Short scale bass

[Maloy Poor]

I want to Thank everyone for the suggestions! I ordered the Sterling SS4 in dropped copper.
I have enough left over to upgrade the pickup and a new case and some flatwounds. Might even have enough to fill up my pickup.
Thanks again for all your help.

 

[Marc valero]

I play a Mitchell (GC store brand - made by Schecter) short scale P/J as my travel bass. Less than $200.00. If you want, you can upgrade the pickups, like I did. Box store price with Schecter quality control. About seven pounds weight.

Whatever bass you get, use GHS Balanced Pure Nickels strings. God's gift to short scale bass players: big, round, tone; great consistent tone string-to-string and up the neck; they don't twang or thump, the nickel is more dense then NPS for the same diameter so they have more mass and more tension so they have good feel and are stable in tone and intonation; they are relatively inexpensive and last a long, long time. The current set on my travel bass has been to Mexico two years in a row.

View attachment 4625161

I ordered the Mitchell short scale in November (when it was $90) and just got it last week. I strictly play a 5 string, but wanted a short scale and didn't want to spend too much or get the extra short Mikro. I haven't tried the Mustang or other shorties, but the Mitchell is a nice looking and good sounding instrument if you are on a budget.

 

[west al]

The Epi EB-0. A 30.5" neck, 12" radius Rosewood fretboard, and a 1.5" Jazz size nut. The Sidewinder Humbucking, puts out a great clear, deep low tone. Restrung with D'Addario ETB92S Nylons.

 

[Geogio]

Just got mine, weak P/U's, etc - what upgrades do you recommend? I'll use flatwounds. I play Blues, Classic Country, 3-chord R n R

I would wait, take a good measurement see what options are out there. Check the output on the installed pick ups, are they making noise? Hum? Functioning properly? If they are nominal, play, Compare, enjoy them for a minute.

I base my recommendations on how proficient an electronics installer you are or if you have a good tech who can perform the job in a timely manner. My local guy is out about a month-and-a-half for simple pickup jobs, that's okay because I have a lifetime of soldering experience, I have to say that I've been using EMG passives and actives for 30 years. EMGs are very good quality and no soldering is required because they use plugins that are designed for fighter Avionics, and those plugs that they use are resiliency tested beyond anything you can imagine. They don't come loose.

I can't even really complain too much about overseas pickups coming in on budget models, but I really don't like overseas potentiometers, switches and jacks they are noisy and they are limited in their sweep. I prefer CTS pots and switchcraft plugs. There are other makes that up the quality of output as well. Make sure the caps are correct.

 

[JamesDeGrandis]

Ibanez and Yamaha come to mind...

+1 for the Ibanez Mikro. $179. Stuff some GZRs or QP in there... get some Gotoh tuners and a new bridge...
It's like playing a toy... that sounds good and plays fast.
I put Sunbeams on mine... but I don't recommend unless you are a masochist. (But if you are... put Sunbeams on it! Make sure you pretack the wrap or it will unwind on you... ask me how I know.)

 

[BigThumps]

Check out Eastwood too. They have quite a few SS models and have some really unique styles.

 

[Ric5]

 

[bigthemat]

Ibanez has the Mezzo 32" scale and some of the Talmans are short scale. and they're cheap and awesome

 

[Ben Esparza]

Jerry Jones Longhorn

 

[landrybass]

Oh crap...more G.A.S.
That's a nice looking bass and I didn't realize Sire made a 30" scale bass.

dude that is a sweet little bass

 

[roccobladr]

Man I was dead set on getting a Mustang PJ (and still would if I can find a decent price) but I think the Sire U5 checks off all the boxes. Really don’t want to deal with those noises pickups, even if the look of the mustang is more my style.

 

[Glennbassmann]

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

 

[iiipopes]

I want to Thank everyone for the suggestions! I ordered the Sterling SS4 in dropped copper.
I have enough left over to upgrade the pickup and a new case and some flatwounds. Might even have enough to fill up my pickup.
Thanks again for all your help.

Congrats! You may not need a pickup upgrade. If you don't like the tone when you get it, first look at the pots & caps. All the inexpensive basses I have seen recently are using either 500 kohm pots, or linear pots where audio taper pots may work better, or use a .022 guitar tone capacitor instead of the traditional .047 tone capacitor. I changed the pots and tone cap on my mid-scale Jaguar H to 250 kohm audio taper pots and the .047 tone capacitor, and ended up not having to change the pickup.

