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Short Scale for my kid

#42
Gizmot said:
View attachment 4638855 Another option is the Sterling Stingray by MusicMan. It looks good, plays well and has more tonal variety than a P-bass thanks to its series / parallel switching. I bought one last year to play after I had shoulder surgery when I literally couldn’t reach the lower frets on a standard sized bass.
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I forgot to mention that this the SHORT-SCALE Sterling Stingray! It feels professional, the controls are solid and the sound is pretty good.
 
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#44
getBAK said:
Schecter you say.... hmmmm Local GC says they have on in stock. I might have to take a drive this afternoon
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Yes. When I received mine, it was obviously a drop-ship in its original sealed box with all original factory packing when I got inside and with the Schecter logo all on the outside of the box. If she doesn't like the grey, it also comes in light blue and orange.

Also, if I may comment on other recommendations, I disagree with the MiKro. That is a fine bass, but if she sticks with it, she will outgrow it. The MiKro is designed for a niche customer base (pun intended). Also, it is much easier to find different string sets in conventional short scale than MiKro scale.
 
#47
The miKro is the best buy. The neck is narrower and more comfortable than most. I have a 4 AND a 5er. It is well made and sound GREAT! The TMB30 is awesome, but a wide neck and is heavy. The Mini-P is becoming my daily player. Be sure to change the strings - mine were horrible. I think Harley Benton has a sub-short scale also for a great price. Rondo Music also has short scales. Please avoid the Bronco. There is a reason they are only $100. Terrible basses in sound and feel.

Here's my Mini-P with a spiffy new pick guard from earlpilanz on ebay.
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#48
iiipopes said:
Yes. When I received mine, it was obviously a drop-ship in its original sealed box with all original factory packing when I got inside and with the Schecter logo all on the outside of the box. If she doesn't like the grey, it also comes in light blue and orange.

Also, if I may comment on other recommendations, I disagree with the MiKro. That is a fine bass, but if she sticks with it, she will outgrow it. The MiKro is designed for a niche customer base (pun intended). Also, it is much easier to find different string sets in conventional short scale than MiKro scale.
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I’ve already recommended the MiKro and I still do, but it’s true you have more options for both basses and strings at 30”. Dunlop’s short scale sets fit MiKros perfectly, though; so even if string options are limited, you’ve at least got reliably good and inexpensive rounds and flats readily available.
 
#53
JKos said:
Which just further shows people like completely different neck shapes. Based on TB “rave,” I had a Bronco for a few weeks and couldn’t get rid of it fast enough. The neck was about as thick as it was wide. Like half of a Louisville Slugger.
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I'm a huge fan of the 'modern C' shape. Many like the baseball bats. I can't get on with them.
 
#54
Definitely try before you buy. In the store, just a couple weeks ago, I tried out the Mitchell MB100, Gretsch Junior Jet Bass II, and Ibanez Mikro. The Mitchell and Gretsch short scale guitars had noticeably sharp fret ends compared to the Mikro. Also, among the multiple Mitchell and Gretsch short scales on display of the same exact model, each of them had a noticeably different weight and tone. I personally preferred the Mikro among the three.

I personally own an older Mikro for travel, and I'm very happy with it.
 
#55
Don't overestimate your need for a "kid" bass. I started playing bass at 8, and I did it on a '77 Music Man fretless that weighed about 11 or 12 pounds – even though my dad also owned a '75 Musicmaster Bass that I could have played at any time. I didn't think of it as "hard." It was just what I had been handed first, so I used it, I loved it, and I thought of it as my normal – shunning the Musicmaster Bass because I didn't like the way it felt or sounded, with its round wound strings.

Point being, if she really wants to play music, she will, no matter what bass she has. Just get her something that will last (i.e. isn't a piece of junk), and that could serve her into adulthood, and pass as an "adult" bass for any number of years. That's at least 30" scale IMO, unlike those two Ibanezes you listed. They are almost the sizes of guitars, and might get old after a while, if she gets more serious.

That Talman short scale you listed is a nice bang for the buck, that green color looks great, and it's a standard short scale length. I would add the Squier Bronco to the list too.
 
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#56
My daughter's mostly a drummer/singer. She plays around on my travel Ibanez EHB1005sms. She looks great with it. I told her if she plays it enough it's hers, but I still get to take it on trips. I donated a Mikro to a music school two years ago. I didn't like the jazz pup, but the P sounded OK. I ended up replacing it with an old Seymour Duncan jazz pickup and it was a substantial upgrade to my ears.
 

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