Very light. I'd be interested to hear it
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Struggling with a purchase decision.
- Thread starter Evil Undead
- Start date
Very light. I'd be interested to hear it
Sigh. I would love for the sound. Just can't afford to drop cash on something that may work out to be too heavy or not able to set up to my liking.
Don't know what your price range is, but...
Eastwood makes some well received short scales that are in the $500-$600 range
My personal favorite basses are from Birdsong Guitars - professional short scale basses since 2004
They can run in the $2000 range, so if that is too much you could always try Scott side project, the shortbass, which is a Birdsong in it's most simplistic form. Shortbasses are about half the price.
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Don't give up on the short scale search, there are plenty of good ones out there!
Eastwood makes some well received short scales that are in the $500-$600 range
My personal favorite basses are from Birdsong Guitars - professional short scale basses since 2004
They can run in the $2000 range, so if that is too much you could always try Scott side project, the shortbass, which is a Birdsong in it's most simplistic form. Shortbasses are about half the price.
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Don't give up on the short scale search, there are plenty of good ones out there!
+1 to beatle's post. If you have found a home with a certain scale...why limit yourself to the bottom end pricewise? I've seen your posts over the years in regards to scale. My .02 is save up your $$ and buy a short scale bass that has more invested into its build than just inexpensive imported parts. You may just be shocked at how a well-built shorter scale bass can sound.
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If you like the new string brightness i encourage you to get elixirs. They sound bright for many months. They are cheaper in the long run.
As for your bass, check and make sure the neck screws are not loose, but don't overtighten and strip them. Seriously, don't go far beyond snug. Your bridge screws as well. also make sure your neck is not weak and pulls back and forth easy.
I find that the rigidity of the neck and neck joint is the crucial factor to getting good tone. A fancy pickup can't compensate for that.
As for your bass, check and make sure the neck screws are not loose, but don't overtighten and strip them. Seriously, don't go far beyond snug. Your bridge screws as well. also make sure your neck is not weak and pulls back and forth easy.
I find that the rigidity of the neck and neck joint is the crucial factor to getting good tone. A fancy pickup can't compensate for that.
You could always resort to just playing while seated and the bass is on your thigh.
I might be doing that in the future with my hip problem.
Everyone doesn't know about tone from a bass.
Consider capacitor and pot changes. More effective than a pu change.
Consider capacitor and pot changes. More effective than a pu change.
I love my Ibanez SR300... both of them. Not sure I could ever go back to a Fender. :/
P-basses are usually lighter than J-basses. Worth considering.
Or look for a chambered J - Warmoth makes the bodies, and there are chambered J models (and I forget the model name, dangit.)
Or look for a chambered J - Warmoth makes the bodies, and there are chambered J models (and I forget the model name, dangit.)
dblbass
Commercial User
- Mar 24, 2007
- 368
- 74
- Disclosures
- Owner of MBJ guitars, Maker of fine sawdust for Carl Thompson Guitars
You have kinda a perfect storm for a 'thin' sound. A cheap short scale with light strings will very rarely sound beefy. My first suggestion would be to just use a higher guage string. It might not solve the problem in its entirety, but it'll help. Beyond that, look for a better quality instrument. You get what you pay for.
How about a Jaguar or Dimension? Smaller, lighter bodies, but slim, Jazz-profile necks. Could be a win!
a nice leather strap helps with the weight of the bass.
Of course it's debateable what role weight plays in the sound of a bass, more important is comfort.
If you mainly play seated I don't think you'll have a problem.
Of course it's debateable what role weight plays in the sound of a bass, more important is comfort.
If you mainly play seated I don't think you'll have a problem.
All other things being equal, a heavier bass always sounds better to me. Light longscale basses and shortscale basses need better bridges and pickups to get the same "sonic girth". This is my experience. Flame away.
I may be sort of an authority on heavy basses now, as I'm voluntarily playing an Ibanez ATK-305. One of the heavier bastards out there among accessible/affordable basses, and a fiver to boot. Why am I playing it? It's here already, and it sounds awesome and is amazingly flexible and feels great under my hands, so trading it would be a total last resort.
