rehearsal last week I picked up a Ernie Ball Music Man Sterling bass. I plugged it in and I was surprised by how much different it sounded than my Reverend Wattplower short scale. I have tried about six different short scales and the Wattplower blew everything else away.

I know that short scales and full size basses are structurally different, and I realize there are a ton of other factors like pick-ups and amps etc that can change the sound.

What I am looking for is the short scale that sounds closest to a full size, or my specifically, closest to the Ernie Ball Music Man Sterling bass that I played or even a P-bass. Or maybe I am looking for a unicorn... who knows.

Thanks in advance.
Click to expand...

I only play short scales now. I have a MIM Mustang PJ (strung with TI flats), a Chowny SWB-1, a Landing (defretted and strung with tapewounds) and my brand new baby (as of last weekend), the MusicMan Stingray Short Scale (just launched by EBMM at NAMM this year).

FWIW... the Mustang pretty much nails the sound of a P with flats with the P pickup only (I’m not so keen on the middle toggle switch setting with both P and J pups engaged). I upgraded the pups in mine to Seymour Duncan Quarter Pounders and I reckon the Mustang PJ (as a P only) could hold its own anywhere.

The Chowny is an excellent bass (mine is an active model) with a wide range of sounds. It won’t nail a P sound for the purists IME but in a mix or on stage it can do most of anything you’d ask of it. I’m not sure about the Landing, I didn’t warm to it when fretted and I haven’t really bonded it with it fretless either. A bit too clinical and characterless for me.

The Stingray Short Scale is an absolute killer bass, already by far my favourite ever... huge tone and a joy to play. If you want the sound of a Ray, that’s the one to go for (although it ain’t cheap!).

Two others to add to the pot: the Gretsch Junior Jet is a lot of bass for the money and may get you close to P territory from the neck pickup, also Sire have just announced a new PJ short scale which (if it’s as good as other Sires I’ve played) is certainly worth a look. Finally... have a look at the Ibanez short scale PJs (Mikro, Talman) - I thought they were pretty good for the money and sounded decent enough.
 
  • Like
Reactions: stuntbass77, Shrubber, grrg63 and 1 other person
#15
SaucyJackBass said:
Birdsong.
Click to expand...

If you want a Precision sound, Scott Beckwith can supply it. I have a cBass, (31" scale) from the original run of 20. It is just as Scott says: Set the tone where you want, back you volume off from 10 to 9, and there it is. Fat, juicy Precisioness. And it weighs less than 8 lbs.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Mekana, macmanlou, nick4bass and 2 others
#16
If I were going to buy a short scale to cover a wide range of tones, including the classic Precision sound, it would be an Alien Audio Constellation with the P/Reverse-P pickup configuration. Alien Audio basses aren’t cheap, but they are amazing! And the owner, Chopper Anderson, is as nice a guy as you could hope to work with!
 
#17
this here muckelroy 30” sounds glorious to me
03B4802C-E40B-40AA-8987-BA3A877EC54A.jpeg
 
  • Like
Reactions: Hot Rats, canuckshort, jeff7bass and 7 others

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back