What short scale has the most tonal options?

[BarfanyShart]

My list of versatile short scales (after playing nearly every one):
- My overall, off-the-shelf pick is an Ibanez EHB1505SMS. These are a solid upgrade on a great platform. Two Nordstrand splitcoils and active/passive controls. Multiscale works great for a short fiver. It's great.
- The Banshee, Sentinel, and Wattplower I, are just P basses, but they are very good ones with as many tones available as their big brothers.
- the Dubmaster is a hollowbody, and can sound like just about anything else, but it definitely feels like a hollowbody bass.
- the Cat, Wattplower II, and Mike Kerr signature are oddballs, but they might be the most versatile of the bunch for output levels and tones available at your fingers. Do you want all these tones? Up to you.
- I have a Supro Huntington, another oddball, but definitely versatile with a passive piezo tone control. Again, who wants some of these tones? I don't know, bit they are all there.
- My main bass is a EHB1005SMS, which I dropped Nordstrand Big Blades into and made all passive, with series/parallel switching, it is very versatile, and i could make it moreso if I wanted to mess with a preamp.

 

[Mike Marshall]

Looking for a stock, non-custom short scale. Gonna be the only one for a while. Life has changed and I’m downgrading significantly.

Out of the big box brands (sold at GC, Sweetwater, etc.) who makes the most versatile short scale bass?

Don’t have anything close to me to sit down and play a lot. Gotta order something.

Tonal versatility and weight are my biggest concerns. Been watching and reading a lot lately. Leaning towards a Sterling Short Scale. But open to anything really.

Has to be Short scale. Shoulder injuries and hand size make anything long scale unbearable.

Dano Longhorn

 

[Astro-JVB]

Short scale with 19 frets is probably going to be worse for your playing than say long scale with 24 frets, so that's worth keeping in mind. Maybe go with lined fretless?

Had a white Ibanez EHB1000S, short scale with 24 frets. These are headless and should work well if you have a bum shoulder, however, they come with Bartolini pickups and they honestly suck. Mine sounded flat and super clean. Very little character. May just be a me thing, though. But the neck was really nice, and body weighed next to nothing.

 

[lug]

Look into a Sire U5. Passive with P/J setup, so as versatile as any other P/J setup.

 

[funkinbottom]

A lot of folks seem to really like the Ibanez Talman bass. There's an official Talman club here on talkbass that could answer any questions about them. They also make a 5 string option if you desire. I'm guessing they're a fairly good bass as I don't see a lot of used ones on the market. I've been keeping my eyes open for a used 5 string (TMB35) for awhile.
If you like the Spector sound, they make a shorty too, the Bantam.

 

[Jtown690]

Probably a Mustang P/J with rounds

 

[Ric Vice]

Just an observation but looking at most of the medium and short scale basses I’ve specked out they weigh the same as a 34”
scale bass. If you’re trying to reduce the weight a shorter neck doesn’t correspond with a lighter instrument. Just my take

 

[LowWay]

You don’t state a budget. I’d say an Alembic with the filter based preamp. Or if you want to go custom, Cliff Bordwell built me this with dual coil pickups and a filter based preamp:

Or get something with dual music man pickups and put in Turner Multi coil pickups and a lusithand dual filter preamp.

 

[kevrex]

Kind of surprised no one's mentioned the Gretsch Junior jet. Two pickups, lightweight, and slim neck. cheap, lots of finish options, and sounds good. Totally worth looking into, I think.

 

[Rgmxx]

Another vote for Reverend Mike Watt II, lightweight, balanced, neck with a 42mm nut but not too wide, just over 3 kg, slightly higher bridge that gives more angle to the neck and makes the hand position on the fretboard more natural, and many sound options, very progressive tone, pickups with a lot of output and a little darker than Fender, I recommend Hi-Beams SS strings.
Other basses to consider: Gibson Les Paul Junior, Fender Mustang JMJ.
Look on the secondhand market; short-scale basses are often bought by guitarists (that's how I got the Mike Watt) or by people who don't adapt to them and don't use them much. I bought it practically new, saving 1/3 of the price.

 

[ghostdog93]

Look into a Sire U5. Passive with P/J setup, so as versatile as any other P/J setup.

Came here to say this. It's a really sweet bass, and a great bang for the buck. Two things I love about it: the rolled fretboard edges and the bridge is top load/string thru for added versatility. Plays well & feels good in hand. Although I'm not crazy about the maple board (no other option, unfortunately), all of these basses I've played have a good level of fit and finish.

Even though I have a Mustang (everybody should) as my everyday player, I think the U5's P/J setup is much more versatile if you're looking at owning only one bass.

 

[LordRyan]

Many of the classic short scale basses going back to the 50s and 60s have been hollow or semi-hollow bodies. Check out models like Guild Starfire, Epiphone Rivoli, Gibson EB2, Hofner 500/1 Violin Bass, Hofner 500/2 Club Bass, Danelectro Longhorn, Framus Star, and many others.

 

[Ignatius]

I play a Lakland HB-30. Lots of tonal options between mixing the 2 pickups, the tone knob and hand placement. Very different and great tones available from plucking just at the neck to the bridge.

