I'm in love with short scale!!

[thebeat]

I recently bought an Ibanez AGB200 semi acoustic which is a 30 incher and have toally and utterly fallen in love with this scale.

I currently have this and the Controversial P-bass which is 4/4 and a Ric 4003 which is just a wee bit shorter than full scale. I almost cannot put the Ibanez down It seems to fit me perfectly and feel so natural when playing and it's not as if i have particularly small hands or arms, as a matter of fact, my knuckles almost scrape the ground and friends are always saying that i could tie my laces without bending over, my hands are bigger than average too.

It's not just the size that makes me love this bass though, the sound is great for an instrument selling for less than £300 quid....lovely tones when both pups are used...sounds almost like an upright at times. There's no disguising that it's a budget instrument when you look at it though, the gold hardware kind of cheapens the look for me. The tuners are pretty crap too, a bit too much play and the white plastic adds to the cheap look. Fingerboard and body are very nice however and the frets are nice and even. It's still got the stock strings on but i intend to swap them over for some D'Addario Flatwound Chromes. It's a keeper for sure, this one!

Unfortunately it's opened a can of worms and has resulted in me ordering another short scale bass. I've gone and ordered a Gretsch Thunder Jet which i've read really good things about but have never played... i think that i'm gonna stick with short scale from now on even if people do call me a sissy/pantywaist/girls blouse etc

[Machines]

Doesn't look cheap to me - looks quite classy. Nice buy !

[El_JimBob]

I've had a similar experience - been playing full-scale basses for about 14 years now, and got myself some decent kit together - but recently playing has become more tiring and my hands cramp up alot (it almost feels like i'm stretching, where i wasn't before).

Anyway, to cut a long, boring story short, i was in my local guitar shop recently and there was a tatty looking 30inch scale Westfield P-Bass on the wall, so for a laugh i took it down and had a quick noodle on it, and bugger me if it wasn't the most comfortable playing experience i've had in a long time!
Really, i'm almost ashamed to admit it. Now it's not as if i've got short arms and small hands either, so what exactly made it so damned playable??

Needless to say i hung it right back up, grabbed me coat and ran away....

What's up with the lack of short-scale instruments on the market?
*or are we talking serious technique issues here?*

Edited July 12, 2008 by El_JimBob

[Born 2B Mild]

There's no end of shorties on [url="http://www.rondomusic.com/"]http://www.rondomusic.com/[/url]

[Oscar South]

I want to try a short scale, but I doubt I'd like it more than 35", extreme low setup and extra heavy steels. Sweeeet tone and amazing to play.

[neepheid]

Just (hopefully) about to take delivery of a Squier Bronco to see what all this short scale nonsense is about. Scored it at a price that I could easily get back if it's not a keeper. Will let you know how I get on!

[Lfalex v1.1]

I quite fancy a short-scale Gibson EB type item. Might be pretty good into the Ampeg..

[El_JimBob]

That's my point - what there is available is generally 'vintage' styled....

[waynepunkdude]

[url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/60s-70s-teisco-satellite-short-scale-bass-guitar-GC_W0QQitemZ130237254028QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item130237254028&_trksid=p3286.m14.l1318"]I really like the look of this[/url]

If I had the cash

[markytbass]

The guy I bought my combo from had an AGB200, I also played one when I went to Edinburgh last year. I didn't realise they were shortscale . Scot Morriss from The Bluetones plays a Gretsch Thunder Jet, I saw them last November in Darlo'. He had a real nice sound from it, I looked into buying one last week but cant afford that sort of cash at the mo.

Edited July 12, 2008 by markytbass

[Clarky]

Well if any of you guys want to make me an offer on my Gibson SG Reissue bass (Cherry) feel free!

