Looking to buy a short scale bass

[The Old One]

Hello all. I've played bass off and on for 50 years (more off than on, and I haven't played in 13 years). One of the basses I owned during that time was a Gibson EB3, short scale. It was purchased in 1972 or 1973. It was not the best year for quality and I sold it in 1980. I loved the short scale. I have smaller hands, and the short scale and very narrow neck made the bass almost play itself. What would you suggest for a new short scale that isn't outlandish in price? I like a deep, mellow sound and use flatwounds. Thank you.

 

[The Old One]

No. I'm too old to be a bot!!

And, I'm too old to know what the hell a bot is.

 

[T McClure]

Looks like I may need to adjust my price horizon to up to $2500 to $3000. Any suggestions for the best 4 string short scale in that layer of the atmosphere?

Do you have a shop around you with a decent bass selection? If so, they almost certainly will have a Mustang or two.

I love the Mustang shape. It fits me perfectly when playing sitting down. For Mustangs, the Squier Classic Vibe is the best bang for the buck. The JMJ is amazing but hard to find in person. The Vintera II is also very cool.

But there are a lot of great short scales out there at a wide range of prices.

 

[nonohmic]

Hello all. I've played bass off and on for 50 years (more off than on, and I haven't played in 13 years). One of the basses I owned during that time was a Gibson EB3, short scale. It was purchased in 1972 or 1973. It was not the best year for quality and I sold it in 1980. I loved the short scale. I have smaller hands, and the short scale and very narrow neck made the bass almost play itself. What would you suggest for a new short scale that isn't outlandish in price? I like a deep, mellow sound and use flatwounds. Thank you.

I would buy a short scale sterling stingray (about $600) or a Squier mustang (about $400).

If you want to go to the next level like $1500+ then there are plenty of options.

I played a Sandberg short scale P bass that was wonderful, for example.

 

[Hues]

Check this out....


Also, Form Factor Audio has some in your price range and various scales.

 

[TeaTime]

Reverend Dub King, or one of the artist sig variations on it. Similar to the Gibson you mentioned it's 30", semi-hollow, set neck. Plays very nicely with flats, and sits in that deep mellow space, except has a clarity and consistency far beyond anything similar.

 

[bylar13]

This might be worth looking at:

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[mrperkolator]

Thank you.

By the way he had an autocorrect issue. He meant Sire U5. I can vouch that Sire plays like instruments twice their price.

Truth be told though, you may want to listen to lots of videos. The U5 is great but won't sound like an old EB0.

 

[mrperkolator]

 

[AK3000]

The atelier z short scale in the classifieds on this board is what I would get. But, it may be a little expensive.

 

[oranje]

Serek offers amazing short and Medium scale basses with an array of pick up options. You can probably get close to your old EB tone with one of his basses. There are some beauties here in the TB classifieds.

 

[crazycloud]

Cort GB Short Scale.

Get one of these, play it for a little while, then go and play 'boutiques' and see how much better they actually are and whether they're worth the extra coin to you. Most stuff isn't to me any more after owning a lot of them.

 

[BassDaddy77]

Deep and mellow with flatwounds? Sounds like a modern Gibson SG bass would fit that description to a T! Really nice used specimens can be found around $1000, and new models are about $2000 these days. They are a different animal compared to your old EB-3 (I would say more versatile in the tones they produce vs the vintage models of the 60s and 70s).

 

[mambo4]

I just love the Nordstrand Acynonix "cat bass"
If I were to grab a shorty it'd be that.

Ed Friedland demos it with flats

 

[OnlyFlats]

When looking online, have a visual scan at the bridge location. I really don't like short scales with the bridge shifted further towards the headstock. The 3 I own all have their bridges close to flush against the base of the body like traditional P and J. The ergonomics work for me then

Watch out that the terminology doesn't misdirect you. Around these parts, short scale often means "less than 34". Helps to be clear on your preferred scale length (if you have one). Personally I like everything that's less than 34", including the little cheap Ibanez Mikro

 

[sonic boogaloo]

One of the basses I owned during that time was a Gibson EB3, short scale.

if you're looking for a gibbo EB type SS then look no further than the sandberg florence.

the mudbucker sounds awesome!

 

[KJMO]

The atelier z short scale in the classifieds on this board is what I would get. But, it may be a little expensive.

I love my atelier, and it's a beautiful bass, but it's the opposite of Mello. With flats I guess everything sounds a bit the same though. But personally I think the dub king would be great, and the squier mustang is pretty awesome, and it's cheap. I really like the Sandberg Lionel too.

 

[klaatu]

I have a Fender Japanese Jazz Short Scale. My favorite of all the shorties I've owned. I don't think that they make them anymore but there's some that show up on ebay or Reverb. Cost is around $1,000 or so. The body is downsized from a full scale, and the weight is a bit over 7 lbs.

 

[Makten]

I just love the Nordstrand Acynonix "cat bass"
If I were to grab a shorty it'd be that.

Ed Friedland demos it with flats

+1

With LaBella DTF's and the neck pickup, it sounds veeery nice. And the neck is slim and narrow, as opposed to many other suggestions in the thread.

I've modded mine a bit, but if I could only have one bass, it would be the Acinonyx.

 

[manchego_eggo]

watt mk ii is literally based on the gibson EB0 so would be perfect.

Sandberg Florence is more expensive and a higher build quality IMO. I also prefer the ergonomics of it.

 

[RomanS]

Yeah, after the OP mentioned his budget (which is quite high), a Reverend Wattplower or Sandberg Florence (or maybe a Wilcock Mullarkey or a German-made Höfner Club) seem to be great options.
I guess people recommending Mustangs and Stingrays overlooked the "deep and mellow" part, because these are neither...