I have been trying to find a good hollow body bass for awhile and it seems like there isn't that many out there. Iv e been looking for a hollow body with a short scale neck, humbuckers, and preferably a hardtail bridge of some sort. However a regular scale bass with a hardtail bridge would also be acceptable. I also was looking and found the Dan Armstrong bass which I thought was also pretty cool, but it seems almost like a one of a kind bass that doesn't really have anything like it. Maybe someone knows of a bass that may fit this?
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Hollow body short scale bass?
- Thread starter didid007
- Start date
Most hollow body's are short scale.
Gretsch, Guild, most Gibson and Epiphones and Fender
Gretsch, Guild, most Gibson and Epiphones and Fender
If it's a hollow body bass, how would you attach a hardtail bridge? The Gretsch Electromatic in my avatar is a great playing and sounding bass.
A Beatle Bass. More specifically, the Epiphone Viola. Most specifically, the one I have for sale in the TB classifieds.
SO want to try one o'them.
Epiphone Allen Woody (also semi hollow) is my current love.
Hollowbodies, by their very nature, don't work well with hardtail bridges; there isn't anything under the top to screw the bridge into. Semi - hollowbody basses, though, sometimes do have them, because there's a wooden block (the tone block) running up the middle. If it's wide enough in the right place, the tone block can provide an anchor for the bridge. Basically, any "hollow bodied" bass with a hardtail bridge is almost certainly semi hollow. And, there's nothing wrong with a semi; they sound just as good as a full hollow. Better, in a sense; the tone block dampens out the feedback that can plague full hollows - especially the guitars. And, the great majority of either are short scale basses, as well. Actually, a long scale, full hollowbody bass, is about the only thing missing from my herd. Unfortunately, the tiny handful of companies that make them, didn't/don't make leftys; does make for a long, interesting search, though...
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I'd recommend dropping the hardtail requirement and looking at what's out there. In addition to the brands mentioned above, Ibanez has a range of well regarded and affordable hollow and semi-hollow short scale basses with humbuckers.
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I've got one of the early full-scale models and I can attest that they are well built and very attractive instruments.
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I've got one of the early full-scale models and I can attest that they are well built and very attractive instruments.
Lakland hollowbody 30 has all your requirements Lakland Skyline Hollowbody 30 Short Scale -Tobacco Sunburst, Rosewood | Sweetwater.com
Well a semi hollow body would be nice too and then a hardtail would work. Really what im looking for is a bass with the ES style body, but i hate the tune o matic bridges that come with them.
Come to think of it, what companies are making full scale hollowbodies? The only one I can think of is Lakland but I'm not sure if that's even a hollowbody.Hollowbodies, by their very nature, don't work well with hardtail bridges; there isn't anything under the top to screw the bridge into. Semi - hollowbody basses, though, sometimes do have them, because there's a wooden block (the tone block) running up the middle. If it's wide enough in the right place, the tone block can provide an anchor for the bridge. Basically, any "hollow bodied" bass with a hardtail bridge is almost certainly semi hollow. And, there's nothing wrong with a semi; they sound just as good as a full hollow. Better, in a sense; the tone block dampens out the feedback that can plague full hollows - especially the guitars. And, the great majority of either are short scale basses, as well. Actually, a long scale, full hollowbody bass, is about the only thing missing from my herd. Unfortunately, the tiny handful of companies that make them, didn't/don't make leftys; does make for a long, interesting search, though...
Can you say, Gretsch White Falcon Bass? I think there also is/was a Gibson Something-or-Other; but except for a another vintage Gretsch (a 6072. IIRC), yes, they're scarce. I have a '94 Gretsch Broadkaster that actually is a factory lefty, but it's the only lefty Gretsch bass I (or anyone I've ever talked to) have ever seen. So, evidently Gretsch did make a few; maybe there's a lefty White Falcon out there somewhere.. And, unless I read the description wrong, I think that the first run of Eastwood Bass 4's were long scale, too. Don't think they made many, though. From what I gather, 34" hollowbodies are rather awkward instruments, anyway; but I want one...
Hollowbodies, by their very nature, don't work well with hardtail bridges; there isn't anything under the top to screw the bridge into. Semi - hollowbody basses, though, sometimes do have them, because there's a wooden block (the tone block) running up the middle. If it's wide enough in the right place, the tone block can provide an anchor for the bridge. Basically, any "hollow bodied" bass with a hardtail bridge is almost certainly semi hollow. And, there's nothing wrong with a semi; they sound just as good as a full hollow. Better, in a sense; the tone block dampens out the feedback that can plague full hollows - especially the guitars. And, the great majority of either are short scale basses, as well. Actually, a long scale, full hollowbody bass, is about the only thing missing from my herd. Unfortunately, the tiny handful of companies that make them, didn't/don't make leftys; does make for a long, interesting search, though...
The Laklands can be set up to be strung either way, but the controls would then end up on the top and in the way. YMMV.
Actually, a long scale, full hollowbody bass, is about the only thing missing from my herd. Unfortunately, the tiny handful of companies that make them, didn't/don't make leftys; does make for a long, interesting search, though...
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The Italia Rimini has been made as a lefty and has a 34" scale.
Italia Torino Bass Guitar | Musician's Friend
Their Torino also has a lefthand version.
Hard to get though.
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The D’Angelico EX-Bass is medium scale and seems to be available as a lefty.
I second the Dub-King and Lakland and the Ibanez Artcore and the Fender Starcaster (it's a 32" scale). I've been looking at the the Artcore in a 5 string version for a while now.
