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NBD Cordoba Mini II Bass MH-E
- Thread starter Mr. Pickles
- Start date
https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/CMini2BMHE--cordoba-mini-ii-bass-mh-e-natural-mahogany
Tech Specs
Tech Specs
- String Type:Steel
- Number of Strings:4
- Body Shape:Mini II
- Left-/Right-handed:Right-handed
- Color:Natural
- Finish:Satin Polyurethane
- Top Wood:Mahogany
- Back & Sides Wood:Mahogany
- Body Bracing:Fan
- Binding:Black ABS
- Neck Wood:Mahogany
- Neck Shape:C
- Fingerboard Material:Composite
- Fingerboard Inlay:White Dots
- Number of Frets:19
- Scale Length:22.875"
- Tuning Machines:Cordoba Tuning Machines
- Bridge Material:Composite
- Nut/Saddle Material:NuBone/Composite
- Nut Width:1.75"
- Electronics:Cordoba MB103, 3-band EQ
- Strings
'Addario Coated Phosphor Bronze, .037-.090 - Overall Length:34.3"
- Body Length:15.6"
- Body Width:11.3" (lower bout), 8.75" (upper bout)
- Body Depth:3.3" (lower), 3" (upper)
- Manufacturer Part Number:03956 -
This is a specific tool for me to meet a few unique needs: I need a small bass to play live in my Violent Femmes cover band (Going, going, Gano!) as my full size ABG is very uncomfortable due to wrist and shoulder issues. I also need a portable instrument to take to work so that I can learn cover songs on my lunch break.
I've owned two Kala UBASSes and a 25" Gold Tone micro bass fretless, but I could never bond with the rubbery strings. I much preferred the longer scale of the Gold Tone. I did find out recently that Kala is making a metal coated nylon string for the UBASS, but after seeing the demo of the Cordoba, and due to the slightly longer scale length and ridiculous price, I decided to purchase the MH-E.
There are a couple minor blemishes on the top and the ABS binding, but the instrument is really gorgeous (never mind my crap photog skills) and solidly built. The mahogany has a nice grain and the satin finish, while delicate, compliments the grain very nicely.
The unplugged volume is perfect for solo practice or jamming along to recorded tracks at a low volume. The neck needs adjustment and the truss rod nut was loose when I received it, so I gave it a turn counter clockwise to tighten it (weird). I have to reach out to my sales rep to look into how to adjust and flatten the neck. It seems to be a single action truss. Any advice on this?
The tuners also needed adjusting as they were all spun too freely, but this was a simple fix. The strings are much better feeling to me and are better suited to my pickstyle (for the Femmes band) than the poly strings of the Kala and Gold Tone, so mission accomplished on that front.
The nicest surprise was the preamp - it sounds really good through my Streamliner and GB cab. It is warm and round and doesn't have that piezo quack. The sound was balanced across the strings which is essential for me. Fingerstyle playing results in some articulate and thick notes with a nice amount of acoustic bloom. I think I can make this work without any additional outboard processing like eqs or compressors for the live gig. I'll be getting a micro combo soon, probably the new Trace 1x10 or 1x8 and I'm thrilled to be able to potentially plug in and play. The bass boost on the pre is pretty cool - not too overwhelming or boomy. The tuner is acceptable and it does turn a nice bright green when the desired note is reached, so it's easy to see.
The intonation and action need some work, however, so I might need my tech to alter the nut and bridge, but I was expecting as much (remember, this bass only cost $199).
Overall, I'm happy with the purchase and inspired to practice more often. It really is a nice bass for the price, despite the minor issues. If there's any serious issues with the truss, I'll gladly exchange it for a new one.I haven't reached out to my Sweetwater rep yet, so I'll keep you all posted.
I've owned two Kala UBASSes and a 25" Gold Tone micro bass fretless, but I could never bond with the rubbery strings. I much preferred the longer scale of the Gold Tone. I did find out recently that Kala is making a metal coated nylon string for the UBASS, but after seeing the demo of the Cordoba, and due to the slightly longer scale length and ridiculous price, I decided to purchase the MH-E.
