I'm interested in getting a Squier Paranormal Rascal bass, but I'm not interested in playing a 10 pound short-sale bass. Those of you who own or have owned these what did yours weigh?
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Squier Paranormal Rascal bass - are they all heavy?
- Thread starter fourstringbliss
- Start date
I have only tried a handful of black ones including the one I own and they’ve all been kind of heavy.
D
I don't know the exact weight of mine (or the other Rascals I've tested) because I never actually weigh basses. But yes, like all poplar body Paranormal series instruments I've tested (basses and guitars) they are quite heavy. The Rascal's are slightly less heavy than the other Paranormals I've played, presumable due to the huge cavities under the pickguard, but the ones I've tested were still a bit heavy. The weight can obviously vary a bit from bass to bass though.
The Rascals also balance a bit weirdly, because they're essentially a short scale bass mounted on a long scale "shape". The total length of the bass, and the "reach" towards the 1st fret, is pretty much the same as with a long scale J-bass. This is of course achieved by installing the bridge in a rather unusual position, very far from the edge of the body. And THAT, combined with the Mustang-style "overhang" at the end of the bridge makes it a HUGE hassle to intonate these basses. A standard screwdriver will NOT fit. I managed to just barely intonate mine with a long electricians screwdriver, but even the biggest one I could find was really too small, which means there's a risk of stripping the screw heads if you're not VERY careful.
The type+position of the bridge on these basses is a totally failed design IMO. No-one can possibly have tested this in the real world. It must have gone straight from drawing board to mass manufacturing, because no-one with half a brain would release something as stupid as this if they had actually bothered testing it.
The Rascals LOOK cool though, and the neck profile is very nice. although this will of course be a matter of taste. If you don't like very slim necks, you're probably gonna hate it. The pickups are ok, if perhaps slightly underwhelming. The hardware is decent quality. One thing that slightly annoys me is all the rattling and kinda "hollow" tone when playing the bass unplugged. This is caused by all the stuff mounted on the pickguard (basically like on a Strat). It doesn't affect the plugged-in tone (at least not unless the pickups go microphonic...), and it isn't really a big deal, but it gives the instrument a somewhat cheap "feel" IMO. Apart from this, the Rascals seem to be well made instruments for the price.
I must admit I haven't used mine much. I got one because it looked so cool. It needed a bit of work out of the box to get the best out of it: Fret leveling, a better setup and (like most Fenders) a string retainer for the A-string. Even with these things sorted out it still feels a bit underwhelming.
Don't get me wrong. Apart from the issue with the bridge it's not a poor bass. It just LOOKS considerably better than it really is. And some of the reviews here on Talkbass have definitely contributed to a slightly undeserved hype.
The Rascal is a cool looking, somewhat flawed but decent quality bass for the money. Nothing more. There are definitely (objectively) better basses to be found in this price range, but maybe not as cool looking.
The Rascals also balance a bit weirdly, because they're essentially a short scale bass mounted on a long scale "shape". The total length of the bass, and the "reach" towards the 1st fret, is pretty much the same as with a long scale J-bass. This is of course achieved by installing the bridge in a rather unusual position, very far from the edge of the body. And THAT, combined with the Mustang-style "overhang" at the end of the bridge makes it a HUGE hassle to intonate these basses. A standard screwdriver will NOT fit. I managed to just barely intonate mine with a long electricians screwdriver, but even the biggest one I could find was really too small, which means there's a risk of stripping the screw heads if you're not VERY careful.
The type+position of the bridge on these basses is a totally failed design IMO. No-one can possibly have tested this in the real world. It must have gone straight from drawing board to mass manufacturing, because no-one with half a brain would release something as stupid as this if they had actually bothered testing it.
