What scale did you guys start on? Short or Long?
I started out on a poorly constructed, no-name j-bass copy that I guess (?) was a long scale.
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What scale did you guys start on? Short or Long?
"There are a lot of factors that affect how a bass "feels" - not just body size and weight, but also where the strap pins are, where the neck meets the body, etc."
I agree with hieronymous. My Dub King "plays" longer than my Mustang or SX shorties despite having the same scale length. I string them all with flats because the round-wound E string feels too floppy to me (plus I just prefer the sound and feel of flats overall).
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All my bases are shorties. Of the lot, the SX "P-style" feels the most "toy-like".
I would not say that the Jag SS is "toylike'....it is simply a musical tool designed to do what it does. The bottom line is what comes out of the amp speaker.
Depending on what you string it with the Jag will produce.
The Ibanez Mikro looks more toy-like......and I wish they'd put just a bit more quality into the build. That said, again it's a musical tool that addresses a niche.
And even out of the box it will deliver........
Both are totally playable and in the hands of a competent person can and do hold their own.....
When you go into a shop and look at all the bigger "non toy-like " basses.....yes, some are well made and are of stouter construction....but there will be many that you try out and immediately hang back up on the rack simply because it doesn't feel right and isn't for you regardless of how well it is made.
Even the Bronco is not a toy. It does what it does for the money paid. If you like it, you like it...if you don't, you don't.
There are some really good higher priced shorties out there too.