Short scale, wide neck, P/J bass?

[solo4652]

My Harley Benton shorty is a cracking bass. However, I do miss the bite of a J pickup. So, I'm now looking for something like this:

Short scale
Wide neck (at least 40mm nut width)
Lightweight
Importantly, it must be well-balanced on the strap with no neck dive
P/J, MM or P/MM pickup arrangement

Budget max is £500

I'm aware of the Ibanez TMB-30 Talman short scale, and that's very close to what I'm after. All other suggestions gratefully received.

Thanks,

Steve

[scrumpymike]

Good luck with your search Steve. The Talman is the best I've found so far although a used short-scale Fender Jazz (from the Modern Player range I think) would be something else I'd like to try - not sure how heavy they are though.

[solo4652]

Hi Mike,

I've always struggled with J-width necks on 34" scale basses, so I'm pretty sure the 38mm J neck on the Fender will be too cramped for my hulking great paws. My Harley Benton has a 41mm neck, and that's OK, but I don't think I could cope with anything much narrower than that. The Ibanez is looking odds-on favourite at the moment.

[scrumpymike]

Just thinking, another possibility would be the short-scale version of the Warwick Rockbass Corvette. Weighs a reasonable 3.5kg but not sure what the neck width is (not quoted in their specs); I've heard the neck feels fairly chunky but that could be down to its relatively flat radius. My problem has been finding one to try and I'm personally not a fan of that sausage-like top bout. Must say though that the clumsy (IMHO) look is softened by some of the fantastic finishes currently on offer.