The Rascals LOOK cool though, and the neck profile is very nice. although this will of course be a matter of taste. If you don't like very slim necks, you're probably gonna hate it. The pickups are ok, if perhaps slightly underwhelming. The hardware is decent quality. One thing that slightly annoys me is all the rattling and kinda "hollow" tone when playing the bass unplugged. This is caused by all the stuff mounted on the pickguard (basically like on a Strat). It doesn't affect the plugged-in tone (at least not unless the pickups go microphonic...), and it isn't really a big deal, but it gives the instrument a somewhat cheap "feel" IMO. Apart from this, the Rascals seem to be well made instruments for the price.
I must admit I haven't used mine much. I got one because it looked so cool. It needed a bit of work out of the box to get the best out of it: Fret leveling, a better setup and (like most Fenders) a string retainer for the A-string. Even with these things sorted out it still feels a bit underwhelming.
Don't get me wrong. Apart from the issue with the bridge it's not a poor bass. It just LOOKS considerably better than it really is. And some of the reviews here on Talkbass have definitely contributed to a slightly undeserved hype.
The Rascal is a cool looking, somewhat flawed but decent quality bass for the money. Nothing more. There are definitely (objectively) better basses to be found in this price range, but maybe not as cool looking.
I had heard reviews about these being heavy and didn't get one because of that. I really wanted a bass, preferably short scale with a neck humbucker so this bass had been screaming at me to buy or at least try it.
I finally got one last week and am way way way happier than I expected to be. I picked it up at the store and the weight seemed reasonable. But I am freshly recovered from a 13 year long left shoulder injury so all these things that have been heavy for years feel light to me nowadays so my impression of these things might be pretty wonky right now
Mine weighs about 9 lbs on my bathroom scale.
I find the balance is just fine and the reach is fine as well since I play both long and short scale basses. Basically I am very happy with the ergonomics. At least well within good enough territory but I am not very picky. I hate the balance of my neck diving Mustangs with a passion but love the tone so they are among my most played basses and even bought a second one so clearly I am not very picky about perfect balance.
I highly recommend the bass myself. My only complaint really is the lack of crystal clear highs but that is not what I bought this bass for. It nails such an good 60's humbucker tone it is amazing. The neck with tone off is not just mud city. Even the bridge pickup is beefier than I expected.
It is a quirky bass alright but for me what matters most is the pickups and tone and this bass delivers on that front.
I finally got one last week and am way way way happier than I expected to be. I picked it up at the store and the weight seemed reasonable. But I am freshly recovered from a 13 year long left shoulder injury so all these things that have been heavy for years feel light to me nowadays so my impression of these things might be pretty wonky right now
Mine weighs about 9 lbs on my bathroom scale.
I find the balance is just fine and the reach is fine as well since I play both long and short scale basses. Basically I am very happy with the ergonomics. At least well within good enough territory but I am not very picky. I hate the balance of my neck diving Mustangs with a passion but love the tone so they are among my most played basses and even bought a second one so clearly I am not very picky about perfect balance.
I highly recommend the bass myself. My only complaint really is the lack of crystal clear highs but that is not what I bought this bass for. It nails such an good 60's humbucker tone it is amazing. The neck with tone off is not just mud city. Even the bridge pickup is beefier than I expected.
It is a quirky bass alright but for me what matters most is the pickups and tone and this bass delivers on that front.
Those pickups are very heavy and when you take the PG off there is quite a lot of deflection as it's weighed down by the pups. That said I never noticed any rattling when playing unplugged. That is until you pointed it out and now I can't unhear it.
I think there will be another little mod being done to it soon, I'll have to put a little foam in the cavities just to support the pickups, the screws and springs aren't man enough for the job on their own.
You're dead right about the bridge too, although it really looks cool, it is a nightmare to intonate with a normal length screwdriver, I had to buy some extended shaft screwdrivers and the intonation screws aren't the best quality so even with the longer screwdrivers I was sweating while intonating as I could feel the grip starting to give. Probably took me 30+ mins of careful adjustment before I got it where I wanted it.
One thing also that surprised me is that although the guitar is 'Crafted In China' the saddle adjustment grub screws are most definitely imperial (1/16") which had me confused at first as why my metric set wasn't fitting. I have an imperial set too, but it threw me for a bit.
