Mustang Bass for Reggae?

[Count Bassie]

I'm looking for a shortscale bass, and am doing a lot of reggae this summer. I have a line on some Mustangs, and wonder what any of you guys might have to offer on them as a dub-axe?

Also looking into a Hofner copy, other odd-ball stuff.

I'd love to find a 32, but they seem more rare. I'm tight fro bread, and may have to sell another bass to do this...

 

[ghiadub]

I used a mustang for Reggae. Short scale basses seem to be a little less defined (when tuned like a longer scale) which seems to work well for reagge.

IMO!!

 

[Drewbacca]

They get a good, deep, very P-like tone. I'm sure it'd work well.

The ones I've played seemed just as well defined as the 34" scale basses next to them.

 

[Count Bassie]

I used a mustang for Reggae. Short scale basses seem to be a little less defined (when tuned like a longer scale) which seems to work well for reagge.

IMO!!

Agreed. I have a capo on the 2nd fret of my Ibanez Roadstar, strung with some old LaBella flats. It goes "Duh-duh-duh...", works great!

 

[unclekebm]

Heck Yea!

LOL! to "Duh-duh-duh..."

 

[Count Bassie]

I guess something about shorties generally is that the shorter string affords less harmonic evidence. But I've read some reviews on H-C that also talk about the Mustang having good definition... Thanks Wyrdo. But I still need it to go "Duh-duh-duh..."

 

[unclekebm]

I think a Mass of rrrrRastafari's dancing to Reggae music aren't concerned with the intricacies of your tone
any Bass will work
just have tons of headroom and use your EQ

 

[Count Bassie]

I think a Mass of rrrrRastafari's dancing to Reggae music aren't concerned with the intricacies of your tone
any Bass will work
just have tons of headroom and use your EQ

I know that's right. I'm just looking for a short-scale bass really, and especially for reggae because of all the repetetive riffing the left hand is doing. I'm having occasional minor pain in the left hand, and am trying to save it!

I also have a line on a couple Mustangs, and have no experience with them. Thought I'd ask- you never know! Thanks for the replies, guys.

 

[dalkowski]

Have you tried playing reggae with a Mustang? You might find your answer that way.

 

[Count Bassie]

Have you tried playing reggae with a Mustang? You might find your answer that way.

I have not. Don't know anyone off-hand who has one... TB's forum is the next best thing so far.

 

[unclekebm]

I know that's right. I'm just looking for a short-scale bass really, and especially for reggae because of all the repetetive riffing the left hand is doing. I'm having occasional minor pain in the left hand, and am trying to save it!

I also have a line on a couple Mustangs, and have no experience with them. Thought I'd ask- you never know! Thanks for the replies, guys.

I think a Mustang would be great
You talking about getting the Mustang without playing it first?

what about light gauge strings and Low action?
of course then your Right hand would get mad at you

 

[halloweenfiend]

I have a Mustang, which I recently just acquired (a 94-95 RI). First thing I did was slap some TI jazz flats on it and broke them in. After trying this setup at a band rehearsal (playing thru an acoustic B220H + B115) and it was very "dub-like" sounding. I mean super bassy. I would imagine that kinda setup would be great for reggae and/or dub. That being said, I was really surprised at how nice the build is on my Mustang... the neck alone is much better crafted than the neck that was on my 2004 Fender MIM Pbass. If you have the money and u can find a used or really cheap Mustang bass I would def pull the trigger, I think the short scale really yields a strong fundamental bass tone most likely due to the lower string tension which yields less harmonics.

 

[experimental bassist]

I'm looking for a shortscale bass, and am doing a lot of reggae this summer. I have a line on some Mustangs, and wonder what any of you guys might have to offer on them as a dub-axe?

Also looking into a Hofner copy, other odd-ball stuff.

I'd love to find a 32, but they seem more rare. I'm tight fro bread, and may have to sell another bass to do this...

I think it sounds cool. Shortscales and dub just work, and I dig those Mustangs.

What are your thoughts on strings...rounds, flats, something else? I'm asking b/c I have a 30" shortscale I'm thinking of setting up for reggae/dub as well.

Peace.

 

[Count Bassie]

I think it sounds cool. Shortscales and dub just work, and I dig those Mustangs.

What are your thoughts on strings...rounds, flats, something else? I'm asking b/c I have a 30" shortscale I'm thinking of setting up for reggae/dub as well.

Peace.

The LaBellas on my Ibby R-Star are very dull-sounding, bottomy, but give just a hint of 'top' at the finger-hit. I like 'em, they have impact, albeit a mostly thumpy one.

Interestingly I had the bass strung with D'Addario Nickel-Wounds (rounds) last gig, and the sound was POW! Very punchy, very 'on'. Although I like the flats (solo'd) better, in the big mix the rounds were deliverin'.

This is taking into account I had the tone on my bass dialed back most of the way. I've almost always used flats in reggae, and I like what they do. I generally prefer the tome of a nice set of flats, but I've surprised myself with the above results from rounds... like Unclekebm (I think) mentioned, it's all in headroom and eq.

 

[Count Bassie]

Hey Dogbone, you know, I'd go with flats for the shorty. Just a gut thing, but that would maybe make the most of the short-scale effect.

I will be stringing up with flats on the short.

Unclekebm, yeah I'm thinking of getting the Mustang un-tried, unless I can find one locally. That would be better, but it's not G.A.S., it's a hand issue. I want to alleviate this asap.

 

[experimental bassist]

Hey Dogbone, you know, I'd go with flats for the shorty. Just a gut thing, but that would maybe make the most of the short-scale effect.

I agree. Something about a shorty that just sounds a little darker and deeper, and flats would be the icing on that cake.

Good luck w/ the Mustang if you decide to get it (also pics!).

 

[bassCanadabass]

Eon Sinclair from Bedouin Soundclash rocks a Mustang. Sounds good to me!

 

[Count Bassie]

Eon Sinclair from Bedouin Soundclash rocks a Mustang. Sounds good to me!

Well alright then!! There is definitely a generally good buzz on this bass.

Dogbone, I will post whatever short-scale-type-thing I end up with. I never actually figured on a Mustang- I'd originally pictured some semi-hollow "burstenstein" with F-holes, a NOS Framus neck and a split-coil p'up. The Mustang was a surprise! I'm going to look locally so's I can try one out. Let us know how your dub bass sounds with the flats...

 

[lousybassist]

A Mustang will probably work wonderfully well for dub, but if you want a really fat tone, you might want to try a short scale hollow body as well. I recently bought a DeArmond Starfire which has a very full sound, and just the other day I played an Ibanez Artcore AFB200 which was equally thick sounding. There seems to be something magic about the combination of a short neck and a hollow body, when it comes to production of creamy, fat tones.

 

[Count Bassie]

A Mustang will probably work wonderfully well for dub, but if you want a really fat tone, you might want to try a short scale hollow body as well. I recently bought a DeArmond Starfire which has a very full sound, and just the other day I played an Ibanez Artcore AFB200 which was equally thick sounding. There seems to be something magic about the combination of a short neck and a hollow body, when it comes to production of creamy, fat tones.

I had an Artcore and it was sweet alright. It was in the stream of a great gear-flipping episode, and it's gone now. Come to think of it, I would nail another one though if the price was nice, or trade-able.