Building A Good Short Scale Bass

[sir.edjong]

Hello everyone, glad to talk to you all here.
I am an amateur bassist, playing only for small gigs, but recently auditioned for a quite big local rock band accepted. The only electric bass(and maybe instrument) i had is a hofner icon bass, shortscale, hollowbody. With the stuff that my new band is playing, like Audioslave, Foo Fighters, Kings Of Leon, most of the rock stuffs, i'm afraid i can't cut trough the mix well enough. I'm afraid to not to be heard. And incidentally, 2 days before I posted this, i had a motorcycle accident after a rehearsal, i was okay, but not my hofner. It loses its headstock! How you'd supposed to do with that? It's not repairable!
Then, i decided it's the time for the to purchased a new bass..
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I decided to build an EB-3 copy. Yeah, i'll have to admit i want it because i like Jack Bruce playing. It just look very cool you know. For me i think it's very different to look, a people with a p bass or j, with comparison people with short scale, or sg bass spesifically.
But... then I read some posts in music forums.. so do Talkbass too... that a short scale lacks in depth, low end, and tone. I supposed with my Hofner it's not like that because it's hollowbody, gives you warmth, and with flats. But with a solid body bass, will it be too twangy?
I am a small guy, i don't know how to tell it in feet, but maybe my height is 169 cm. I have quite a big hand in palm but my finger is short. I can't stand a long scale, even a jazz bass with that thin neck.
So, my head is fulled with these thoughts, my version of solution(wow, rhyme...) to get my future bass gets a good tone, low end, clarity not muddy, and also important, cutting through enough against neoclassical metal style shredding and crazy drumming. Let me hear your opinion about it.
The Solutions....
1. Use a flatwound string. I used it in my destroyed Hofner, but will it cut through? Or should i get a bright flats, Steve Harris type?

2. Use a thick neck, p bass like, but still with shorter scale. Because i heard Ed Friedland said, "big necks equal big tone"
3. Use a long neck, maybe until 24 fret, and have a big and long body, so the tension will be just the same with the long scale one. Well, i'm not to confident with having a long body.
4. Use an active onboard preamp, so I can cut the treble and high mids, and boost bass and low mids.
5. Use standard string spacing, not narrow one like most of the short scale.
6. Just gave up on all the idea, and build a long scale instead and get used to, or not playing music anymore..
I really appreciate all response, because it kind of hard to me to think it for my self, you know. Thanks a lot.

 

[arsie]

You are going to want a pickup close to the P bass position. The EB-3 pickup positions will be muddy, kind of like your Hofner.

I would say try a Squier Jaguar short scale to see if you like the tone.

 

[sir.edjong]

You are going to want a pickup close to the P bass position. The EB-3 pickup positions will be muddy, kind of like your Hofner.

I would say try a Squier Jaguar short scale to see if you like the tone.

Thanks for the fast and kind response!!
I'm sorry, but i'm already having a lust for sg shape, so i'm stick with it.
Is it? Oh, what a shame, i thought by changing the pickup position it will destroys the look. But thank you for the suggestion.
About the pickup, not the position, do you think MM style is cutting through enough and not muddy?

 

[arsie]

Its the position that leads to the mud.

 

[sir.edjong]

Its the position that leads to the mud.

the bridge pickup too??

 

[loopee]

Nothing wrong with depth on Short Scale basses......did you like the depth on your Hofner? Flats or rounds, whatever you prefer.....I like flats but that's me.....MM pups are great......you could always use 2 MM's.......

You should go to a music store near you.....most of them will have a Gibson EB bass and/or a Squier Jaguar Short Scale bass.....try those out.....

 

[sir.edjong]

Nothing wrong with depth on Short Scale basses......did you like the depth on your Hofner? Flats or rounds, whatever you prefer.....I like flats but that's me.....MM pups are great......you could always use 2 MM's.......

You should go to a music store near you.....most of them will have a Gibson EB bass and/or a Squier Jaguar Short Scale bass.....try those out.....

Thanks alot for the reply, man.
Well, yeah, some people in the forums said that it was too thin in sounding, lack of low end, the g string too thin, but for me it feels great to play, and sounded good too.
Im sorry, but i'm stick into the decision to build one, because there was a luthier, many professional bassist and guitarist in my country repair or built their gear there. Eventually, he is my uncle's childhood friend, so, yeah, he offers to built my bass with alder body, maple neck, rosewood fretboard, and alembic preamp if necessary for only US$370, how can I say no to that??

 

[loopee]

for $370 US????? Yes, I'd jump at the chance too...especially since you have a choice to have him build it with the wood you want and the neck thickness and all the hardware that you prefer.......all I play are shortscale basses but I have small hands and short fingers.....I certainly never found them to be thin sounding......good luck with the new build....

 

[arsie]

I think you should build your bass in the shape you want, in this case the SG shape. And have the pickups in the position and type to match the tone you want. That is the benefit of a new build, the best of both worlds. Do some research into the tone you want.

 

[Osprey]

You have to go ahead with the offer to build for you at that price. You can get the shape & materials you want, but the advice above. about pickup placements is good. But: you've just been accepted for a band: what will you play (and practice on) in the meantime? Don't want to rush the build.