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What's driving the shortscale revival?

#241
09022AC3-4411-4391-BC36-B8A92EEB8CA5.jpeg
Out of the box, this might just be one of the most enjoyable basses I’ve played in my life.
 
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#242
wiscoaster said:
Well, you're invited to come to a local music store in my town (not a "big-box" store) that has a half a wall of Hoffner violin basses -- which, I think you know -- are short-scale. Though even the local big-box store has several short-scales on its basses wall. I think maybe it's some people that are in a bubble, not this forum. Bass manufacturers wouldn't be offering short-scales if there was no market for them.
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Considering I've also only ever seen one person play one live, I'd say that shop is an outlier.
 
#243
socialleper said:
On TB it is because so many of the members are older.
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I don't know about that. Bought my first short-scale-bass in '83 and I might have been a lot of things back then, but old was most certainly not one of them

Outside of TB there isn't that big of an interest. You are more likely to find 35" scale basses in stores than 33". TB is a bubble.
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Hmmm...if there were not a big interest, all these manufacturers wouldn't be churning a metric ton of short-scale basses in all styles and price ranges.
 
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#244
socialleper said:
Considering I've also only ever seen one person play one live, I'd say that shop is an outlier.
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If all the companies making short-scales are making them exclusively for TB members, then I would say TB members must be a super significant part of the market. That said, I bet number sold, number played live, etc. etc. are 5:1 short-scales to 35" scales. I don't know if I've ever seen someone play a 35" scale live.
 
#245
Steve Fox said:
View attachment 4546026 Out of the box, this might just be one of the most enjoyable basses I’ve played in my life.
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It's super nice. Feels very natural, like a long scale that's just missing some high frets. The greasebucket thing is interesting. Hard to hear a difference at lower volumes. That said, with flats, I will probably leave it wide open for most things. Neck feels bigger than I expected for a shorty, perfectly chonky. No fret noise at all. Got mine set up pretty low, too. I will definitely gig this puppy, just need that new pickguard.
 
#246
stelles75 said:
It's super nice. Feels very natural, like a long scale that's just missing some high frets. The greasebucket thing is interesting. Hard to hear a difference at lower volumes. That said, with flats, I will probably leave it wide open for most things. Neck feels bigger than I expected for a shorty, perfectly chonky. No fret noise at all. Got mine set up pretty low, too. I will definitely gig this puppy, just need that new pickguard.
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The grease bucket tone seems very subtle compared to a regular tone pot. It must only cut higher frequencies because the mids and lows don’t get muffled or boomy. I’m interested to see how it’ll work once I get flats on it too.

The neck is killer, very comfortable. Frets are dressed perfectly, no burrs or edges. I like the two tone white with the pickguard a lot better in person than I did online. It’s a solid MIA Fender.

The pickups are what I’m surprised about most though, I actually like them a lot. Really I can’t remember the last time I enjoyed stock Fender pickups quite this much. Im definitely going to keep this one stock for a minute. I’m not super stoked that I get some 60 cycle hum out of the split pickup, but overall I’m extremely happy with the sound I get out of this.

Really the only gripe I have is that for a bass that is just shy of $1500 Fender really should have included a better gig bag. It’s might ok enough to get you to lessons or rehearsal, but its not going offer enough protection for gigging. I’ll probably end up getting a Gator or a Serek bag before that.
 
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#249
Steve Fox said:
The grease bucket tone seems very subtle compared to a regular tone pot. It must only cut higher frequencies because the mids and lows don’t get muffled or boomy. I’m interested to see how it’ll work once I get flats on it too.

The neck is killer, very comfortable. Frets are dressed perfectly, no burrs or edges. I like the two tone white with the pickguard a lot better in person than I did online. It’s a solid MIA Fender.

The pickups are what I’m surprised about most though, I actually like them a lot. Really I can’t remember the last time I enjoyed stock Fender pickups quite this much. Im definitely going to keep this one stock for a minute. I’m not super stoked that I get some 60 cycle hum out of the split pickup, but overall I’m extremely happy with the sound I get out of this.

Really the only gripe I have is that for a bass that is just shy of $1500 Fender really should have included a better gig bag. It’s might ok enough to get you to lessons or rehearsal, but its not going offer enough protection for gigging. I’ll probably end up getting a Gator or a Serek bag before that.
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I paid a little less for my Adam Clayton and it came with the nicest hard shell I've ever seen practically. That's definitely the biggest negative I have.

The pickups are surprising. They are more full than I anticipated and there's also a "generic" quality to them I really like. It's not trying to have any particular quality, it's like ideal bass tones for any application, and so smooth.

My only other experience with a MIA is my AC Jazz and it has the same exact, pristine build quality. It also comes with Fender's most expensive set of Invalid Link Removed. Try those. I put a Seymour Quarter Pounder J in another bass and it doesn't hold a candle to them. These Yosemites are a bit more polite and refined sounding, whereas those Custom 60s punch you in the mouth and draw blood. That said, they still sound like they are slightly overwound and I expect it to pop just fine in a mix.

