Hey all. For the first time in a few years, I'm in a band and settled right in, so I'm assessing all of my gear to make sure it's going to fit the bill.
A couple of years ago, I bought a Squier Paranormal '54 Jazz Bass, and I absolutely love it. It's lovely to play, looks gorgeous, but most of all it has such a wide range of tones available, thanks to the split volume/tone knobs for each pick-up, rather than the traditional J controls with two volume knobs but only one tone knob. The possibilities really are endless, and it covers every tone my band needs. We play alternative/indie rock, with songs ranging from slow and melodic to heavy and fast, so I use both pickups in just about every combination of tone and volume at some point.
The only issue I have is that I have small hands. Normally that's fine, but a couple of our songs feature very rapid two-fret hammer-ons and pull-offs, and I'm finding it tough to do with a normal scale length. I took my Hofner 500/1 to a practice the other night, and found those songs so much easier to play. Unfortunately though, the Hofner just doesn't have the tones I need. It's got one great tone (your standard McCartney setting), but it isn't up to the job for this band.
So, I'm considering buying a short-scale bass that has a similar tonal variety to my Paranormal J Bass. I thought the Fender Player Mustang would fit the bill, but I tried one and there were some issues I couldn't get past (white fret markers on the side of the neck that are so hard to see because they're mostly in the maple part? Come on Fender). I'm not a fan of humbuckers at all, so things like the EB-0 and Gretsch Junior Jet aren't gonna be for me, and I'd like two pick-ups. I also tend to lean towards vintage styling, rather than more modern looks. Outside the band, my favourite things to play are Beatles, Smiths, Joy Division, The Jam, that sort of thing. I nearly always play clean, but sometimes use chorus for some Peter Hook-style sounds.
I've narrowed the list down a bit to the following contenders, but unfortunately finding examples of two of them to try out has proven impossible so far:
Ibanez Talman TMB30
Pros: Have been able to try it, had some good tones. Nice satin neck. Very playable. Only around £200.
Cons: Some budget-range finish issues. Single tone control, which was more like an on/off switch than a knob. Not a huge fan of the looks.
Danelectro '58 "Longhorn" or '59 DC Short Scale
Pros: Dual tone and volume controls. Love the retro looks. Supposedly very light. Can get one for under £500. Tones sound nice on demos. Lots of frets, so can get very high up.
Cons: Haven't been able to play one. Have heard they're not the most durable basses. Longhorn bass might make me look like a prat (not difficult, but still). Not sure how adjustable the bridge is so set-up might be tricky?
Hagstrom Viking Bass
Pros: Looks beautiful. Dual tone and volume controls. Split-coil pick-ups means I can choose between neck/neck+bridge/bridge for single coil, and have humbucking options if I ever change my tune on those. Gets good written reviews.
Cons: Cheapest ones go for about £750. Have heard there are QC issues, especially with the neck and the pick-up selector switch. Haven't been able to play one, and English-language demos are hard to find online.
If anyone can offer any advice regarding these three basses, or knows of another option that might suit what I'm looking for without being more expensive than the Hagstrom, then please let me know!
But sadly discontinued for almost a decade. It might be worth considering if the OP can find one in good condition. The tone will be MUCH closer to a J-bass than most of the other suggestions so far.