All that being said, it really is one of my favourite guitars despite it's little flaws and I love it.
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Awesome looking bass but that is exactly why I wouldn't buy one - if I want short scale, I want small/light body and a smaller overall package. This is a short scale bass that is just as big as any other bass.
I think they look so cool and really like the sound, but the variable weight (guaranteed I'd get a boat anchor) and fiddly bits are turning me somewhere else. I might end up going with a Jack Cassady or G&L Fallout.
I'm wanting something different than my other two basses, where I can pretty much get P and J and kind of Ray tones.
I'm wanting something different than my other two basses, where I can pretty much get P and J and kind of Ray tones.
My Rascal is 4.2 kg, about 9.3 lbs. No problems with the bridge. I just replaced the tone pot and cap (550k, 0.22mF) for more high end.
That’s exactly what I would never buy one or want one. My plucking fingers would naturally fall immediately in front of the saddles and I hate the string tension down there. I agree with you about the bizarre bridge placement.I don't know the exact weight of mine (or the other Rascals I've tested) because I never actually weigh basses. But yes, like all poplar body Paranormal series instruments I've tested (basses and guitars) they are quite heavy. The Rascal's are slightly less heavy than the other Paranormals I've played, presumable due to the huge cavities under the pickguard, but the ones I've tested were still a bit heavy. The weight can obviously vary a bit from bass to bass though.
The Rascals also balance a bit weirdly, because they're essentially a short scale bass mounted on a long scale "shape". The total length of the bass, and the "reach" towards the 1st fret, is pretty much the same as with a long scale J-bass. This is of course achieved by installing the bridge in a rather unusual position, very far from the edge of the body. And THAT, combined with the Mustang-style "overhang" at the end of the bridge makes it a HUGE hassle to intonate these basses. A standard screwdriver will NOT fit. I managed to just barely intonate mine with a long electricians screwdriver, but even the biggest one I could find was really too small, which means there's a risk of stripping the screw heads if you're not VERY careful.
The type+position of the bridge on these basses is a totally failed design IMO. No-one can possibly have tested this in the real world. It must have gone straight from drawing board to mass manufacturing, because no-one with half a brain would release something as stupid as this if they had actually bothered testing it.
The Rascals LOOK cool though, and the neck profile is very nice. although this will of course be a matter of taste. If you don't like very slim necks, you're probably gonna hate it. The pickups are ok, if perhaps slightly underwhelming. The hardware is decent quality. One thing that slightly annoys me is all the rattling and kinda "hollow" tone when playing the bass unplugged. This is caused by all the stuff mounted on the pickguard (basically like on a Strat). It doesn't affect the plugged-in tone (at least not unless the pickups go microphonic...), and it isn't really a big deal, but it gives the instrument a somewhat cheap "feel" IMO. Apart from this, the Rascals seem to be well made instruments for the price.
I must admit I haven't used mine much. I got one because it looked so cool. It needed a bit of work out of the box to get the best out of it: Fret leveling, a better setup and (like most Fenders) a string retainer for the A-string. Even with these things sorted out it still feels a bit underwhelming.
Don't get me wrong. Apart from the issue with the bridge it's not a poor bass. It just LOOKS considerably better than it really is. And some of the reviews here on Talkbass have definitely contributed to a slightly undeserved hype.
The Rascal is a cool looking, somewhat flawed but decent quality bass for the money. Nothing more. There are definitely (objectively) better basses to be found in this price range, but maybe not as cool looking.
I never even thought of trying intonate one of these, but yeah, that's got to be an issue. Ouch.
I think these basses look really cool, and couldn't wait to try one. The short scale and two humbuckers had me nearly sold. But as soon as I picked one up in the LMS, I put it back down. Too big for a short scale and I already have a VM Mustang that weighs nearly 9 lbs.
