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Understanding why

I have not played in 20 years and am looking to start again. Unfortunately I sold all my gear. I picked up a Ibanez SR 300e. But I don’t not like the way it plays. I played a cheap Cory bass a few years back and it was the smoothest easiest bass I have ever played. I used to play a tic 4001 and Heartfield Prophecy3. Nothing I have played matched the easy of the cheap Cort. What’s the deal?
I am looking at getting a short scale due to wrist issues but I found something as easy to play I could stay standard scale.

One of our members in the Short Scale Bass Thead @halfwound121 provided an excellent review of a whole heap of SS Basses that he owns which could be helpful to you.
 
I think I'm hearing that you need a bass with a good setup, low action and low tension strings. I think that if you had that, you might just survive a 34" scale bass and be ok. Especially if the short scales aren't turning out to be your cup of tea...
Just for fun, or testing extremes or whatever, try a Hofner-type bass at a store if you can. Also, a Fender Aerodyne might be worth trying if you see one somewhere. They have a 7 1/2" radius, which might work for you...
If the Ibanez and the Mustang aren't working well for you, it's something else to try. If they have a U-bass, try that too. Not to seriously consider, they're just a hoot and you should....
 
Another vote for the new Mustang P/J. Real P sound with an easy-to-play neck and short scale.

Meanwhile - don't know why that Ibanez 300 was uncomfortable. In general all the Ibby products are really great players. Perhaps it needed a setup?
 
+1 for the Squier VM Jag SS. I picked one up for significantly less than two bills and it is a great value. Same goes for my Epi EB-0. Bought it used but mint at a guitar store for a little over one bill. Love it! People knock the "mudbucker" tone but I find it works for some of the stuff I play, mostly acoustic folk stuff and sixties rock.
 
Short scale is great for some, but having wrist issues doesn't dictate that a short scale is necessarily the answer. It's more the scale your body was built on that makes a bass comfortable to play. I have huge hands, and narrow necks and short scales are less comfortable for me.
 
The flattest I can make my hands ( palm up) is about 45 degrees. So the closer I get to the end of the neck the more my hand is forced to the inside ridge of my index finger. The only way I can fly down there is by pulling the head stock inform of my body. It sucks
 
I have not played in 20 years and am looking to start again. Unfortunately I sold all my gear. I picked up a Ibanez SR 300e. But I don’t not like the way it plays. I played a cheap Cory bass a few years back and it was the smoothest easiest bass I have ever played. I used to play a tic 4001 and Heartfield Prophecy3. Nothing I have played matched the easy of the cheap Cort. What’s the deal?
I am looking at getting a short scale due to wrist issues but I found something as easy to play I could stay standard scale.
What about the way it plays didn't you like?
  • Neck thickness?
  • Neck width?
  • Reach to the low frets?
  • Access to the higher frets?
  • Weight?
  • Neck dive?
  • Strings too high above frets?
  • String spacing?
How easy an instrument plays is usually related to the action (height of strings above frets) and neck shape. Action is totally adjustable so odds are good the SR 300 could be adjusted to be very easy to play. Of course you can't adjust neck width, string spacing, reach to the low frets.

Reach to the lowest frets on a short-scale may be better than a full scale or maybe not. Depends on where the strap points are on the body in relation to the neck. Many SS basses shift the neck to the players left so the reach to the low notes isn't much different than full scale.
 

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