I've not tried the Kala or any of the long scale (for a u-bass) ubasses - just the 20" scale. I'd be very interested in seeing if there's a difference in feel. I'm getting used to it. (And yeah - throw lefty in the mix and the field dries up REAL fast. Was tickled pink to find a lefty short scale this short.) I could see a 24-28" rubber string working. It is different, that's for sure, but there are folks who are making heavy use of them as a primary instrument.
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Where do you find the shorties?
- Thread starter Forty-Thirty
- Start date
Gaolee
Official leathers tester and crash dummy
Epiphone EB-0 and EB-3s are short scale. I absolutely don't like violin bass guitars for a lot of reasons, but those reasons are my personal problem. I think somebody already mentioned EB-0s, but if you want a second pickup, an EB-3 is an option. They are dirt cheap, easily modified, generally high quality, and if you want a spectacular sound out of them, put in a Dimarzio One pickup.
I tried an Epi Viola.....because of the body design and protruding neck , it still feels like you're playing a longscale to me. Just couldn't get into it...
EB-O's are generally on the pretty heavy side. But nice playing neck on them and I like that fat tone.
Bronco is nicely playable and light....that's the only good thing about it....put a new bridge and pup in mine..still somedays I want to smash it into pieces on the floor...
Squier Jag SS isn't too bad at all...if you can find one that doesn't neckdive to horizontal..
Ibanez Mikro is pretty good, if you like the narrow string spacing...but I had to put a better bridge on mine.
I just ordered a Gretsch Junior Jet.......I love the tone.....remains to be seen whether I like it when it gets here though.
Mikey Way Mustangs, are from what I've read generally butt heavy and unbalanced....plus a bit on the hefty side if you believe all the posts about them.
Tried a Kala Uke bass with the rubber strings yesterday.......what got me was how sticky the rubber strings felt. Fingers didn't slide on them very easily. The rubber had a tacky consistency.
EB-O's are generally on the pretty heavy side. But nice playing neck on them and I like that fat tone.
Bronco is nicely playable and light....that's the only good thing about it....put a new bridge and pup in mine..still somedays I want to smash it into pieces on the floor...
Squier Jag SS isn't too bad at all...if you can find one that doesn't neckdive to horizontal..
Ibanez Mikro is pretty good, if you like the narrow string spacing...but I had to put a better bridge on mine.
I just ordered a Gretsch Junior Jet.......I love the tone.....remains to be seen whether I like it when it gets here though.
Mikey Way Mustangs, are from what I've read generally butt heavy and unbalanced....plus a bit on the hefty side if you believe all the posts about them.
Tried a Kala Uke bass with the rubber strings yesterday.......what got me was how sticky the rubber strings felt. Fingers didn't slide on them very easily. The rubber had a tacky consistency.
Re: Kala and the SX and Goldtone versions
Aquila and Pyramid make strings with different composition and I think they are releasing a nylon core, metal wound version. With a fretted UBass, the metal ones might sound more familiar.
Aquila and Pyramid make strings with different composition and I think they are releasing a nylon core, metal wound version. With a fretted UBass, the metal ones might sound more familiar.
Ric5
Inactive
- Jan 29, 2008
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- I like 5, 8, 10, and 12 string basses
I get the impression that Luna is more about looks than sound, but I could be totally wrong. Besides, I'd prefer something less girly, more badass.
I can understand you on that one, there's absolutely nothing wrong with femininity, but I see nothing explicitely gendered, particularly masculine, about any bass. I don't see why they'd need to be "girled" up so much. So I tend to find that companies like Daisy Rock and B.C. Rich tend to be a bit tacky. I mean, if Carol Kaye and Tal Wilkenfield (SP?) can rock out on any old bass with the best of them, why does there need to be a flower/heart bass or guitar out there?
as for shortscale basses, if your budget allows, I'd look for a vintage musicmaster, or a squier bronco to mod INTO a musicmaster. I would then proceed to love the everloving crap out of it. That's what I'd do if I'd absolutely need a shortscale, my hands have adapted very well to the longscale basses though, so I'm not about to give any of that up.
Also, an epiphone EB-0, or any hofner violin style bass - they've both got vibes of their own, and even with all of my long scale love, I've considered those basses myself.
Yep. I resent pink tools and guns, also, for the same reason.
I don't know about Musicmasters... What would that involve?
I should also admit to briefly dating a woman who played one of those neon pink Dean basses, usually wearing a bright orange dress onstage. I mean, I hate how women tend to get pigeonholed into this "just make it smaller and make it pink and super girly" mentality, but she was really cute. She still had some great gear, like an higher end ibby SR series and a mexican strat and a markbass 112 combo (she mostly played guitar), she just also liked super girly stuff too.
The Fender Musicmaster, is probably the cheapest vintage Fender bass going. Made in the CBS era, I think, they were mostly made from leftovers of other instruments - a strat pickup with volume and tone knob, and a body and neck from leftover mustangs (or perhaps guitar necks with bass fingerboards cut to a shorter scale). TL;DR - you can get them pretty easily on ebay for around a grand, depending on condition and how much work you like to put into them.
The Squier Bronco is almost identical to the musicmaster, but has a different pickguard and bridge, you could literally just buy a custom pickguard, and refinish the body to cover up some of the screw holes left from the bronco pickguard, and you'd have a musicmaster. Perhaps getting a new bridge and pickup while you're at it. If you like DIY ventures, I'd recommend this path.
About a year ago I started bass only because the uke size were available, didn't want anything as big as even 30" scale, mine are all 21-24" scale. I first bought an acoustic 23" Gold Tone MicroBass and added Road Toad Pahoehoe strings, which are much smoother than the stock u-bass strings. Then I had a custom fretless acoustic uke made, solid body electric basses made, converted an electric guitar to bass, and bought a few Rondo solid body bass ukes that I had modified. So far they've worked very well with all the various music my uke group plays.
