Help, my tiny wife needs a bass

[PocketPlucker]

Hey guys,

I have been reading on TB for about 5 years now, and just now decided to join (sorry). I am in the early process of teaching my wife to play bass, and I've noticed a little problem. My 2nd Gen Sire V3 5 string is just too big for her. The body takes up her whole torso, and she has to lean and stretch to play the 1st fret. So I'm hunting a good quality 4 string short scale, preferably with a smaller scaled body as-well. The options I've considered are below, all are at or under $550. (btw, she is 5' 0" with a 5' 2" wingspan)

Sterling Ray Short Scale
Fender Player Mustang Bass
Ibanez Talman TMB30
Sire U5 - preorder
SX Short Scale P Bass

Any other recommendations or things to consider?

 

[bassdude51]

Get her an overseas made Hofner or Hofner type bass. 30" scale and light as a feather.

Tina Weymouth of Talking Heads played one. Hofner. A great lady's bass!

 

[Killed_by_Death]

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

not a stock photo, this is hanging on the wall across from me:

Mikro

• Killed_by_Death
• May 24, 2019
• ibanez

 

[Stevorebob]

Yeah, I’ll second the Hofner Ignition Club. Cool bass.

 

[Jim Carr]

Tina also played a Fender Mustang. They sound great! Highly recommended.

 

[Sid the Kid]

If first fret reach is an issue I would suggest the Short scale stingray. The front strap button is almost at the 11th fret and the bridge is almost toward the end of the body.

The other Basses have a more forward bridge position, which in turn leads to a longer first fret reach. Mustangs and Talman have short upper horns which make first fret reach longer when standing. The SX p bass has an even more forward bridge and can be heavy with a big body.

Big bonus is tone. The stingray pickup position just kills on a short scale. You will be missing no thump thanks to the diminished scale. The sizzling highs stingrays are known for will also be subdued due to the passive electronics. All wins!

 

[Jim Carr]

Welcome to Talkbass!

Nice cameos of a Mustang in Shiina Ringo & Tokyo Jihen's video "O.S.C.A." Don't miss the uptempo bass intro to the coda near the end. Awesome choreography, conception, and performance.



The O.S.C.A. in question, a classic road racing sports car, likely inspired the dancers costumes. It seems there is a DUI in the story...

 

[Sid the Kid]

I had my largest model (52” tall, 55#) do a quick photo shoot to illustrate standing reach with a shorty SX P, Ibanez Mikro, and my Les Paul JR.

The Mikro bass has the best standing reach for my boy. The Stingray isn’t much longer, but the body is bigger. The Mikro isn’t a bad bass but can feel a bit like a toy.

 

[mapleglo]

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

not a stock photo, this is hanging on the wall across from me:

Mikro

• Killed_by_Death
• May 24, 2019
• ibanez

I second the Mikro.

 

[groove pump]

Our pal Damien1971 has a thread going here; 1st bass recommendation for 12 yo. You might find a lot of ideas in that thread aside from a few recommendations for his daughter to just go with a 34" bass.

 

[dmt]

Tina Weymouth

PJ Harvey

Tilly Masterson

If necessary, the Ibanez Micro is of course even shorter scale

 

[mikeswals]

The Sire is a very large body bass. I think the first fret reach is because of the way that large body sits on her. My friends' Sire felt slightly larger than my Fender Jazz.

My daughter is barely 5ft and is learning on my standard P Bass with no reach issue.

What I'm saying is, I dont think you necessarily have to only go with short scale. Different shaped basses sit/hang differently.

 

[mikeswals]

Welcome to Talkbass!

Nice cameos of a Mustang in Shiina Ringo & Tokyo Jihen's video "OSCA." Don't miss the uptempo bass intro to the coda near the end.

I love this band and dug into their albums years ago. He only uses that Mustang for a couple of video shoots.
The actual bass he recorded that song (and is also his main bass) is his '66 Jazz Bass.

 

[Volker Kirstein]

... (btw, she is 5' 0" with a 5' 2" wingspan) ...

Same for Suzi Quatro. Of course, she basically only root thumps... but hey! So does Dusty Hill!

 

[Jim Carr]

I love this band and dug into their albums years ago. He only uses that Mustang for a couple of video shoots.
The actual bass he recorded that song (and is also his main bass) is his '66 Jazz Bass.

Probably so. But still, O.S.C.A. is one cool video, and the Mustang could have easily done the job!
Mustangs have a very rich short scale P-bass like tone, but without the cloudy pitch some short scales, like my Dano dolphin-nose, have.

 

[Naviiin]

Mustang! Either in the Fender Offset Series / Player series or new Squier Classic Vibe one.

And if you want to go cheaper: Gretsch G2220. Totally different sound though.

 

[43ManSquamish]

[
Tilly Masterson
View attachment 3817533


I thought she played under the name "Tilly Soames".

 

[ejaggers]

Welcome to TalkBass, we've been asking where you were for years.

The Squire VM SS Jaguar would be perfect for her because of the scale and thin neck.
The only problem is finding one since they're discontinued.

057912

 

[HG1180]

A U-Bass!

 

[Hammerfield]

If her name is Sally, get a Mustang, therefore you can play Sally's Mustang lol