There are a couple minor blemishes on the top and the ABS binding, but the instrument is really gorgeous (never mind my crap photog skills) and solidly built. The mahogany has a nice grain and the satin finish, while delicate, compliments the grain very nicely.
The unplugged volume is perfect for solo practice or jamming along to recorded tracks at a low volume. The neck needs adjustment and the truss rod nut was loose when I received it, so I gave it a turn counter clockwise to tighten it (weird). I have to reach out to my sales rep to look into how to adjust and flatten the neck. It seems to be a single action truss. Any advice on this?
The tuners also needed adjusting as they were all spun too freely, but this was a simple fix. The strings are much better feeling to me and are better suited to my pickstyle (for the Femmes band) than the poly strings of the Kala and Gold Tone, so mission accomplished on that front.
The nicest surprise was the preamp - it sounds really good through my Streamliner and GB cab. It is warm and round and doesn't have that piezo quack. The sound was balanced across the strings which is essential for me. Fingerstyle playing results in some articulate and thick notes with a nice amount of acoustic bloom. I think I can make this work without any additional outboard processing like eqs or compressors for the live gig. I'll be getting a micro combo soon, probably the new Trace 1x10 or 1x8 and I'm thrilled to be able to potentially plug in and play. The bass boost on the pre is pretty cool - not too overwhelming or boomy. The tuner is acceptable and it does turn a nice bright green when the desired note is reached, so it's easy to see.
The intonation and action need some work, however, so I might need my tech to alter the nut and bridge, but I was expecting as much (remember, this bass only cost $199).
Overall, I'm happy with the purchase and inspired to practice more often. It really is a nice bass for the price, despite the minor issues. If there's any serious issues with the truss, I'll gladly exchange it for a new one.I haven't reached out to my Sweetwater rep yet, so I'll keep you all posted.
Amazon lists the
Cordoba 3/4 Size Deluxe Gig Bag
as a match to that bass. That may or may not be accurate.
Good chance Rondo music would have something that matches the size.
I’ve seen the gig bags but I don’t think that will protect it enough. It’s going to get bounced around a bunch.
once it comes in I’ll try it in a few hard cases in my local shops and post what I find in case anyone else is interested
The gigbag is super heavy duty. It's thick and plush with good padding all around. Since the instrument has very little mass, you could launch it across the room in the bag and it most likely would be perfectly fine.
right on. I’m just more worried about that something shifting mid flight and punching a hole through the body and not damaging the gig bag
I really dig the Cordoba Mini II Bass when I play it in a local music store, although I'm just learning to play the bass (have two Ibanez acoustics). I have only had the chance to play the more expensive solid spruce top EB-E version (mahogany top is MH-E). Anyone who played them both that can compare them? I'm mostly playing un-plugged at home.
My "normal instrument" is acoustic guitar, and I have both spruce top and mahogany top ones, although they are different in body shape etc as well. But "I think I prefer" the spruce sound over the more mellow mahogany sound.
Mini II Bass EB-E - Cordoba Guitars
Mini II Bass MH-E - Cordoba Guitars
Thanks!
/Per
My "normal instrument" is acoustic guitar, and I have both spruce top and mahogany top ones, although they are different in body shape etc as well. But "I think I prefer" the spruce sound over the more mellow mahogany sound.
Mini II Bass EB-E - Cordoba Guitars
Mini II Bass MH-E - Cordoba Guitars
Thanks!
/Per
Last edited:
I unexpectedly jumped into these waters. Liking the mahogany one very much.
Very, very nice build for the price. Nice even tone plugged in.
Lots of fun. Small enough you can sleep with it.
If you ever listened to the Cordoba demo and weren't impressed, ignore it. The Cordoba demo is terribly recorded. There are other demos by owners online that do a much better job of showing what the bass sounds like.
Very, very nice build for the price. Nice even tone plugged in.
Lots of fun. Small enough you can sleep with it.