Really light too.

 

[HelpImaRock]

If I were looking for versatility, I'd go with a Fender PJ Mustang and leave it at that. Other good playing short scales that don't suck, and won't break the bank:

Schecter Banshee
Sterling StingRay short scale
Dano Longhorn or '56
Squier CV Mustang

My most versatile short scale is the Guild Starfire II. Somehow, despite it's gigantic size, it works for me. And it has the best neck I've played on a short scale. You can usually find them used for $800 to $1k. But if you're buying new, any of the above will be great. Just depends on what you're going for.

Personally, I'm not a fan of the previously mentioned Gretsch or Squier Paranormal basses.

 

[gln1955]

The cat bass should be a good option. But you have to find a used one . They have 2 import versions. There are a few for sale in the classifieds. Version 2 is probably considered more versatile.
Here is the club . I’m sure there is plenty of info here.

Thread 'Official Nordstrand Acinonyx Cat bass club'

Aug 17, 2020

It only seems fitting that there is a thread for these awesome basses!
Mine arrived yesterday, what a cool design, the short scale will take some getting used to.
This one weighs in at 6 lbs 9 oz and boy it feels tiny compared to my other basses.

• atrapp
• Replies: 4,474
• Forum: Basses [BG]

• 

The Cat is great. At about six and a half pounds, it feels rlike driving a sports car. Once you figure out the pushbuttons, there are a lot of tones there.

 

[srayb]

Kind of surprised no one's mentioned the Gretsch Junior jet. Two pickups, lightweight, and slim neck. cheap, lots of finish options, and sounds good. Totally worth looking into, I think.

I have one and it is the most comfortable bass I've played while seated. It balances perfectly and it sound great with flatwounds (IMHO).

 

[Levent]

Stu Hamm Urge bass, the newer incarnation.
They never did a 5 string.
(Also, I thought those were 34" scale?)

I was gonna echo @petch's recommendation, as I've played his and was kinda shocked at how versatile that switch makes the sound options for a single pickup.

But I'd also say that something along the lines of a Mustang with PJ pickups would already be pretty versatile... but doing some minor mods would take it over the top, fairly easily:
- Series mode switch for the pickups adds output and a more low-mid heft in the sound;
- Blower switch would bypass the tone and volume, giving a more crisp high end and slight boost in output.
Both can be done with push/pull pots and are passive mods.

Hi,

Both American made Urges are J/P/J configuration. The Urge I is 32” scale, while the Urge II is 34” scale. The Mexican version does not have the P pick up, so it resembles a Jazz bass. There are none I am aware of with a P/J/P arrangement.

You are right, I based of my last instrument on Urge 1 and even made it hollow to reduce more weight, didn't know urge 2 was 34" cheers

 

[T McClure]

Given your ergonomic needs, I suggest going to try a bunch and picking the most comfortable one. You can always go with a less expensive multi effects unit like the Line 6 Pod to mess with your tone.

I say this because I'm in a similar boat. Multiple hockey-related shoulder and hand injuries combined with some mild early arthritis has made me super picky. For me, the JMJ Mustang fits me the best so far, but there are a lot of great short scale basses out there.

 

[Pep]

Looking for a stock, non-custom short scale. Gonna be the only one for a while. Life has changed and I’m downgrading significantly.

Out of the big box brands (sold at GC, Sweetwater, etc.) who makes the most versatile short scale bass?

Don’t have anything close to me to sit down and play a lot. Gotta order something.

Tonal versatility and weight are my biggest concerns. Been watching and reading a lot lately. Leaning towards a Sterling Short Scale. But open to anything really.

Has to be Short scale. Shoulder injuries and hand size make anything long scale unbearable.

If you’re looking for tonal options in a shorter scale, this bass is an active PJ 32” scale and fairly lightweight. The MTD Kingston LK5 is 32” scale, active / passive with 24 frets and farly light. The 32” scale is much easier for me to negotiate. 30” was a bit too short and compromised the deeper lows. I absolutely love this bass.
I’ve included links to the 4 string and 5 string versions. These are very high quality and well made.
NOTE: If you contact Bass Central they’ll weigh them if you like.

[This invalid link has been removed]

MTD Kingston Lynn Keller 5 (V2), 32" Medium Scale, Sky Blue Metallic *IN STOCK*

MTD Kingston Lynn Keller (5), 32" Medium Scale, Sky Blue Metallic / Maple

basscentral.com

MTD Kingston Lynn Keller 4 (V2), 32" Medium Scale, Mystic Seafoam Green / Maple *IN STOCK*

MTD Kingston Lynn Keller (4), 32" Medium Scale, Mystic Seafoam Green / Maple

basscentral.com

MTD Kingston Lynn Keller 4 (V2), 32" Medium Scale, Lake Placid Blue / Maple *IN STOCK*

MTD Kingston Lynn Keller (4), 32" Medium Scale, Lake Placid Blue / Maple

basscentral.com

 

[kevrex]

I have one and it is the most comfortable bass I've played while seated. It balances perfectly and it sound great with flatwounds (IMHO).

and it has 20 frets. i didn't think that having 19 on a mustang would be a problem, but it was one reason i sold mine.