Looking for a new short-scale bass - advice needed!

[Baker69]

Sire U5.

+ 1

 

[chuck3]

I saw the Reverend Dub King mentioned above. I'm interested in the 30" semi-hollow. Does anyone here have experience with that bass?

 

[Bortron]

How can that be? Some things don't register because they are beyond the pale of reason.

I just prefer the brighter sound that single coils tend to give. My experience with humbuckers in both basses and guitars is that they're a bit dull-sounding for my tastes.

It might be that I just haven't found the right ones yet, or that my budget means I've only encountered poor quality ones. For example, I had an Epiphone Dot 335 which sounded dull and I got so tired of, but the guitarist in my band has a Gibson 335 which sounds bright and vibrant.

I'm open to having my mind changed, and if I ever see a Rascal that I can try then I'll give it a go, cos I've heard great things.

 

[GIBrat51]

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!

Well, I'm afraid I can't be a lot of help. Being left handed, a lot of basses - particularly short scale ones - are basses I can't use, so... I tend to ignore them. Also, on the list of basses I wanted - that I made 30+ years ago, - there weren't all that many spots for short scale basses; and, I filled the last open spot (Short Scale Neck-thru) this spring. Most of the ones I have, are either no longer made; outside your price range; or both. However;
I can speak to the Danelectros. I own 3 of them; two 1st generation (late 1990's) long scale DC59 Pros, and a current, '17 Longhorn. So...
- Are they light? Yes, they are; very light. The DC59s both weigh 6.11 lbs.; the Longhorn? 5.13 lbs. Which is a little lighter than both of my violin basses.
- Are they durable? Well, that pretty much depends on you. If you're the kind of player that thrashes his instrument, and generally treats it like ? Then, no, a Dano probably won't last you too long - although, a new Longhorn might surprise you. But, if you treat it with reasonable care (not "baby" it; reasonable care) then yeah; a modern Dano is at least as durable as any other light hollow- or semi-hollow body bass.
- The bridge. Dano's have two bridges available; the classic Rosewood stick-on-a-plate bridge (my Longhorn has that one), and the fully adjustable Pro bridge (which my DC59's have; the bridge and the Gotoh-style bass tuners are why they're "Pro" models). Some people like that bridge; some people believe the Rosewood bridge gives them "that Dano sound", and prefer that one. The Rosewood bridge has strings it likes - and strings it doesn't. If it likes your strings, then it won't give you a problem. If it doesn't? Then you may only be able to intonate the E and G strings, and you'll have to take what you get for the other two. Mine wears the 39-96 La Bella 760FX strings, and... mine intonates perfectly. La Bella also makes a set of flats especially for the Longhorn; the 42-89 760FDs. those strings have been around as long as the Longhorn has...
- Will you look like a prat? No, probably not. From what I hear and read, Longhorn players get a lot of interest when they're on stage. People want to know what it is, and older guys want to tell you that they loved that sound from Golden Earring songs. So, you'll get attention, but... mostly the good kind...
- Other stuff? Danos, IME, are string chameleons. You can make them sound like a totally different bass - just by changing the strings. And, if you want a hard case for it to live in? Mine fits, snug as a bug, in an Epiphone ES-335 guitar case. Longhorns may look a little... odd, but they're really just a 335 style guitar - with the inner part of the upper bouts removed... And, of course, they are a dual single-coil bass; and the stacked controls do work quite well...

 

[bigswifty1]

You could test the waters by capo'ing the second fret and adjusting tuning.

I've tried a lot of the basses mentioned here but not all obviously. I've owned a Deusenberg Starplayer and IMO it's head and shoulders above most short scales, but expensive. Also for day to day live work, particularly touring, the angled headstock and semi-hollow body always worried me. Mine had some lucky escapes and the constant vigilance kinda wore me down eventually and I stopped using it live.

Just my opinion, but bang for buck I think the Sire Marcus Miller series is fantastic. If money isn't too much of an issue, I would certainly consider one of the short scale Stingrays.

Mike

 

[BassBrass]

I just prefer the brighter sound that single coils tend to give. My experience with humbuckers in both basses and guitars is that they're a bit dull-sounding for my tastes.

It might be that I just haven't found the right ones yet, or that my budget means I've only encountered poor quality ones. For example, I had an Epiphone Dot 335 which sounded dull and I got so tired of, but the guitarist in my band has a Gibson 335 which sounds bright and vibrant.

I'm open to having my mind changed, and if I ever see a Rascal that I can try then I'll give it a go, cos I've heard great things.

Well I associate humbuckers with the Stingray, Not Dull (of which the Sterling short scale is a super instrument too) and many of my best sounding basses over the years were HH or J/H, my Carvin B40 HH can be either single or double coil, but I always use the double double because it's the most full bodied, a mahogany/ebony fretboard type bass, sustains forever. There's also your Warwicks and Spector HH (I have a Schecter HH) and they Just Cut. Not that there's anything wrong with single coils. I love that sound too. I have a 2001 Korean DanElectro Longhorn (with metal adjustable bridge) and DePinto Belvidere and they are 2 single coil, sound great. not to mention my ash Essex Jazz 5, a full $270 of Chinese excellence.

 

[bnt]

If you don't like the Höfner Beatle Bass shape, they also do the Club Bass with a more conventional shape. The HCT "Contemporary" model is semi-hollow, the Ignition (budget) and full German model are hollow.

Also, for something different: have you considered a Bass VI. The Squier CV is quite popular and there's now a Vintera Bass VI.

 

[Pep]

I’ve read through most of the replies. I’ve played 30s, 32s & 34s and my preference is the 32 scale basses. They’re short enough to make them a bit faster and easier to play.
I’ve been playing a Fender Stu Hamm Urge for several years and it’s one of my favorites. You can find the Mexican versions for about $1000.
I also prefer passive single coil pickups and my favorite is the split P-Bass. If you’re handy you can build a mini P-Bass with a body, neck and pick guard from Warmoth.
I’ve built two of them and have two in the works.
I found a guy to cut the bodies for me with a tele style control pocket. I simply order the neck and tuners from Warmoth. Wilkinson P-Bass pickups can be found on eBay and to be honest they sound great. The Wilkinson Bridge is quite affordable as well.
Most all of the remaining parts can be located on eBay for fairly low cost. If you want a small project Warmoth can hook you up. You’ll love the results.

 

[Chrome Dome]

Noticed mention of Marcus Miller U5,30" neck I posted one I traded that friend of mine wanted so did some trading with him,it was the natural finish. I still have a U5 tobacco burst with the body binding. Heard the new U5's do not have the body binding? Also I have a 32" medium scale Squier vintage modified Special Tele style bass which not made anymore. Both basses sound and play great. Have Squier Tele style bass for sale in the classifieds here. U5 is real light,but the Squier Tele style on the heavy side,at 10lbs?