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Your Go-To Short Scale?
- Thread starter Chondroulis
- Start date
Simply put, one of three:
Uke ne ck: Kala U-Bass
28.6 ne ck Squier Mini Pre cision
32 nec k Fender CB 60
Uke ne ck: Kala U-Bass
28.6 ne ck Squier Mini Pre cision
32 nec k Fender CB 60
Mustang is a fabulous bass- I started out with a new '67 white body tort pickguard '67 Mustang that I got in May of 67 for my 16thb birthday. Should have have sold that bass. Your Mustang is beauiiful
I didn't. That was my point. The pickup in the Gibson is not a mudbucker. It has lots of punch and mids. Its nothing like typical Gibson mudbucker.
Thank you, Frank. Had one (or three) too many prior to the post. Hence the typo (or maybe an auto correct that I obviously didn’t notice). Either way, “Vintera” (not Vintara).
I’m up to eleven after deciding I couldn’t live without a vintage Phase Two UniVox HiFlier from the early 70’s. My favourite is a Gibson DC Jr although I still mostly gig with a Dano Longhorn. There’s an Epi Flying V and an SG bass that are kept handy. Couple more Danos nearby too.
After years as an old Fender guy it seems I play most everything but these days , and lean towards Gibson and Dano short scales now. Two very different families.
Can’t explain it , but I’m ok with it.
After years as an old Fender guy it seems I play most everything but these days , and lean towards Gibson and Dano short scales now. Two very different families.
Can’t explain it , but I’m ok with it.
My Go to is my Warwick Corvette SS! It’s just awesome I’m every way. I just picked up a SBMM stingray shorty this past weekend which I am really liking and I still have my Squier Jag which gets a run every so often.
I feel sort of compelled to post here again, after someone recently gave my previous post a like (thank you), and brought the thread to my attention again. Since my first post, I've acquired some new short scale basses, and - more importantly, I realize now that I didn't really answer the "perfect blend...." part of the OP's question. I'm not really sure I can - as far as my basses go in general; my shorties, in particular, will be hard pressed. Fact is, with 23 basses? "Versatile" isn't exactly high on my list of desirable qualities; and, that being said? I tend to set my basses up to be One Trick Ponies - optimized for one particular sound. Of course, a lot of my basses are capable of versatility - some, very much so. But, I generally don't take advantage of that - 'cause I don't need to. In any case, these are all my other short scale basses, in no particular order...Well... I hate to disappoint you, but my go-to bass pretty much fails your test of versatility, playability, looks and value. It's pretty much the poster bass for a One Trick Pony; a lot of people find basses like this hard to play; it doesn't look bad, but it's nothing to write home about; and, IIRC, it only cost me about $250. What is it? An early '90s, Korean made Rogue VB-100 violin bass. A left handed one. As for why I'm playing it? Can you say "Beatles"? Pre - Revolver Beatles, to be precise. Strung with Rotosound Bass 88 Tapewounds, that's exactly the One Trick I want from this little Pony; and I get it - in spades...I have 6 other shorties to turn to, when I want to play anything else, but this is the one that lives on a stand, next to my rig...
1. Warmoth Mini-Precision Bass. Lefty, solid body SS basses in the $1-2K range were very hard to find, 10 or so years ago (and sorta still are), so - I just built my own. This one is a "mini-me" clone of my '78 Fender P-Bass. It sounds great; it's 3TB Nitro finish is as good looking as 3TB finishes can get; and it sounds... well, like a "vintage" P-Bass. It's every bit as versatile as any other P-Bass - with GHS Precision Flats on it. It's very well balanced, and I find it very easy to play...
2. Eastwood Flying V Bass. Other than it's Basswood body - a very well-figured Basswood body, under it's "Vintage Tint" clear finish - it's a near clone of the Gibson Flying V Bass. And, other than subjectively ""better" sounding humbucker pickups, it has all the pros and cons of the bass it's a clone of. Which is to say, it's an awkward, kinda neck-divey, pain in the butt to play. If it was wearing rounds, it might be more versatile; as well as the original Gibson was, anyway... But, it doesn't; it wears the same strings as the Warmoth. It is more fun to play than you'd think it would be, though...
3. Danelectro Longhorn. It's a Dano; what else can I say? It's very light (lighter than my violin basses, in fact); pretty well balanced; and very easy to play. I own 3 Danos; the others are long scale DC59 Pros. I want the distinctive "Dano Sound" from the Longhorn, so it wears the very light gauge La Bella 760FD flats that La Bella's been making for this bass since... just about forever. So, no; it's not very versatile. But, Dano's are "string chameleons"; more than any bass I've ever played, they respond to string changes - a lot. If I were to put a set of, say, DR Sunbeams on my Longhorn? It would be an utterly different bass. But, it would still be a pretty OTP bass. Still... sounding like a Dano is a pretty cool trick...
4. Starfire Violin Bass. A very cheap Chinese bass that I bought as a "cadaver"; something I could hone my Guitar Tech skills on, and never intended to actually play. But... it survived everything I did to it, so when I felt I'd learned what I needed to know? I put it back together; put some La Bella DTFs on it; tuned it up - and occasionally just... play it. Very light; easy to play - if you don't mind the typical pencil thin violin bass neck; and pretty well balanced, as these basses go. But, no; not exactly versatile. IME, no violin bass is, really...
5. Hofner 500/2 Club Bass. A "Real" one; only the German Club Basses are available as leftys. Very light; surprisingly well balanced - in spite of the front strap pin's location; and, even with a set of the Pyramid-made factory Hofner flats? IMO, about as versatile as a hollow-body, short scale bass can be. When I get the strap pin thing sorted, it will be a lot of fun to play. The Sunburst finish is gorgeous, too - but, for what it cost? It damn well oughta be....
