As you are not the person who wrote that post, you don't know if it was an ad or not -- if he's affiliated with them or not. I also misspoke because I should have said, "To me, it reads like an ad." I can't possibly know if it was or not. He can speak for himself. Of course it's fine to recommend a vendor but the OP is looking for recommendations of basses. He's presumably researching his options before dealing with a salesman, which is a wise decision. The advice amounts to "go to my salesman" which isn't useful when the guy is asking what options are out there.
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Which Short Scale Bass?
- Thread starter gphil
- Start date
As you are not the person who wrote that post, you don't know if it was an ad or not -- if he's affiliated with them or not. I also misspoke because I should have said, "To me, it reads like an ad." I can't possibly know if it was or not. He can speak for himself. Of course it's fine to recommend a vendor but the OP is looking for recommendations of basses. He's presumably researching his options before dealing with a salesman, which is a wise decision. The advice amounts to "go to my salesman" which isn't useful when the guy is asking what options are out there.
Sweetwater posts the weight of the instruments they have in stock. I don't know of any other retailer who does that. The OP is looking for a lightweight bass so recommending a retailer that displays the weight of their instruments such as Sweetwater does is logical and very useful. Not seeing how trying to help someone find an instrument is inappropriate.
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True, but the advice was to call Sweetwater, not check their website. The gist of the OP seems to be that he knows the popular short scales that are out there (the stuff they sell at Sweetwater, GC, etc.) and he's asking for lesser known basses that might be under the radar.
I have a Brice HXB2-405 short scale. I just picked this up recently, and after a set up (including neck shim) it plays well, weighs about 8 lbs. and was inexpensive. I would highly recommend if you don't mind doing some set up work.
The Mikro is just that bit smaller than the rest and has light tuners. That can only help you.
I have neck issues also that sometimes affect playing. It’s nice to have a short scale on hand.
I found a used Mustang PJ that’s about 7.3 pounds. I’m upgrading it with Ultralite tuners and Fralin pickups. That makes it pricier but I think it will be fully usable for gigs if need be.
I had a Mikro and it was very light but for me it felt somewhat like a toy. However it might go well with your Ibanez and many people like them.
I found a used Mustang PJ that’s about 7.3 pounds. I’m upgrading it with Ultralite tuners and Fralin pickups. That makes it pricier but I think it will be fully usable for gigs if need be.
I had a Mikro and it was very light but for me it felt somewhat like a toy. However it might go well with your Ibanez and many people like them.
I just got one last week. Very nice bass that actually played pretty good right out of the box. It only took some minor adjustments to get it to my liking.
There are more options out there these days.
Birdsong.
CallowHill
Chowney
Landing
Linc Luthier
Mensinger
Ryoga
PHD Basses
Serek
Spector
SX
Squire Jaguar
I keep pondering one of these, but I'm put off by the reviews that say these are really cheezy cheap plastic... anybody had one hold up well in heavy use for a year or two???
i have issues with bass weights, and here's what i've found -
the hofner ignition violin bass and the traveler ultra lite bass are the two lightest basses around.
if they're not to your taste, the hofner ignition bass weighs in at 5 pounds, sometimes a little less.
my mustang is about 7.7 pounds, and both my mikros are over 6 pounds - 1 weighs 6.6 pounds, the other 6.2 pounds. my 34" scale ibanez cheapie, the GSR100EX, weighs in at under 7 pounds. my semi hollow 34" scale SRH500 weighs 6 pounds 3 ounces.
have you weighed your SR400 to see what it weighs? because without knowing the weight of your current bass, there's no way to know if other basses are lighter or not. the newer SR400 weighs in at around what my mustang weighs and just a hair more than my old jag ss weighed.
Dano Longhorn is pretty light.
Or, what about sticking a MIM neck on a Squier agathis body. That's going to be pretty light, and you can keep a full scale.
Or, what about sticking a MIM neck on a Squier agathis body. That's going to be pretty light, and you can keep a full scale.
Since calling Sweetwater results in the same weight information as checking their website, I see nothing wrong with the recommendation to call.
The Lakland hollow body short scale is definitely worth a look. Not quite as light an compact as a Beatle bass, but pretty close.
It's not a pj configuration but a Gibson SG is a great bass. It's a shortscale, light in weight, sounds good and looks cool. One of my favorite bassist Mike Watt started using them in the late 90s because of aging and physical issues. The short scale/ smaller bass made his playing abilities as good as ever
I’ve tried many short scales, seeking the right one to play nice with my medical issues. Ended up going down the headless path. I found that in addition to the refuduced weight and improved balance inherent in the headless design, having the tuners conveniently at the bridge is a lifesaver. The only headless shorties i know of are a pretty expensive though. Kiesel will do a 30” headless with a pj config as will Brady Muckelroy.
That said, the ibanez Mikro is a killer little instrument, and one of the best bang-for-buck deals in bassing.
That said, the ibanez Mikro is a killer little instrument, and one of the best bang-for-buck deals in bassing.
