Short scale basses - anyone play one? Recommendations?

Pinky

Pinky

and The Brain...
I have a nice Les Paul electric and Martin acoustic, but have a cheap $150 small/short scale bass and was looking to upgrade it. Anyone have any upgrade recommendations?
 
I had a short scale in the 70's. It was a law suit era EB copy and was great to play - easy, fairly light on the shoulder etc. You're not after cheapies (though what I bought then now goes for $5 or 600).
 
I had no idea Fender made that many short scale models!

I read the review son Fender's site for the Mustang, and it tends to be a warmer sounding bass. I actually like the growl I get some the past couple cheapo short scales I've had (but don't think the action and overall playability is as good as it could be, hence the search for an upgrade). So I guess something 'clean' or 'warm' isn't at the top of my list... (?)

Reading further, it appears the Pawn Shop mustang might be what I seek...

http://www.fender.com/series/pawn-shop/pawn-shop-mustang-bass-rosewood-fingerboard-3-color-sunburst/
 
You didn't mention anything earlier about what kind of a sound you were going for. As someone who's had a regular Mustang for 40+ years, my take on mine (and it might be an anomaly) is that it's pretty P-bass-ish. You also didn't say what you're playing now, or what kind of music you play. Speaking of the aforementioned EB, I've got an Epi EB-0, and despite the massive mid-section humbucker, the roundwounds make it sound very prog/metal. Kinda like a Ric, very bass-piano-ey, but with a little bit of bite. It's too bad I don't/can't play that kind of music, because that bass makes me want to. When i got it, I expected it to be very muffled, along the lines of 'Low Spark of High-heeled Boys', but I was shocked. BTW, I've also got a couple of short-scale SX's, a P and a J. They're fun, and I could make them into something 'good' if I had the time, but I wouldn't recommend them as anything other than a true beginner's bass unless you're up for a project. If you happen to be looking along the lines of a violin-style, I'd recommend the Epi over the 'cheap' version of the Hofner. I like the Epi, but I think the cheap Hof sucks donkey balls. Just my opinion.
 
Oh, and depending on what you're going for, one that's on my 'to get' list is the Epi Allen Woody. But then, I'm a huge ABB fan. Once a Brother, always a Brother.
 
I have a Gretsch short scale hollow body bass and just love it on several kinds of music. It has a great range of tones, but don't expect to get a full on snarling rock tone out of it. But I do like the short scale, it is the only bass that I own with a short scale .
 
I have the cheapo Höfner Beatle Bass. It's ok, once you dial in the right settings and have the appropriate compression added. I am thinking of getting a better one, but I just don't see myself shelling out a pile for a bass guitar. I have a Yamaha long-scale which is fine, and the both are enough for me.
 
Tripper John said:
I have the cheapo Höfner Beatle Bass. It's ok, once you dial in the right settings and have the appropriate compression added. I am thinking of getting a better one, but I just don't see myself shelling out a pile for a bass guitar. I have a Yamaha long-scale which is fine, and the both are enough for me.
Click to expand...

Sorry, didn't mean to dump on your bass. If it works for you, then it works for you. I just hated the feel of it, but I liked the Epi. Different strokes. OTOH, one of my favorite 'feeling' guitars is a dirt-cheap used Squire (an Affinity, no less) strat. Sounds like crap, but it feels like buttah. Go figure.
 
No problems, I don't take gear preferences personally, lol. Just sharing my experience. Another SS bass to look at would be the Gibby SG bass. I have a friend who used to have one a long time ago, but it was ripped-off. I liked it. I just don't see myself shelling out €900 for one.
 
Tripper John said:
No problems, I don't take gear preferences personally, lol. Just sharing my experience. Another SS bass to look at would be the Gibby SG bass. I have a friend who used to have one a long time ago, but it was ripped-off. I liked it. I just don't see myself shelling out €900 for one.
Click to expand...

+1 for the SG, depending on whether or not you like the sound. It's a different-sounding animal, just remember that the type of strings make a huge difference in sound. I definitely like feel of the neck. There's also old Dano basses, again a particular sound, and some Les Paul bass models were short scale. Now those are quality instruments. Again, whether or not it's the sound you're after is another question. When it comes to bass, I guess I'm just pretty much a Fender guy, both for feel and sound. I do dream, though, of one day having a custom bass made with a Mustang neck on a Ric 4001 body. I wouldn't want to play a Ric all the time, but for some things, only a Ric will do.
 
notCardio said:
You didn't mention anything earlier about what kind of a sound you were going for... You also didn't say what you're playing now, or what kind of music you play...
Click to expand...

I hadn't realized the options available to me were greater than maybe 4 or 5 models.

I'm using a cheap ESP right now. It plays and sounds okay for under $200 but I suspected there were/are better out there. Unfortunately none of the local shops carry any decent short scale models, as it's a scale intended for beginners and kids, so I can't try any before buying. I might be able to get Guitar Center to order one and let me try before I buy.
 
miroslav said:
I was expecting to see the new short scale bass that Santa left for you....... :)
Click to expand...

Unfortunately in my godless and idol-less world, Santa is a fantasy so I'd be buying this for me. :D Budget just doesn't justify it for now. But I know what I'll likely be getting when $700+ is available (Fender Pawn Shop Mustang). :)
 
Last edited:
I sat up all night waiting for that fat SOB, and he didn't stop by to leave me anything either....I had to buy my own.
 
I've got a Rondo ($120) and a Corsair ($200), both of which I use more like a bari-guitar than a bass (lighter string gauges; playing chords)

The Corsair is kind of cool. It's a 26" scale, and it's TINY (which is great if you want it for a really little kid), but it's hard to get the intonation right. The shorter your scale, the bigger the strings you need, or the higher the tuning.
The Rondo ends up being a much more reasonable-playing instrument because of that.

Can't really speak to the sound of either since I tune them so weird, but the Rondo has proved to be a durable little bastard (been using it consistently for 8 years with no obvious problems besides intonation tweaking)
 
VomitHatSteve said:
I've got a Rondo ($120) and a Corsair ($200), both of which I use more like a bari-guitar than a bass (lighter string gauges; playing chords)

The Corsair is kind of cool. It's a 26" scale, and it's TINY (which is great if you want it for a really little kid), but it's hard to get the intonation right. The shorter your scale, the bigger the strings you need, or the higher the tuning.
The Rondo ends up being a much more reasonable-playing instrument because of that.

Can't really speak to the sound of either since I tune them so weird, but the Rondo has proved to be a durable little bastard (been using it consistently for 8 years with no obvious problems besides intonation tweaking)
Click to expand...

That was an issue I had with a very nice sounding short scale Gretsch I had a few years ago. No matter what I did the intonation on the first few frets was always off, and it being such a cheap guitar I couldn't justify spending money on it for a pro set it up (only to likely have it fall out of whack again). So I ditched it and got this ESP, which had perfect intonation from the start and thus far hasn't fallen out.
 
I got a Squier VM Jaguar short scale bass a few months ago, plays and sounds really nice. Really nice for $179.
 
Fender have a new short scale bass on the market the Rascal or something simliar - three lipstick pikups so LOTS of tonal variation & a push pull selector to mix the pickup selection to 7 options.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top