On the bass you are purchasing, it is advertised as having a neo-magnet pickup designed just for that bass, a push-pull volume pot which may or may not be active, since I don't see a battery box (under the control cover?) pickup coil switch and tone control.

For flatwound strings, I recommend the La Bella 760FL-S 43-104 to get a good balance of traditional tone, tension, and feel.

 

[mrperkolator]

Congrats! You may not need a pickup upgrade. If you don't like the tone when you get it, first look at the pots & caps. All the inexpensive basses I have seen recently are using either 500 kohm pots, or linear pots where audio taper pots may work better, or use a .022 guitar tone capacitor instead of the traditional .047 tone capacitor. I changed the pots and tone cap on my mid-scale Jaguar H to 250 kohm audio taper pots and the .047 tone capacitor, and ended up not having to change the pickup.

On the bass you are purchasing, it is advertised as having a neo-magnet pickup designed just for that bass, a push-pull volume pot which may or may not be active, since I don't see a battery box (under the control cover?) pickup coil switch and tone control.

For flatwound strings, I recommend the La Bella 760FL-S 43-104 to get a good balance of traditional tone, tension, and feel.

It's passive. Someone posted the wiring diagram here on TB. It's either on the SBMM short scale thread or on the short scale club thread. I think it's posted on the short scale club as a crosspost from somewhere else... It's actually an interesting wiring diagram.

 

[sabre79]

I have 2 Ibanez Talman TMB30's. 42" nut width. Love the necks.

 

[Bassamatic]

Mustang P/J is a sure winner. Better than a Mustang. It has the J Pup, It has a nicer slim neck and it uses standard Short Scale strings that are much easier to find than the Medium Scale strings that the Mustangs require, since they have through-body stringing ONLY. P/J for the win!

I also have the Talman TMB30 (a SOOPER bargain) and the Ibanez miKro 4 and 5 strings and the Junior Jet 2202 and VM Jaguar shorties, a Hofner and had the Lakland Hobo30 and different Mustangs. The Mustang P/J is all-around a much better bass in terms of quality, sound and playability. I'm actually looking for a second one to have one for rounds and one for flats.

Here's mine with a cool new pick guard, and a balance control replacing the 3-way switch. It sounds killer with T.I Jazz Flats.

 

[Glennbassmann]

Medium scale strings are available everywhere...why would you think otherwise...

 

[SirMjac28]

The Höfner $3k cavern model. The Allen Woody Rumblekat would be a less expensive option. Ahhh but you don't get the filter cut out swiches with the Rumblekat... I can count on 1 hand how many times I've switched from rhythm to solo on the HÖFNER type of switching set up...

They have the Ignition version that's what I have and it came with flats sounds phenomenal

 

[wiscoaster]

Sire U5 for $500.

Ditto that; probably the best for the dollar. (I have one).

The Fender Player Series Mustang (have one also) is also under $1K but whether it's worth the extra money over the Sire could be debated. The G&L Tribute Fallout (another I have) puts out one hell of a sound, but it's heavy and has a chunky neck. So, I'd still rate the Sire #1 of the three I mentioned, but they're all under $1K and each one heck of a sweet instrument.

 

[KJMO]

Congrats! You may not need a pickup upgrade. If you don't like the tone when you get it, first look at the pots & caps. All the inexpensive basses I have seen recently are using either 500 kohm pots, or linear pots where audio taper pots may work better, or use a .022 guitar tone capacitor instead of the traditional .047 tone capacitor. I changed the pots and tone cap on my mid-scale Jaguar H to 250 kohm audio taper pots and the .047 tone capacitor, and ended up not having to change the pickup.

On the bass you are purchasing, it is advertised as having a neo-magnet pickup designed just for that bass, a push-pull volume pot which may or may not be active, since I don't see a battery box (under the control cover?) pickup coil switch and tone control.

For flatwound strings, I recommend the La Bella 760FL-S 43-104 to get a good balance of traditional tone, tension, and feel.

I'll jump in on this if I may. Joe Nerve, who I trust, posted a couple sound files of his Sterling SS4 compared to his U.S. MM (was it also a ss?), and I would say there is zero reason to replace the pickups. If there was a difference, it was vanishingly small. I've also played with 2 bassists who used a SBMM, and I would be hard pressed to say they sounded any different than any other MM. They sounded great! Use the money to try lots of different strings ;-)

Here it is:
SBMM Stingray Short scale

I guessed wrong.