Best sounding short scale bass?

[fenjazz]

Serek is my personal fav. I have a Midwestern with a B90 pickup. Nails the classic PBass tone.

 

[Doctor Intrepid]

The only bass besides the Precision to be in constant production since the 50s.

 

[Hambone70]

Anyone with a 5-string Serek Midwestern 2? Just wondering about that B string.

 

[_One//Man//Mutiny_]

They're already available. Some people have already gotten them. Due in a couple of weeks at Musiciansfriend, but I think they can be found elsewhere too.

More info in this thread SBMM Stingray Short scale

Welp, my classic vibe mustang's getting a friend then! Surprising I was waiting for almost a year for the mustang to finally come out

 

[BobKos]

Warmoth sells medium and short scale parts to build your own. The nice part is that they are Fender pattern instruments and accept 34" pickups, bridges, tuners, etc so you can customize to your exact taste with off-the-shelf parts.

 

[hardtop]

You're looking for the Sandberg Lionel! Best one I've played yet. Wish i could have grabbed it at NAMM but another TB'er beat me.
This is mine. And I actually love the thing. It's not a fancy bass, per se, but it plays pretty darn well and sounds pretty damn cool. Kay 2B 4 string Bass 1960s | The Tone Shop and it was cheap!

 

[steubig]

i'm not a short-scale guy, but i played the new nordstrand short-scale offering at namm and was very impressed. sounded great with both flats and rounds.

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[JimmyM]

Closest to a full-size? Full-size what? You can get shorties and mediums in any style you want. But assuming we're going with full-size Fenders as the basepoint, a shortie with EMG Geezer PJ's would be my choice for a shortie that could do all I need.

 

[klaatu]

I have a Lakland Hollowbody SS after going through several short scales and liking it very much. Not cheap though.

 

[jerry]

Not cheap, but I believe in the builder:

 

[Dabndug]

My Sshort scale basses are all retro:

Hofner 500/1
Mosrite Mark 1
Mosrite Frankenstein ( Mark 1 body with Joe Maphis neck)
Jerry Jones U2
Jerry Jones Longhorn
Fender Musicmaster
Fender vi

All but the vi have flats or ground wounds and have that strong fundamental you associate with the breed. They are all brilliant in their own way. At the moment the Musicmaster is my favourite. Whilst the stock pickup isn't the hottest thing out there, it has workable clarity, and the bass is so wonderfully comfortable it demands to be played.

 

[dan1952]

Supro Huntington (yes, I am an endorser, but that doesn't mean it isn't a great bass!)

 

[Hardbassjunkie]

This is my short scale collection. I've also owned an SG and a couple of Dano short scales. I own about 25 long scale basses. I will be selling most of them soon . My thoughts are below the pic...

View attachment 3712772

First and most importantly, I think the idea of a short scale NOT sounding like a long scale is a myth. I'd challenge anyone to tell me the difference just by listening. And with that out of the way ...

If you're looking for a Musicman sound, (obviously) nothing beats the Stingray. That's the bass sound I've always loved most, and I honestly think I found my holy grail. I haven't played anything else since getting it, I love it, it has that MM sound only a Stingray and Sterling can do. Weighing in at a little over 6 lbs. makes it extra special. And for the record, I've owned a 4 string Sterling, an HS Stingray, and I still own a 5 string HS Sterling. This thing hones in on the sweet spot of all those basses, and well... I absolutely love it.

If you're looking for a Fender sound, both the MIM and MIA Mustangs can do the job. On the MIM the P pickup is hotter, J pickup a tad thin - on the MIA, the P pickup is sweeter (I like the sound better), and the J stands wonderfully on its own. You get to blend the pickups too on the MIA. Both great basses. Both very Fender sounding.

The Warwick is active, and the most aggressive. Thunderous lows and sizzling highs. I love it but my band thought it was a tad too aggressive for the weddings we do. In all fairness to the bass, I didn't really spend a lot of time trying to tame it. I think its capable of much more.

The Huntington and Hofner are great but I don't feel like writing about them right now , and the Talman... well, it pales in comparison to all the rest. Sounds a bit anemic, even after I replaced the pickups with Geezers. Feels great, plays great, can get gnarly with the new pickups - but lacking when thrown in the ring with any of the others.

I agree. I realized lots of things are myths when I start recording

 

[Tommygun_ted]

I'll second the new gibson double cut. I grabbed one with the intention of using it for longer gigs, when my arthritic fretting hand has had enough. However, it's working really well in the metal band I'm in. Generally, the rest of the band say all my basses just sound like basses. No good or bad input, but they all rave about the gibson. I find short scales, especially in lower tunings, are thumpier, and fatter sounding. It may not be the most versatile bass, but I find I use everything it has to offer. The single coil option is subtle, but it does essentially give you a second tone option. If the stock pup doesn't do it for you, I'm pretty sure a thunderbird pickup would fit. Plus, the satin neck is very comfortable.

 

[trickyric]

I have 2 Chowny SWB-1's with EMG pickups.. they sound great for plucking or slapping...

 

[Admiral Thrawn]

I have heard nothing but great things about the EBMM StingRay Short Scale. All of the vids I've seen, that thing has tone for days, well, StingRay tone for days. If that's something you're after.

Going to take a trip to Sam Ash this weekend and hopefully try one out for myself.

Good luck on your search!

 

[MTN.bass72]

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.

If you're looking for a sound as close as possible to the Music Man, and you liked the Music Man...

Maybe get a Music Man..???

 

[Splash7]

I have the three basses that are in my avatar.

Hofner Club in a purty red.
Ibanez Mikro in a purty black.
Squire Bronco in a purty red.

All strung with flats. They give me all the different sounds I need.

I am gassing for a Stingray Short scale. Maybe next Christmas.

 

[beatlebass64]

Birdsong

 

[superheavyfunk]

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

why not just get the short scale music man that they offer? Problem solved