What should I buy...

[MoeTown1986]

What they said. Humidity and temperature could be huge factors while at sea.

I’d hope the ships are climate controlled.

 

[AboutSweetSue]

I have a Gretsch 5440. It’s long scale, but, my god, it’s a beautiful bass, and I can’t imagine the shorter scale Gretsches being much different.

 

[Southtowns27]

I’d hope the ships are climate controlled.

Yes, they are. My room is far from being a harsh marine environment lol
If my room becomes a harsh marine environment, I've got bigger problems than worrying about my bass...

 

[Session1969]

Man, there are so many choices. Have fun !

 

[nilorius]

How can an upright bass can be set up to a good slap bas ?!?!

 

[NecroticImbecil]

If you have your own room, would you be able to fit an electric upright? If a full scale is too long, Dean, among others, make bass guitar scale electric uprights. Not having the body of a bass guitar will save some space.

Dean Upright Pace Bass Classic Black w/Case

 

[NecroticImbecil]

How can an upright bass can be set up to a good slap bas ?!?!

Some believe the only slap worth listening to is played on uprights. It's not what you think.

 

[JZQuantum]

These are brand new for $160. 30" scale.

PJ in 3TS:
SX Ursa 3 JR MN ALDER 3TS w/Bag - RondoMusic.com

Jazz style in CAR:
SX Ursa 2 JR MN ALDER CAR Short Scale w/Bag - RondoMusic.com

I've owned the Jazz style of this bass in 34" scale and I can confidently say it definitely punches above its weight. A no-brainer buy. And if you don't like it, the return policy is outstandingly great.

Just change the strings and get a good setup and you are done.

 

[tpaul]

My only advice is to invest in a good set of headphones and make sure you have a headphone jack in your amp. An auxiliary in for mp3 is also a good idea.

I use a little Boss TU-88. It's a headphone amp with a tuner and aux input. Plug in an iPod or other player and practice without bothering others.

 

[Alexis Duntov]

Here's the abbreviated story.. Back in high school some 20 odd years ago, I played orchestral bass, as well as upright in our school's 20+ piece swing band. After I graduated I set the bass playing aside. About a year ago, I picked up an upright and set it up for rockabilly slap bass. I've been teaching myself and it's actually not going so bad. I work on ships for a living and spend about 6 months out of the year (not consecutively) bobbing around. I'm thinking I should pick up a cheap-ish short-scale electric bass that could easily travel with me. Yeah, it won't help me learn rockabilly slap, but I can certainly gain experience with my left hand and relearn theory. Since I'm a retro guy, I've been eyeballing hollow bodies. I like the look and the sound. So, what should I be looking at/for? I've seen a few Epiphone EA-260's and 5120's for less than $500, but they all seem a bit haggard.. Do I just spend the extra cash and pick up something like a Gretsch G5442? They seem to go for about $800. Yeah, it's more expensive, but it's new and a whole lot less likely to give me issues... I've also seen some new very inexpensive Chinese "no-name" models that almost look too good to be true. Thoughts? Opinions?

I may be way off here but when I read your post about looking for an acoustic instrument that will be at sea for six months of the year, the first thing I thought about was whether all that humidity would create issues for an acoustic instrument in a way that would be less of an issue with a solid body instrument. I play upright and electric, and in NYC, climate has a very apparent effect on both instruments, but especially the upright. Anyway, best of luck!

 

[Sean Parsons]

Gretsch G5442 would be my pick.

Ibanez new hollow body basses should be in the shops soon.

AFB | PRODUCTS | Ibanez guitars

and Lakland

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[Malak the Mad]

I use a little Boss TU-88. It's a headphone amp with a tuner and aux input. Plug in an iPod or other player and practice without bothering others.

That is one cool little gadget! 'Tis a shame it's discontinued.

I'm also in a living situation where I can't have loud, boomy noises so I use either one of these.

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Size-wise, the Vox amp is a bit more discreet and it has some extra functions, but for sound reproduction, I personally found the Pocket Rock-It to be better.