While this hasn't cured the fact that it's frikkin' HEAVY, I noticed a very real difference between my old minimal, basic 2" strap and my newer leather 2.5" one when I put it on. Seems like almost no difference in width, but I've had a concrete increase in time I can spend playing it while standing up in undistracted comfort.
That strap is getting reassigned to my Taurus once I finish modding it (the ATK's weight has stretched the button holes very slightly, but visibly) et al, so I'm thinking of getting a wide comfort strap for the ATK. I can report back once I do, but I've already got a suspicion that it will do further wonders in the bass's sustainable playing time.
But I also insist on playing while standing up at all times, since I'm stuck at a computer for 8-9 hrs a day 5 days a week in a chair/desk situation that promotes absolutely horrible posture, with no recourse thanks to capitalism. I'm literally doing it for my health, standing up while playing. Plus, when I got called on rather randomly to start playing (simple, relatively low-pressure, fun) gigs a while back, there wasn't any adjustment except to be a little more entertaining to look at.
All to say, I might suggest a new strap, something like a 3" padded affair, as a first approach. Worst case scenario, you have an awesome spare strap. And besides, if you go for the Squier J & play mostly sitting down, it's not even an issue. But I think it would be empowering to discover that you can play standing up at length. Of course, everyone's different, and there's no guarantee the strap will do it. But they're not expensive, and always potentially useful. Just my 2.5 cents.
While this hasn't cured the fact that it's frikkin' HEAVY, I noticed a very real difference between my old minimal, basic 2" strap and my newer leather 2.5" one when I put it on. Seems like almost no difference in width, but I've had a concrete increase in time I can spend playing it while standing up in undistracted comfort.
That strap is getting reassigned to my Taurus once I finish modding it (the ATK's weight has stretched the button holes very slightly, but visibly) et al, so I'm thinking of getting a wide comfort strap for the ATK. I can report back once I do, but I've already got a suspicion that it will do further wonders in the bass's sustainable playing time.
But I also insist on playing while standing up at all times, since I'm stuck at a computer for 8-9 hrs a day 5 days a week in a chair/desk situation that promotes absolutely horrible posture, with no recourse thanks to capitalism. I'm literally doing it for my health, standing up while playing. Plus, when I got called on rather randomly to start playing (simple, relatively low-pressure, fun) gigs a while back, there wasn't any adjustment except to be a little more entertaining to look at.
All to say, I might suggest a new strap, something like a 3" padded affair, as a first approach. Worst case scenario, you have an awesome spare strap. And besides, if you go for the Squier J & play mostly sitting down, it's not even an issue. But I think it would be empowering to discover that you can play standing up at length. Of course, everyone's different, and there's no guarantee the strap will do it. But they're not expensive, and always potentially useful. Just my 2.5 cents.
The road worn jazz bass are very light check them out. The bodies are thiner then other jazz basses.
I know what you mean about the Ibanez not quite having that "deep" tone.
I love Ibanez basses, and I was all set to buy the SR300 myself when I accidently stumbled across my now beloved ESP LTD B-104.
I had tried out the SR300 at a Sam Ash & loved it, then I walked into a pawn shop not even looking for a bass and found my musical soul mate.
She's a little beefier than the Ibanez, and although the neck is thin - it's not as thin as the Ibanez neck which is what I "think" (I'm no expert) causes some Ibanez basses to have the reputation of being great, but not deep or warm enough. (not enough wood mass in the neck)
I still may own an Ibanez down the road one day as I do like them, but I agree with everyone else that has suggested for you to just keep looking until you find that perfect fit, and you will.
Good Luck.....
I love Ibanez basses, and I was all set to buy the SR300 myself when I accidently stumbled across my now beloved ESP LTD B-104.
I had tried out the SR300 at a Sam Ash & loved it, then I walked into a pawn shop not even looking for a bass and found my musical soul mate.
She's a little beefier than the Ibanez, and although the neck is thin - it's not as thin as the Ibanez neck which is what I "think" (I'm no expert) causes some Ibanez basses to have the reputation of being great, but not deep or warm enough. (not enough wood mass in the neck)
I still may own an Ibanez down the road one day as I do like them, but I agree with everyone else that has suggested for you to just keep looking until you find that perfect fit, and you will.
Good Luck.....