6. Guild Starfire I Bass. Guild just started offering left handed basses; I've only had mine for a couple of months, and I'm still getting used to it. When he reviewed one, Low End Lobster seemed to think it was a pretty versatile sounding bass - even with La Bella DTF's on it. And, I'd have to agree - especially with the GHS P-Flats that mine's wearing. I think it's gorgeous; beautifully made; and other than being a little neck heavy, and - like the Hofner Club Bass - somewhat awkward to play while standing (and for the same reason). I'm very pleased with the thing. I bought it mainly to fill one of the last two empty spots in my herd, and... I confess that I'm not exactly sure what musical genre' I want to focus on with it. Maybe I will just think of it as a versatile bass, and run with that...
7. Serek Sacramento Bass. I ordered this one at the end of February, to fill the very last open spot in my herd - "Short Scale Neck Through Bass". Don't have it, yet - and won't, for quite a while. With the pickups I selected for it, I'm thinking it will be a very versatile bass, but... no way to know for sure, until I have it in my grubby little paws. The demo videos sound promising, though. It should be a very pretty bass, but as for playability? Again, no way to know, until it's in my hands. Nobody in the Serek owners Club here seems to have many complaints about that, though...
8. Kramer "The Duke" Deluxe. Headless aluminum neck; Steinberger XL-2 style body; Schaller bridge, hardware, and a Schaller "Twin-J" pickup. Original, MIA Kramers are... hard to describe. None of the ones I own/have owned, match the descriptions of them in the literature of the time. The Deluxe model Duke is supposed to have a 3-way switch that lets you; run the pickup as a humbucker (2 back-to-back ones, actually); run the back half only, as a JB-style single coil (sounds good, too); or run the two halves out of phase (which also sounds kinda nice). Mine, however, does the humbucker and the bridge JB single-coil thing; but in the 3rd switch position? It runs half of the "front" pickup, and the diagonal half of the "rear" pickup - which gives me a P-Bass split coil humbucker. And, damned if it doesn't sound like a P-Bass, too. Which, I suppose, makes it a pretty versatile little bass. As for looks? Dukes came in lots of cool colors - including a really pretty natural finish on it's Maple body. Right handed ones did, anyway. Lefties? Any color - as long as it's black...
. Some people find Steinberger XL-2 style basses hard to play- the Duke would be the same. The reach to the upper frets is surprisingly long, and it can hang wrong on some shoulders. Surprisingly, my Duke is actually too light in the neck; I have to hold it down (slightly) when I play it. Tone-wise? Well, I gave one of my 2 right-handed (parts for project basses) Dukes to a local music store, in exchange for some accessories and strings - and they absolutely love it. They're professional musicians; in several local bands; and with their own recording studio. And, they're always recording with the Duke. That one is also a Deluxe, but in keeping with Kramer goofiness, it has the Schaller pickup - but, it only has a 2-way switch. So, it only does the dual humbucker/out-of-phase thing. They really loved it after I persuaded them to replace the old God-knows-what strings, with a set of new GHS Bass Boomers. Mine wore those when I got it; when they finally died, I replaced them with DR Legends. My fingers like flats a lot more than rounds, but on the Duke, the Legends sound almost like Boomers; so... 9. Gretsch G6119B Broadkaster. This bass was my "Problem Child" for the first 12 years I owned it. Lots of niggling electronics/pickup/mechanical problems that come with hollow body Gretsch's that were designed in the 1950's - and never improved. It's main problem, though, was finding strings that didn't sound like a Hippo fart in deep mud (flats) or, at best, a baritone guitar (rounds). I finally, out of desperation, put the TI Jazz Rounds that I'd bought by mistake, on it - and, they worked. I'd be happier if they had a little more bottom end, but at least it sounds like a big hollow-body bass now. As far as looks go? It's big; it has the classic Gretsch Orange finish, with the Gretsch trademark MOP "thumbnail" inlays in it's killer Ebony fretboard. And, within the limits of a big hollow-body bass, I'd say it's quite versatile. Because of a screwed-up shoulder, it's hard to get my arm around the body. I can't play it for very long because of the pain, but otherwise? It hangs on a strap nicely; and plays quite nicely, too. It has a touch of neck heaviness, but unless you have trouble holding up a Big Mac? Not much of a problem. At 8.9lbs., though, it's heavier than it looks. If my shoulder would let me, the "Kaster would get played a lot more than it does now...
So, which of my SS basses do I consider the most versatile? Unless the Serek winds up the winner when it arrives, of the ones I have now? I'd have to say - in order:
1. Kramer Duke;
2. Gretsch Broadkaster;
3. Guild Starfire I.
4. Hofner 500/2.
5. Warmoth Mini-P.
6. Danelectro Longhorn.
7. MIK Rogue VB-100.
8, Starfire VB.
I would like to get my hands on a Starefire II, though. I have a suspicion that it would probably beat out the Gretsch - and might even give the Duke a run for it's money. For right now, though, my favorite, go-to SS bass is still the Korean Rogue VB-100...
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I've always had a short scale in my stable since the '70s such as a used Silvertone Model 1444 by Danelectro. I've had quite a few short scales over the decades and the one I play most often is my Hofner Ignition Club bass strung with nylon tapewound strings. BTW, I still have a 1444.
My go-to is a G&L Tribute Fallout. The magnetic field design pickup is what makes this bass. Followed closely by an SBMM Stingray SS, Squier VM Jaguar SS & a Gretsch Junior Jet. All are strung with GHS Brite Flats (groundwound/half round).