If you ever listened to the Cordoba demo and weren't impressed, ignore it. The Cordoba demo is terribly recorded. There are other demos by owners online that do a much better job of showing what the bass sounds like.
Nice sub-shortie!!!
I swim in the SSS pool as well with a 24".
So now the strings choice nightmare begins......057912
I swim in the SSS pool as well with a 24".
So now the strings choice nightmare begins......057912
Well, I bumped into this thread and want to share my experiences.
This bass sounds and plays amazing, I absolutely love it.
However the first one I received has a faulty pickup, and seemed very badly made.
Loose cabling inside with a cable guide that was obviously supposed to be glued to the inside of the body.
And the underside of the bridge looked extremely messy, with broken wood and splinters sticking out.
I loved how it played and sounded, but obviously had to send it back.
I was eagerly looking forward to receiving a new one.
However, that one was also quite a letdown, since the neck was barely attached to the body.
There was a visible gap between neck and body, and the body was cracked where the neck meets the body.
Obviously this made the instrument broken and unplayable. (See picture)
So I do recommend this bass, but make sure to check it out in person because Cordoba seems to have some serious QA issues. (Or I'm very unlucky.)
This bass sounds and plays amazing, I absolutely love it.
However the first one I received has a faulty pickup, and seemed very badly made.
Loose cabling inside with a cable guide that was obviously supposed to be glued to the inside of the body.
And the underside of the bridge looked extremely messy, with broken wood and splinters sticking out.
I loved how it played and sounded, but obviously had to send it back.
I was eagerly looking forward to receiving a new one.
However, that one was also quite a letdown, since the neck was barely attached to the body.
There was a visible gap between neck and body, and the body was cracked where the neck meets the body.
Obviously this made the instrument broken and unplayable. (See picture)
So I do recommend this bass, but make sure to check it out in person because Cordoba seems to have some serious QA issues. (Or I'm very unlucky.)
Attachments
I'm wondering if anyone out there has tried putting flatwound strings on this instrument. I need to play with a pick because my fingers are not up to playing fingerpicking style--fingers will hurt and stiffen up afterward. On the other hand, I can play my Kaka U-bass with a felt pick as long as I'd like, not a problem. But the rubbery Kala strings are a bit too grippy to play quickly with a pick. I do like the sound of the Kala with the rubbery strings so I want to keep that set of strings on my Kala. The nylon wound stings that come standard on the Cordoba seem nice, but I don't want that buzzy sound you get when sliding, and also I suspect the wound strings might sound a bit harsh when played with a pick. One buyer on Sweetwater commented that when he put flatwounds on his Cordoba the intonation went bad; he seemed to think that wasn't a fixable problem.
Speaking of intonation, another thing that makes the Cordoba tempting is that I think the intonation might be batter than on my Kala. When I tune up my Kala I find that only three frets 3 frets down the tuning is off on all strings.
Speaking of intonation, another thing that makes the Cordoba tempting is that I think the intonation might be batter than on my Kala. When I tune up my Kala I find that only three frets 3 frets down the tuning is off on all strings.
And the intonation problems the one buyer at Sweetwater mentioned is a non-issue?
Can you describe how the flat spirals sound compared to the standard nylon wound strings the instrument comes with? I'm wondering if I might be onto something as far as less 'ZZZs' when sliding, and maybe a bit softer when played with a pick, compared to the standard strings. And maybe quieter when played acoustically, too (that would be OK with me)
Thanks for your thoughts...
Can you describe how the flat spirals sound compared to the standard nylon wound strings the instrument comes with? I'm wondering if I might be onto something as far as less 'ZZZs' when sliding, and maybe a bit softer when played with a pick, compared to the standard strings. And maybe quieter when played acoustically, too (that would be OK with me)
Thanks for your thoughts...
For my ears, all of the above. Less zingy. Softer, less tension. The Aquilas are not a typical flats design. It's a copper winding around a synthetic core. I didn't notice any intonation hit after putting the strings on.
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