I'm far to lazy to read through the whole thread, so I'll just add and risk redundancy.
Most of the worthwhile shorties (ie not cheapo kid's stuff) aren't necessarily listed as short scale - it's just a feature of their design.
If you're after short scale and like the vintage end of things, then the options are endless in the less than a bazillion dollar range.
Used Danelectros (the long-horn is one of the functionally shortest basses out there - identical to a guitar in reach but with a 30" scale) can be easily had for under $300.
The violin style basses come in pretty cheap and the Epiphone Viola is a great bass which is a little different from the rest of the Beatle-bass copies - but you can even get one that says Hofner for under $400 NEW.
If you're more about modern stuff it gets trickier, but if you know of brands you like, but which are too long, check out the brand websites and see if they have short scale versions - in modern stuff the shorties are almost always at the cheap end of the scale.
Squier's had a few shorties in the last few years - the Jag (of course), several variations of Mustang which are great basses, the Bronco if you want to get really cheap (and they're still pretty good little basses).
Be careful not to look at scale-length alone though, design can have a huge affect on reach. A lot of hollows have the bridge moved forward (towards the neck) and so can have reaches the same or similar to long scales (a great example of this is the Bass VI or Starcaster reissue). Conversely, as I mentioned above, basses like the Danelectro can have a respectable scale length and have a nut which matches where it would be if was a guitar
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I've tried to like uke basses. God have I tried! Several times now. But I somehow just can't seem to get what I'm asking for out of a Kala or similar uke bass. Which is a shame. Because that small form factor would make traveling with one a no brainier if I could just get one of them to work for me.
YMMV.
I am actually in the process of doing that to my Bronco right now. With the pickup change I did I put a GFS Hot rails in it and it sounds really good now. I am probably gonna put a EMG X series strat pickup in it for more modern tones. I a also gonna order a pickguard from WD Music. But my upgrades have to wait till the CAD dollar doesn't suck... I put .50-.110 rotosounds on it and it sounds really good. Like a P Bass but with clarity and tight low end.
Edit: I am probably gonna leave the bridge. It intonates fine for now.. But the tuners have to go they suck.
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Another nod to the little Gretsch...the Junior Jet with two Gretschbuckers sounds great, is definitely not a Fender, has a very playable neck. Had mine for a couple of years, so not like a honeymoon thing, still think it's great. Slab body though, which some have an issue with, but doesn't bother me at all.
Hey Shawty!!
Got a few questions:
What kind of music genres do you play?
What sound are you looking for? (Examples of Players)
Reason why Im asking is that Im perusing the rest of the thread and there are suggestions all over the dartboard - some are more conducive to classic genres, some are suited for wider-variety and modern styles, and others are their own "thang"
Another vote for the Epiphone EB-0. If you look, they can be found used for cheap. Paid $129 for mine. Have swapped the pickup and the rest of the guts and still have under $250 for the bass.
Used Hofner Ignition series show up at GC from time to time. They are a specific sound. Speaking of GC, looks like the one in AR has a used Epiphone Newport at a very reasonable price. That's a vintage short scale bass with the (in)famous Gibson "mudbucker" pickup.
Other folks have had a whole bunch of good options. Short scale basses are out there, just takes more time to find them.
Used Hofner Ignition series show up at GC from time to time. They are a specific sound. Speaking of GC, looks like the one in AR has a used Epiphone Newport at a very reasonable price. That's a vintage short scale bass with the (in)famous Gibson "mudbucker" pickup.
Other folks have had a whole bunch of good options. Short scale basses are out there, just takes more time to find them.
Ill throw some non standard basses out there. Obviously by my avatar I'd recommend the Epiphone Viola but many have already said that. Here's some I've had some GAS for but never quite had the money and the bass in the same place before.
Waterstone Indra and Cestus semi hollows. The Cestus looks really cool, on par with a Club bass but with an awesome design.
Eastwood High Flyer. Old Mosrite type design, looks cool.
Eastwood Airline Map bass. Go to their website, it's worth looking at. Very unique design, another copy of an old classic.
5 strings the absolute best non-custom bass out there is the Brice. I owned one once, foolishly sold it. Very tough neck, 6 bolt instead of 4. Very very good intonation. I used it E-C, but it did okay the low B way.
Reverend Dub King is 30" I believe.
Waterstone Indra and Cestus semi hollows. The Cestus looks really cool, on par with a Club bass but with an awesome design.
Eastwood High Flyer. Old Mosrite type design, looks cool.
Eastwood Airline Map bass. Go to their website, it's worth looking at. Very unique design, another copy of an old classic.
5 strings the absolute best non-custom bass out there is the Brice. I owned one once, foolishly sold it. Very tough neck, 6 bolt instead of 4. Very very good intonation. I used it E-C, but it did okay the low B way.
Reverend Dub King is 30" I believe.
Spector NS4H2 USA Bolt-On, 'Shorty' (Garry Tallent model)
short scale (30 3/8"). Matte Finish, Dot inlay, thru-body bridge, Black Hardware, USA case.
8 LBS
short scale (30 3/8"). Matte Finish, Dot inlay, thru-body bridge, Black Hardware, USA case.
8 LBS
They are awesome for sitting around the house and practicing / learning songs on. I'm sure they would work live as well, but I'm a pretty tall guy, and I guess I'm just too self conscious to ever try it.
They're awesome (and on the top of my "to get" list) but, she said she will NOT be spending $700-800 and that's the bottom of the range for thoseMy favorite short scale bass
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- Decendant from the Clovis culture. "Emitting that wonderful bass effect since 1970".
