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Decent, affordable OLDER short-scale?

T

Triboost

Aug 26, 2011
25
0
Beautiful Midwest
#1
Greetings all,

Can anyone recommend a cool older short-scale bass? That can be found for not too many bones? ($200-ish used, on a good day)?

Something 1970s or '80s would be fine. I'm just trying to get an instrument with a little bit of mojo - don't care if it's in player condition. Those newer Squires, etc. just don't ring my bell & I don't mind patiently looking around for the right one.

I'll be putting flatwounds on it, and mostly using it as a studio session instrument that never leaves the building. So it doesn't need to be built like a tank. I'm looking to play indie rock and a little folk/country/blues with it.

Long-time lurker, first-time poster, btw... I'm a studio engineer, and mostly hang out around TapeOp. Anyway, I've been kickin' myself for not buying an old Ripper 9-10 years ago, back when they were affordable! Thanks!

Aj
 
#6
As Crater mentions, the Aria Pro II Cardinal Series basses were nice. I had a CSB-300 with bolt-on. I didn't personally care for the narrow string spacing, but it was a well made Japanese instrument with classic look and feel. If you could score a deal on a Fender or Vista Series Musicmaster, that would be very good indeed.
 
#10
Thanks everyone for the replies... it's sounding like I'd enjoy either a Mustang, a Musicmaster (with possibly a swapped pickup), or a Bullet.

(Which is funny, as my very first electric 6-string guitar was a brand new Fender Bullet USA model in 1982. It was advertised as a budget/student model at the time. And I couldn't sell that thing fast enough when I was ready to graduate to a "real" guitar!).

Actually - I think I've honed in on what I'm looking for. I'm primarily a guitar player, and I just love shortie basses. What I'd like to find is a Precision-style Bass in short-scale size (strung with flats). I know there are actual Fender short Precisions floating around, but that's not going to come cheap.

So it seems like one of the above will be the more affordable option. Any other options that fit this bill? A cool lawsuit Precision copy shortie from the '70s would make me smile too. But do those even exist?
 
#14
Lot of good suggestions. I'll throw in for Dano, although they've gotten expensive the older they are, but the old Japanese 60's basses have a ton of personality, and if you're willing to get one that's a fixer upper, they're awesome. I bought a late 60's Realistic violin bass that cost $225, put another $110-120 and a bunch of clean-up and setup time, and whammo...best violin bass ever!

The big names in Japan are like Univox, Greco, Teisco, EKO, Aria...but there are a ton of others that you can find on here at random and on Ebay. There are some old funky 60's basses from Russia called Ural that look real interesting, too. Framus from Germany made some funky stuff in the 60's too, but they're getting expensive.

Love this kind of stuff. Big chrome pickups on a plywood hollowbody made in the 60's or 70's and I'm there.
 
#15
Yep, Univox, Greco, etc... I would take any of those Jimmy, for the right price, and spend time to fix 'em up.

I guess I like them weird and short! What's that famous groupie's line from the '60s about the young Rolling Stones - they're so ugly they're good looking. :)!
 

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