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Your Go-To Short Scale?
- Thread starter Chondroulis
- Start date
Having built up several Warmoth 34"s, I still think about doing one of their short scales with really nice woods and electronics. Another route for the OP to go if he really likes nice woods on a shorty.
I hear you! I like my Sterling Ray SS, but I use radically different amp settings with it relative to my typical settings. With my other basses, I typically keep my amp’s EQ at or near flat, with slight tweaks depending on the instrument.
The settings I like best with the Ray SS on my V4B, however, are:
- gain pushed for a bit of preamp saturation
- Ultra low switch ON (I’ve never used this switch with any other bass)
- bass at 3.5
- mids (800hz) at 7
- treble at 7
To my ears, this setting sounds killer with the Ray SS’s middle pickup selector position, played either finger style or with a pick. These exact settings may not help depending on your rig, but perhaps the push to deviate drastically from your go-to settings will.
Pardon the brief derailment… I’ll list my SS basses in a sec to make up for it
I played today at church and my bass sounded good enough that I won’t be looking at anything else this week. One factor helping my bass sound better is that my T-I Jazz Flats are mellowing a bit.
I just answered another post —- I played today and my bass sounded pretty good. No changes in the control settings on the bass or my amp, it just sounded much better. I’m attributing that to my T-I Jazz Flats starting to mellow a bit. For what I paid for this bass, I can’t complain. It looks good and plays well.
I had it serviced by agedhorse and it’s like a new amp !I covet your Streamliner 900!
2002 Danelectro reissue '58 Longhorn that I bought new. It came with flats that are still on it and they really thump.
BassHappy
Supporting Member
My short scale go-to is a Rob Allen "Mouse" with a flamed and spalted maple top - built for me in 2004 when Rob was in Santa Barbara. Plays like a dream, LED's, drop D tuner, mandolin frets with a Honduras mahogany body. It's actually a rosewood fingerboard which Rob "ebonized" to look like ebony - to accent the spalt "pencil lines". The original Labella tapes are still doing fine 17 years later and seem to sound better every day. A truly amazing instrument, with thanks to Rob.
Squier Bass VI at the moment, or for something more standard a Fender/Squier Mustang
I'm really partial to my Danelectro Longhorn.
Hard to get anything lighter, cheaper, cooler and more confortable to play.
With flats sounds exactly like I'd like my P sounded and with rounds kind of impersonates the Rick I don't have yet.
Hard to get anything lighter, cheaper, cooler and more confortable to play.
With flats sounds exactly like I'd like my P sounded and with rounds kind of impersonates the Rick I don't have yet.
My go to is a 32” Stu Hamm Urge. Super fast neck, great tone and versatility with 3 pickups.
I also have 32” scale P-Bass I built that sees a lot of play.
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I have two go to short scale basses. My 1974 Fender Musicmaster when I want light weight and my Ampeg Dan Armstrong 1998 reissue when I wanna rock, weight be damned. Even with a neoprene strap on the Ampeg, it’s a beast.
I snatched up one of the launch edition fallouts in green. It's a beast! It's kinda like the L2000 but a bit more of a vintage sound. I lowered the pickup a good bit because they're so damn hot!
The downside to it was cost (I think i paid $1400) but the tribute editions out now are like $500. I'd check it out.
EOD tho, try a bunch and see which one connects with you. The mustangs are really nice as well.
I only have two basses, both of which are short scale, A Fender Rascal, and a fretless Harley Benton Beat Bass from Thomann; together they give me a wide range of tones.
I got the Beat Bass to imitate an upright sound, and I think it's about as close as you can get with a bass guitar shaped object, especially if you mic it along with the direct input.
I bought the Rascal because my wife will only allow me to have two basses, and I knew one of the two would be devoted to an upright sound, so I chose the other for versatility. The Rascal is the one I spend the most time with, by a long shot; it has three pickups, I can get a bit of, EB mud, Danelectro mids, and a pitch of Jazz quack. I mainly use it, either, for 60s thump, with a foam mute, or with a pick, which it takes very beautifully.
The Harley Benton is very light, and shockingly affordable, while the Rascal is surprisingly heavy and not cheap; I paid a little over retail for mine, a few months ago, because they are discontinued and rare, I think there were less than 1500 made.
I got the Beat Bass to imitate an upright sound, and I think it's about as close as you can get with a bass guitar shaped object, especially if you mic it along with the direct input.
I bought the Rascal because my wife will only allow me to have two basses, and I knew one of the two would be devoted to an upright sound, so I chose the other for versatility. The Rascal is the one I spend the most time with, by a long shot; it has three pickups, I can get a bit of, EB mud, Danelectro mids, and a pitch of Jazz quack. I mainly use it, either, for 60s thump, with a foam mute, or with a pick, which it takes very beautifully.
The Harley Benton is very light, and shockingly affordable, while the Rascal is surprisingly heavy and not cheap; I paid a little over retail for mine, a few months ago, because they are discontinued and rare, I think there were less than 1500 made.
I was always a Jazz guy but started liking short scale and now all I play for a number of yrs. Recommend Fender Mustang for entry. I want a hollow body but their necks stick out too far. Love my custom made solid body 31” scale. I very much liked Birdsong but wanted a more vintage look.
When I play in my roots rock band I use a 2000's Danelectro Longhorn. This weekend subbing in a N'awlins rock band I'll use my Dan Armstrong Ampeg lucite reissue. I also have a Hofner Club (Asian) strung with tapewounds that really works for early Beatles and lots of other 60's era stuff, and a Form Factor Wombat 5 string with Bart J/H pu's and active electronics. Very versatile but kinda pricey.
I Love my 2018 Fender American Performer. I also have a Gretsch JR Jet that only cost 300 bucks that’s great value.
But the Performer is another level at 1200. Love it.