I think it’s better than you let on, I think it only looks mildly better than it really is. The pickups with labella flats may not be the sound for everyone but imo it’s excellent.I don't know the exact weight of mine (or the other Rascals I've tested) because I never actually weigh basses. But yes, like all poplar body Paranormal series instruments I've tested (basses and guitars) they are quite heavy. The Rascal's are slightly less heavy than the other Paranormals I've played, presumable due to the huge cavities under the pickguard, but the ones I've tested were still a bit heavy. The weight can obviously vary a bit from bass to bass though.
The Rascals also balance a bit weirdly, because they're essentially a short scale bass mounted on a long scale "shape". The total length of the bass, and the "reach" towards the 1st fret, is pretty much the same as with a long scale J-bass. This is of course achieved by installing the bridge in a rather unusual position, very far from the edge of the body. And THAT, combined with the Mustang-style "overhang" at the end of the bridge makes it a HUGE hassle to intonate these basses. A standard screwdriver will NOT fit. I managed to just barely intonate mine with a long electricians screwdriver, but even the biggest one I could find was really too small, which means there's a risk of stripping the screw heads if you're not VERY careful.
The type+position of the bridge on these basses is a totally failed design IMO. No-one can possibly have tested this in the real world. It must have gone straight from drawing board to mass manufacturing, because no-one with half a brain would release something as stupid as this if they had actually bothered testing it.
The Rascals LOOK cool though, and the neck profile is very nice. although this will of course be a matter of taste. If you don't like very slim necks, you're probably gonna hate it. The pickups are ok, if perhaps slightly underwhelming. The hardware is decent quality. One thing that slightly annoys me is all the rattling and kinda "hollow" tone when playing the bass unplugged. This is caused by all the stuff mounted on the pickguard (basically like on a Strat). It doesn't affect the plugged-in tone (at least not unless the pickups go microphonic...), and it isn't really a big deal, but it gives the instrument a somewhat cheap "feel" IMO. Apart from this, the Rascals seem to be well made instruments for the price.
I must admit I haven't used mine much. I got one because it looked so cool. It needed a bit of work out of the box to get the best out of it: Fret leveling, a better setup and (like most Fenders) a string retainer for the A-string. Even with these things sorted out it still feels a bit underwhelming.
Don't get me wrong. Apart from the issue with the bridge it's not a poor bass. It just LOOKS considerably better than it really is. And some of the reviews here on Talkbass have definitely contributed to a slightly undeserved hype.
The Rascal is a cool looking, somewhat flawed but decent quality bass for the money. Nothing more. There are definitely (objectively) better basses to be found in this price range, but maybe not as cool looking.
You’re right about the bridge choice though, I imagine they chose it because they already make it for the mustang bass, but they should have selected a different bridge.
Have you considered the Reverend Dub King?
Some of the best stock pickups and electronics made and under 8 lbs.
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I have, but I'm not looking to spend that much when I've already got two basses. My other two cover 90% of what I need, I'm just looking for something different.
I'm debating between a short-scale and a fretless, and trying to cover uncovered tonal possibilities.
As has been mentioned, the pickups are crazy heavy. And it might be a "short scale" due to the bridge placement but it's a full size bass.
And you're not likely going to find a lightweight one.
I kinda feel if you go into it with expectations about it being a short scale bass you are going to be disappointed. But it does sound pretty cool.
Personally, I think it could have been designed better.
And you're not likely going to find a lightweight one.
I kinda feel if you go into it with expectations about it being a short scale bass you are going to be disappointed. But it does sound pretty cool.
Personally, I think it could have been designed better.
Looks like you're going to run into the same problems as the Rascal when intonating that guitar unless there is a way of doing it from the string side, but it looks really nice and I love the name, never heard of them before. My only concern if I had the money would be 'which colour?'
Not a problem.
Our bridge features heavy duty saddles in combination with a massive base plate. This substantial mass of metal enhances clarity and attack, and produces bell-like sustain. It's also a versatile bridge, that can be strung string-thru-body or top-load.
