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Good quality short scale at £500 or below?


HarryPotter
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Aside from the obvious mustangs I'm just wondering what my options / shortlist should be, or is it really as simple as Mustang, mustang or mustang?

Basically I'm clearing my long scales out to make way for a 'main' shorty and I'm deciding where to look - £5-600 is my max budget and then that will be a stretch, circa £400 is more realistic.

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[quote name='waynepunkdude' post='410452' date='Feb 15 2009, 09:14 PM']What a about a really good nick Musicmaster?[/quote]


I'm more than happy to go with an old instrument, I wouldnt care if it looked like hell as long as it played and sounded sweet, in fact I'd prefer it - I loves my mojo ;)

Thats certainly one to consider, cheers :P

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Still got a BIN @ £450:

[url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Fender-Musicmaster-1978-Electric-Bass-Guitar_W0QQitemZ200310670995QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV?hash=item200310670995&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1688%7C66%3A2%7C65%3A12%7C39%3A1%7C240%3A1318"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Fender-Musicmaster-1...A1%7C240%3A1318[/url]

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How about the Ibanez ART B100 short scale. It`s got a set neck and looks kind of Les Paulish. Not played one yet but Merchant city music and Guitar guitar have them for £320. Should be well put together as its an Ibby.

Jez

[attachment=20362:3014_large.jpg]

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[quote name='jezzaboy' post='410512' date='Feb 15 2009, 10:03 PM']How about the Ibanez ART B100 short scale. It`s got a set neck and looks kind of Les Paulish. Not played one yet but Merchant city music and Guitar guitar have them for £320. Should be well put together as its an Ibby.

Jez

[attachment=20362:3014_large.jpg][/quote]


How comes everyone can make Gibson basses better than Gibson?

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[quote name='jezzaboy' post='410512' date='Feb 15 2009, 10:03 PM']How about the Ibanez ART B100 short scale. It`s got a set neck and looks kind of Les Paulish. Not played one yet but Merchant city music and Guitar guitar have them for £320. Should be well put together as its an Ibby.

Jez

[attachment=20362:3014_large.jpg][/quote]


Ooooh GAS attack ..... argh

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What about a Dean Evo XM. They get good reviews on Basstalk, and you could upgrade with decent pickups etc!

[url="http://www.musicstreet.co.uk/dean-black-satin-string-bass-guitar-p-2898.html"]http://www.musicstreet.co.uk/dean-black-sa...tar-p-2898.html[/url]

Will.

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[quote name='The Burpster' post='410701' date='Feb 16 2009, 08:04 AM'].... daisy rock .....[/quote]
My Daisy Rock elite is the most Rock n Roll bass I have, slightly longer scale at 32". It sounds very agressive, but the looks aren't to everyone's taste.


The Short scale heartbreaker bass 30" my daughter has sounds as good as my mustang and has a very playable neck, (not as slim as the mustang though) but its, er Heart shaped.

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For 500 quid you could buy a used DeArmond Starfire or an Epiphone Rivoli (the reissue) - both nicely made and if you're lucky you might have enough change for an upgrade or two. Steves Starfire went for not much more than your budget and it had two Darkstars. The nature of these basses means Fender type players buy them 'cos they're so different but find they don't have much need for them as a working bass and they tend to be cosseted at home. The other advantage is they won't lose value like a new bass will.

Do it. Join the short scale revolution!!!!

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[quote name='henry norton' post='410823' date='Feb 16 2009, 10:27 AM']For 500 quid you could buy a used DeArmond Starfire or an Epiphone Rivoli (the reissue) - both nicely made and if you're lucky you might have enough change for an upgrade or two. Steves Starfire went for not much more than your budget and it had two Darkstars. The nature of these basses means Fender type players buy them 'cos they're so different but find they don't have much need for them as a working bass and they tend to be cosseted at home. The other advantage is they won't lose value like a new bass will.

Do it. Join the short scale revolution!!!![/quote]

The last Rivoli to sell on eBay went for £900. Whether or not that means it'll be back up for sale due to non-payment remains to be seen.

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[quote name='Jean-Luc Pickguard' post='410737' date='Feb 16 2009, 09:16 AM']My Daisy Rock elite is the most Rock n Roll bass I have, slightly longer scale at 32". It sounds very agressive, but the looks aren't to everyone's taste.


The Short scale heartbreaker bass 30" my daughter has sounds as good as my mustang and has a very playable neck, (not as slim as the mustang though) but its, er Heart shaped.[/quote]

I must say i think you can get more for £500.

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+1 on the Fender Urge Mk1, although this is a 32" scale. I've got a Mex and a US one and they are both good instruments. You might get the mex one for 2-300, and on a good day you might get the US one for a little over your 500 limit. The Mex is fine, but the US one has an extra pickup, string through body, different electrics, screening, micro tilt etc.

I also have a Westone quantum which is 32" headless, and is great for lugging around hotels etc. these don't come up very often, but only fetch 125 to £175 ish. Passive, but with immense output and tone.

Aria make both 32" and 30" basses.

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The thing with short-scale basses (under 31" scale, 32" is medium scale) is that they fall into basically 4 categories.

Beginners instruments - some good some not so. Designed to be grown out of. By the time you're ready for a full-sized bass you'll also be looking for something that's better quality.

Retro styled - generally better than the beginners instruments, but you pay a premium for the styling, so on the whole more expensive than a similar quality 34" scale bass

Vintage - again you'll pay a premium depending on how collectable the bass is. Some are simply old beginners instruments - not particularly good, but a few a decent instruments in their own right.

Custom - [url="http://www.birdsongguitars.com/"]Birdsong[/url] are pretty much the standard by which all other short scale custom basses are measured. Unless you can find one second hand probably outside your budget.

What you will find is that on the whole until you hit the last category you won't get as good a short scale bass as one with 34" scale length for the same money. If you can live with the looks (and mostly hollow bodies) the retro styled ones aren't generally bad. Or alternatively wait for a custom to come up second hand.

If your budget was under £250 then you can pick up some decent short scales that compare favourably with similar priced 34" scale basses. However £500 buys you a much better long scale bass than most easily available 30" scale.

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