[waynepunkdude]

[quote name='Clarky' post='238226' date='Jul 12 2008, 10:17 PM']Well if any of you guys want to make me an offer on my Gibson SG Reissue bass (Cherry) feel free![/quote]

£2.50 and a bag of sherbert lemons


I could stretch to a bag of chocolate eclairs

[Clarky]

[quote name='waynepunkdude' post='238229' date='Jul 12 2008, 10:19 PM']£2.50 and a bag of sherbert lemons


I could stretch to a bag of chocolate eclairs[/quote]
Throw in a Curly Wurly and you're talking

[waynepunkdude]

[quote name='Clarky' post='238231' date='Jul 12 2008, 10:20 PM']Throw in a Curly Wurly and you're talking[/quote]


I have been priced out

[Clarky]

[quote name='waynepunkdude' post='238232' date='Jul 12 2008, 10:21 PM']I have been priced out [/quote]
might compromise with a finger of Fudge or a Milky Bar

[waynepunkdude]

[quote name='Clarky' post='238233' date='Jul 12 2008, 10:23 PM']might compromise with a finger of Fudge or a Milky Bar[/quote]


I can go as far as a Chomp.


I wish this is how ebay worked

Edited July 12, 2008 by waynepunkdude

[markytbass]

What about a wham bar a highland toffee and half a jar of bulls eye's.

[Clarky]

[quote name='markytbass' post='238239' date='Jul 12 2008, 10:31 PM']What about a wham bar a highland toffee and half a jar of bulls eye's.[/quote]
Plus £499 and you have a deal sir

[Clarky]

Shameless plug - just put feeler on BassChat's For Sale thread about my SG Reissue bass

[fretlessguy]

Since 2000 I have had arthritis in some of my fingers and one of my shoulders. Playing a short scale has been the saving grace of my live playing. I used to make fun of people who played short scales, but I don't any more.....
I think the bass is quite handsome. Granted, my Epiphone Allan Woody has the same colors as yours, and I didn't like the gold either. However, I do like the comfort of not having to stretch our my finger so much and hurting. I have gotten used to the maroon and gold now, and it looks much better.

[spinynorman]

I've had a couple of short scales - a Japcrap EB-3 lookalike, similar to the Ibanez ones, in that the body was slightly longer and narrower than a real one, and an Epi Elitist EB-3. We were doing Cream and Free covers amongst others and I swapped to the EB for those, then back to long scale. That really didn't work, the change in scale from one song to the next threw me completely. I had one dreadful gig where I came home and if the computer had been on the whole lot, long, short, rig, everything, would have gone up on eBay. When I calmed down, only the short scales went. Whether it really was the scale I don't know now, the Epi had terrible neck dive as well. So I wouldn't rule out having another one sometime, but a) it won't be an EB0/EB3/SG b ) it'll get used for a whole set, no swapping mid-stream.

Edited July 14, 2008 by spinynorman

[BassBod]

I still really enjoy this shorty

[attachment=10841:DSCN0617.JPG]

But it is a bit specialised - great for jazz etc but not when things get loud.

BB

[EssentialTension]

I really like playing my Dearmond Starfire with Dark Star pickups - 30.5" scale and a very dark but musical sound.

But I most like a Fender P bass thump and I don't feel that's really available on the short scale.

[paul, the]

Soulfinger's wee Fender is one of my favourite basses on Basschat.

I don't think I'm wholly comfortable with short scale, but I'd like to try one of those. My little hands should look less rediculous, too.

[99ster]

I got a sweet 1966 Mustang a few months ago - really just to add to the collection (& I got it for a bargain price)... And wasn't really expecting to use it much at all - but I have to say that the 'vintage' tone you can get from these is absolutely fantastic. Wind it up through an old valve amp & it will bring tears to your eyes. Not like an old Precision or a Jazz - it's own sound & very sweet. I'm definitely a short scale fan now...
Check out 'Indian Rope Man' by Julie Driscoll/Brian Auger for a fabulous 60's Mustang bass sound...
And of course 'All Along The Watchtower' - with Jimi Hendrix playing a Mustang bass - one of the greatest ever bass lines & tone...

Here's my 1966 (with very rare original case):
[attachment=10851:66_mustang_cased.jpg]