I've always heard mixed things on MIA models, but in my particular case, they exceed any hype. The only thing I will change on both is the pickguard.

*TBF, there was that issue I had where I had to take the bridge off, because the factory used a GUITAR string. Only issue I had with the Mustang, but that could be a big problem with a more casual player.
 
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#251
ajkula66 said:
I don't know about that. Bought my first short-scale-bass in '83 and I might have been a lot of things back then, but old was most certainly not one of them
But they aren't. A band full brands have one or two models.


Hmmm...if there were not a big interest, all these manufacturers wouldn't be churning a metric ton of short-scale basses in all styles and price ranges.
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#252
KJMO said:
If all the companies making short-scales are making them exclusively for TB members, then I would say TB members must be a super significant part of the market. That said, I bet number sold, number played live, etc. etc. are 5:1 short-scales to 35" scales. I don't know if I've ever seen someone play a 35" scale live.
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BS.
Every Spector 5 string Euro is 35" scale. Every Ibanez BtB 5 string is 35" scale. Every Lakland 55-02 is 35" scale. If you are saying you have never seen someone playing one of those, or a Dingwall, live, you need to get out more.

Edit: and the Peavy Cirrus 5 string basses.
 
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#256
socialleper said:
On TB it is because so many of the members are older.

Outside of TB there isn't that big of an interest. You are more likely to find 35" scale basses in stores than 33". TB is a bubble.
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I'll preface this by saying that I'm in the UK. Outside of specialist stores (Bass Direct in Warwick and The Bass Gallery in London come to mind), basically every general music store I've been in over the last couple of years stocks primarily Fender and Squier basses, which is understandable as they're what sells. Outside of that, I tend to see some SBMM (especially the Sub range), some Corts, Sire when there's stock, some Epiphones and very rarely a Gibson or two, Yamaha, some lower end Ibanez (definitely nothing multiscale, nothing with fancy woods, etc).

As a natural result of these brands being popular, you tend to see a lot of 34" scale, and very few 35". This obviously changes in bass-specific stores and larger retailers - Dingwall really help to skew the average there - but if I walk into any music shop in any town or city, I tend to see Broncos, Mustangs - Squier, PJ, Performer, JMJ - Classic Vibe or Affinity Jaguars seem everywhere at 32", the odd EB0, even a fair few of those shortie Gretsch.

Maybe it's a regional thing, maybe it's down to the brands that are widely stocked, I don't know. In my personal (albeit anecdotal) experience, unless the shop I'm going in has 'Bass' in the name, I fully expect to see more 30" or 32" scale instruments than I would anything over 34".

This is mainly the south of England, especially south west/Bristol. I'd be interested to know if people in the Midlands or North are having different experiences, though.

EDIT: Just picked a retailer with the option to order basses by 'Bestselling', and this is largely what I expect to see in shops. Mini Ps, Mustangs, SG, Gretsch, Jaguar 32" scale etc all popping up before anything longer. Obviously budget effects that too, are there many 35" plus instruments in the beginner/intermediate price range?

Bass Guitars | guitarguitar
 
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#257
socialleper said:
Never live.
I can ramble off a bunch of names too. What does that prove?
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Maybe that it's not a revival, but that they've always been found to be useful by serious bass players. "Popular recognition" probably is a better term for current popular interest in short-scale basses.

Regardless, I think it proves that your assumption that interest in short-scale basses is limited to an elderly TB "bubble" is not only incorrect but may be seen by some to be demeaning to those that choose to play short-scales whatever their reasons for doing so.
 
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#259
I might feel similarly about the opposite. Why would you want a larger scale? I don't have big hands and always felt I needed to stretch a little on a regular 34". I've become accustomed to it and don't plan to stop playing them, but I was curious and tried a couple shortys and it's definitely a "don't knock it til you try it" kinda thing.

The neck profile and fret spacing is so close to a 34" Jazz on this Mustang that my hands really can't tell any difference. If you like to play past the 19th fret, you will have problems, but otherwise, this thing is fantastic.

My Wattplower feels much more compact like a regular guitar and is a bigger adjustment. I might like it a little less after trying the Mustang. :\
 
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#260
wiscoaster said:
Maybe that it's not a revival, but that they've always been found to be useful by serious bass players. "Popular recognition" probably is a better term for current popular interest in short-scale basses.

Regardless, I think it proves that your assumption that interest in short-scale basses is limited to an elderly TB "bubble" is not only incorrect but may be seen by some to be demeaning to those that choose to play short-scales whatever their reasons for doing so.
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Go back through the thread. A LOT of the responses are saying because of health/age issues.
TB trends older and has a specific demographic. That's why I said what I said.
 

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