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New Short Scale Bass

Which Would You Choose?

  • Gretsch Electromatic Short Scale

    Votes: 93 35.2%

  • Squier Mustang

    Votes: 99 37.5%

  • Danelectro 56 Single Cutaway

    Votes: 72 27.3%
  • Total voters
    264
#27
I've played a LOT of short scale basses and owned many similar to the ones you're considering. Specifically, I have owned Fender Mustangs and Squier Broncos - Dano and Jerry Jones Longhorns and the exact Gretsch you are considering.

For me, all were comfortable to play for hours on end and very giggable when set up properly. In fact, I am now almost a total convert to short scale basses for live performance.

I really cannot advise you or vote in your poll unless I know what type of music you intend to play and your style of play.

For Rock and Hard Rock, I pick the Gretsch. Its got the right look, a really hot pickup that can add some grind to your signal when pushed and sounds good with both fingers and pick. I did not like this bass for funk/slap at all. Sticky C shaped neck did not lend itself to my Larry Graham outbursts.

The Danos are really great all around basses. They are the lightest of the three. You can do four 1-hour sets in a single night with no difficulty. They are great for country/surf/classic rock and R&B and you can slap and pop all night long. Really the most versatile bass of the three and (again) the most comfortable. On the down side, if you are used to heavier (10-12 pound) Fender basses, this one may take a lot of getting used to and may feel like a toy at first. Dano's need really light gauge strings too - due to the choice of tuning machines. If you like heavier gauges, you probably would be wise to look elsewhere.

The Mustang is a nice compromise. You can slap/pop much easier on the Mustang than you can on the Gretsch. And the Mustang has a familiar weight and shape if you are a Fender guy. Does country/rock and R&B just like the Dano. Has a great rock sound (though not as great as the Gretsch). Can pretty much use any strings you like.

So -- to sum up:

If I was looking for a bass only for rock/classic rock and I was never going to take it to a funk gig -- I'd choose the Gretsch.

If I was concerned about weight and wanted the lightest bass I could find or if I wanted a specific bass for surf / oldies / or even funk, I'd buy the Dano.

If I was not sure what I was going to use the bass for yet but I wanted to keep my options open and buy the short scale that could cover the most ground, I'd buy the Mustang. (Or a Squier Musicmaster has pointed out above).

Hope that helps.
 
#28
In addition to all the above, there's also a reissue of the Harmony, now with a set neck instead of the dicey 3-screw neck of the old ones that looks promising, especially since it has a "baritone" switch on it as well.

Ibanez has a couple as well, but I don't know anything about them.
 
#33
ghostdog93 said:
I'm stunned that there are 57 votes for a bass that virtually nobody has played yet.

How can one seriously recommend a bass that is so new that most retailers don't even have them in stock?
Click to expand...



Two things come to my mind: Squier is very hot right now, and the basses they are making right now are a very good value.

Plus, the Mustang is a bass that already exists, and Squier is just copying it from the parent company. They have done so with P and J and P/J basses lately nicely.
 
#34
jasper383 said:
I was actually thinking about the solid body Gretsch "Jet" that's $250. I should have been more specific.

[This invalid link has been removed]
Click to expand...

I have that bass too, both the 2202 and the 1222. The pickups are fantastic - in fact, I put one in my Bronco and that bass sounds fantastic!

I voted Gretsch - it's a better built bass with a more powerful pickup. But they're all well balanced and fun to play.

Here are mine.....

Gretsch 1222
P1020091.jpg


Gretsch 2202
PB070025.jpg


Bronco with Gretsch pickup..I sincerely doubt that the Mustang is any better.
PB070030.jpg
 
#35
jasper383 said:
Two things come to my mind: Squier is very hot right now, and the basses they are making right now are a very good value.

Plus, the Mustang is a bass that already exists, and Squier is just copying it from the parent company. They have done so with P and J and P/J basses lately nicely.
Click to expand...

I don't disagree with the current state of Squier products; you're preaching to the choir, because I'm a fan.

On the other hand - and I'm really not trying to be argumentative here - I just want to point out 1) that Squier's recent success doesn't mean that the new Mustang would be a better buy than the other basses listed in the poll and 2) recommending a new product based solely on what the manufacturer has done in the recent past doesn't seem like a sound strategy when you're trying to make an objective comparison.

I wouldn't mind if the internet was filled with glowing reviews of the new VM Mustang, but it's not. Very few people have played them, it seems. It might be a smokin' hot bass...but then again, it may not. I still don't understand how people could recommend the Mustang over any of the other basses in the poll. But like you said, Squier is hot right now, so maybe it's more of a popularity contest that an objective look at the basses offered.

Just my 2 cents, IMO, etc., yadda yadda.
 
#36
As I posted earlier, my vote goes to the Squier Mustang. For me I expected it to be the best of both Basses. I currently own a modded Bronco and a Fender Mustang. My Bronco is the best sounding bass that I own or have owned, but I just don't care for the neck. My Fender Mustang is nice and I like the feel of it (mainly the neck), but it is weak in the sound and tone department. I just can't bring myself to mod it. The new Squier Mustang has a neck listed with the same dimentions as my Fender Mustang, so I think that for me the Squier Mustang modded with my favorite pickup will quickly be my "go to" bass.

Heres a shot of my rockin Bronco.

Invalid Link Removed
 

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