Ultra short scale bass round up

[RDB3]

Dang thanks for all this info guys. Anything that is 24" to 25.5" and can take heavy flatwounds is my scene. I am not a vintage guy per se, but just seems like there were more options back then. And will have to read thru this --- that Eastwood woudl be ok, but I probably comes with rounds, but I want flats.. .maybe at that 26" scale something more mainstream will work. Will keep you all nformed.

 

[RDB3]

There are also a number of acoustic basses at this scale length. Some are a bit under 24" (Guild, Orangewood), but Ibanez, Michael Kelly, and Gold Tone have models with scale lengths around 25" +/-.

I sometimes think about building a small bass of this sort using a guitar neck and a cigar box for the body.

I'm curious, @RDB3, what is it about the size/scale length you particularly enjoy?

I was a P bass guy for years -- as a young person w/ small hands/fingers nothing got to me/bothered me but now I just prefer very compact short scale instruments. On guitar, for me, 22.5" Duo Sonic is my long scale, and 21" Rickenbacker is my short scale. On bass 28" (that P Bass Jr. is my long scale) and 25.5 is my short scale. Gotten intrigued by these 24.5 Mosrite Celebrity basses.

 

[RDB3]

There once was this guy named SBassman who actually designed a quality 25" scale bass with a maple neck, had them manufactured overseas, and sold them in the U.S. after setting them up and installing custom Curt Mangan strings sized perfectly. The strings were unique from what everyone typically does with these short short basses. It compensated for the lack of tension and stability at 25" scale by using BEAD gauges - but tuned to standard EADG.

It was a great bass at a great price but he doesn't market them anymore. Zero profit unless they were sold at an inappropriate price. So he kept the price as low as it could go, sold about a dozen, and closed the book.

Dang sounds like a cool one -- and the 5 string B E A D is the way to go. I find the 4 string Rotosound .115 set ok for shorties.

 

[RDB3]

Yeah they did. The #7-BG and #8-BG appeared in 1959, same year as their first bass/guitar doublenecks, the #4-BS and #5-BS:
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25-1/8" scale.

Regarding other vintage models that qualify:
- from Japan, a Guyatone EB-1 and a Kingston, owned (at the time?) by @Rainus and @ejaggers respectively, here
Guyatone 24.5" Super short scale Eb1 bass
- a Mosrite (Dobro) D-100X Californian bass (whose caretaker, @ChristoMephisto is a member here)
Mosrite Dobro Bass - mosriteforum.com
@MakoMan has also experience with one
Guitar Scale Acoustic Basses


That would be me. Have you bought them and found out the hard way? If so, I'm sorry to hear that. TBer @kohanmike reported that the winding length of the La Bella/Gold Tone MBLS flats* is 28" ball-end to silk, which I believed to be plenty for any ultra-shortie but, from the looks of it, the Kay has quite the afterlength between the floating bridge and the very small trapeze tailpiece, increasing the length requirement substantially.

Still those strings will be useful for something. Actually it was more like a 1/4" short and I have found a few longer tailpieces I think will work. I know there are all these Modern-World shorties, but this is for acoustic blue grass /oldtime stuff where those old ones have a great thumpy almost upright sound which is my scene. So flats are essential.

 

[RDB3]

SEARCH NAZI! SEARCH NAZI!!! BEEP BEEP BEEP!

Well you are right, but I am only looking at electric hollow or solid bass, only 24 to 25.5" that can take heavy flats, and in other threads there all this info about Modern World shortie basses that don't apply to me. But have found plenty right here to set some searchers on.