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THE SHORT SCALE BASS THREAD!

... here is my baby bass, all 25"s of her.

This bass actually has an excellent P bass sound. Insanely cheap to buy even if some hot rodding is required.


corsair-bass.jpg


...

25 in. scale!!!...that's 1/2 in. shorter than a Strat!!!
 
I seem to have 2 SS basses now...Just in from Japan is this surprisingly good Greco @ 30.5". It is currently rocking my little world.

And folks, no one has mentioned Kubicki Ex Factors-G-D-A are 32" and the E can be capo'd to 32", or open to low D @ 36". Yes, that is down to D with the short scale spacing! The easiest player I have ever held, it is my Maserati.
 
What strings do you use with that Corsair?


I have tried all sorts of strings to make this bass work SGT Pepper. What I now use are old used Warwick Yellow pack 45 - 105's (yes long scale cut down). I know this is supposed to be .... well... wrong, but I now get a great sound and the string tension feels right. I prefer a stiffer feel than what you would commonly get on a short scale bass.

The strings being old and a little dull give me a great thud type sound but still with the natural tone you expect. Great for older style rock ie CCR etc.
 
This is the short scale I am currently playing, and I love it:

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I have the pink one! It plays fast and easy, and has vintage tone for miles. Looks amazing too.
That looks like a cool bass. Can you describe the tone? With the pup butted up against the neck I'm guessing its a very dark (muddy?) tone.

Can you set the action real low on those Waterstone basses?
 
The Waterstone Indra I bass has an excellent vintage tone, you can really hear the wood, if that makes sense. This bass sits in the mix really well in a trio. As expected, it is PUNCHY! What I did not expect was how much sustain and VOLUME this baby has! And not as muddy as you would think, there are piano overtones on this bass. Now, since it has only one PU, and a vol. and tone know only, you really need to dial in your desired tone on your amp.

I keep the vol. on the bass at 10 and the tone at about 5 (to dampen the high end, but not get muddy) and on my amp I EQ the lows at about 8, the mids at 10, and the highs at about 5. I get an AMAZING Hofner like tone with a slight "modern" hint.

This little bass and its slightly more expensive 2 PU cousin, the regular Indra, are LOUD and two of my fave basses. The 2 PU version is a bit more sonically versatile, having a bridge PU as well as a neck PU, but I just use the neck PU like on this one, as I am VERY happy with my tone that way. So are my drummer and guitarist!

You can set the strings as low as you want, but you do risk some buzz if too low. Mine is set pretty low and smooth. These play REAL fast, and are excellent if you sing and play like I do. I have quite a few 34" scale basses, but at the moment, these 30" scale Waterstones are getting all of my attention. And only $390!
 
Yeah, I am going to get one of those Powder Bleu Indra I basses, only $390 and I love them! I love the look of the bass, nevermind how KICKIN' they play and sound! Tom Petersson of Cheap Trick helped design them, as well as his 12 string bass series for Waterstone. It is no wonder, he loves Hofner Club basses and that is what the Indra is like.

I LOVE my Brighton 64 bass! I was just playing it, the HUGE body and 32" scale give this thing a meaty, beefy, bouncy tone! It is LOUD!!! I have a Waterstone ME-2 and it is loud also. The Indras are LOUD!! Waterstones 4 string semi-hollowbody basses are just friggin' VOLUMNOUS (is that a word?), meaning LOUD, I am not a tech guy, I assume it is the PUs, they MAY be guitar PUs, they just ROCK. The 12 string basses are loud for different, obvious reasons (8 guitar strings on the bass) but I am ALWAYS amazed at how MUCH sound these Indras and Brightons put out.
 
Amazingly surprised with the Johnson 080 short scale $149.00 new. It's not pink, it's salmon colored :) Great tone, very well made, frets are smooth, good intonation, no regrets. It was for me a return to short-scale after years struggling with a P-bass (Fender 1977 P-bass, clear finish ash). Now I have my chops back.
 
Amazingly surprised with the Johnson 080 short scale $149.00 new. It's not pink, it's salmon colored :) Great tone, very well made, frets are smooth, good intonation, no regrets. It was for me a return to short-scale after years struggling with a P-bass (Fender 1977 P-bass, clear finish ash). Now I have my chops back.

I have a student in my band that has one of those... I really think it is a nice little axe (I think it MIGHT be pink... lol). Do you tune yours to standard? I see them advertised as being tuned higher, but my student tunes hers standard. I assume they are the same instrument...
 
OK apart from my Bennett Corsair I also have an Epiphone Allen Woody Rumblekat (30"). I am having a real problem finding decent strings for this bass.

I want short scale (30") roundwound 45, 65, 85, 105 (or close) and I know I'm being greedy but stainless would be good too!

What strings are you all usung on your shorties?
And where is the best place to get the right strings?
 
OK apart from my Bennett Corsair I also have an Epiphone Allen Woody Rumblekat (30"). I am having a real problem finding decent strings for this bass.

I want short scale (30") roundwound 45, 65, 85, 105 (or close) and I know I'm being greedy but stainless would be good too!

What strings are you all usung on your shorties?
And where is the best place to get the right strings?
I use Ken Smith stainless shorties on my Alembics in these sizes. Juststrings.com sell them.
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OK apart from my Bennett Corsair I also have an Epiphone Allen Woody Rumblekat (30"). I am having a real problem finding decent strings for this bass.

I want short scale (30") roundwound 45, 65, 85, 105 (or close) and I know I'm being greedy but stainless would be good too!

What strings are you all usung on your shorties?
And where is the best place to get the right strings?

I've used D'Addario XL and GHS Boomers rounds on my Rumblekat and both sounded good. They are nickel though. I don't know about stainless because I don't use them. The Rumblekat works best with flats IMO, it isn't meant to be a bright sounding bass, it doesn't even have a bridge pickup.