The Short Scale Bass Appreciation Society!

[bassbiscuits]

Here’s mine - a 2013 MIJ Mustang.
 

I swapped the dark tort plate for a plain white one. 

 

It’s the first and only short scale I’ve owned. Initially I got it due to a shoulder injury, but it’s got a sound and attitude all of its own which made it a keeper.  
 

With flats it has a smooth, almost acoustic bass sound. With rounds it’s got a midrange snarl and punch.

 

I still love my long scale basses (especially for drop D tuning etc) but my Mustang adds a very usable, quite distinct flavour of its own which is well worth having. 

[scrumpymike]

Looks just the biscuit too 😊

[BetaFunk]

My Boomslang Nano Piccolo Bass which has a 22.5inch scale. 

 

Photo with my Yamaha BBPH to give an idea of it's size

[Badscrew]

On 11/12/2022 at 18:15, ped said:

 

Here you go, sorry it's not that good but gives you an idea of what it might sound like with someone skilled playing it!

 

 

Magnificent!

[Baloney Balderdash]

I can't remember if I posted this more recent photo of my just 28.6" scale Ibanez GSRM20 neck + GSRM20B body Mikro Bass, that I named "Dud Bottomfeeder", but anyway here it is, possibly again :

 

Equipped with an EMG Geezer Butler P pickup, and strung with Elixir Nanoweb coated nickel-plated roundwound hex steel core guitar strings of the gauges .068 - .052 - .038 - .028, tuned in A# standard tuning, as in 1 half steps above the upper 4 strings of a 6 string bass in regular B standard tuning.

 

Edited July 26 by Baloney Balderdash

[Maude]

Just seen these on Facebook. I really like the look of of this. 

 

 

 

[Aidan63]

Looks nice but seriously do none of these guys ever think beyond a P and J pickup

What about using B-90s or other interesting pickups like Ped has done with his mustang and others have done with similar guitars. B-90 won't be a copyright issue I'm sure, anyone can wind a 4 pole single coil pickup. It just smacks of lazy product design and development imho. ymmv of course, and yes I have almost entirely fender style pickups in my instruments, and that is why if you want me to buy something else it needs to be something else.

[Obrienp]

27 minutes ago, Aidan63 said:

Looks nice but seriously do none of these guys ever think beyond a P and J pickup

What about using B-90s or other interesting pickups like Ped has done with his mustang and others have done with similar guitars. B-90 won't be a copyright issue I'm sure, anyone can wind a 4 pole single coil pickup. It just smacks of lazy product design and development imho. ymmv of course, and yes I have almost entirely fender style pickups in my instruments, and that is why if you want me to buy something else it needs to be something else.

Perhaps it’s because that is what sells. It takes a lot to beat a precision pickup set for all round versatility. There are some notable exceptions though: Ibanez EHB1000s has Bart soap bars, Sterling Stingray SS and Vox Starstream H have MM humbuckers, various Gibson shorties and Epiphone copies have humbuckers, Nordstrand Acinonyx has single coils but they are very different from your P or J single coils, even the Gretsch G2220 pickups are quite different, then you have the Hofner (and copies) with humbuckers. Those are just the reasonably priced ones. If you go up market, you have the likes of Mensinger and Mullarky who have soap bar and humbucker options, not to mention EBMM. Actually, now I list them, there are quite a few.

 

I forgot Chowny!

Edited December 18, 2022 by Obrienp

[Bigwan]

46 minutes ago, Aidan63 said:

Looks nice but seriously do none of these guys ever think beyond a P and J pickup

What about using B-90s or other interesting pickups like Ped has done with his mustang and others have done with similar guitars. B-90 won't be a copyright issue I'm sure, anyone can wind a 4 pole single coil pickup. It just smacks of lazy product design and development imho. ymmv of course, and yes I have almost entirely fender style pickups in my instruments, and that is why if you want me to buy something else it needs to be something else.

Comes down to one thing. Cost. 

[Aidan63]

If you are making a short run of instruments I think it needs to be different from the offerings from FMIC, they already offer PJ in all the body shapes and sizes and cheaper than you can make them, Harley Benton have the sub Squier price pointr end of the market covered for the same thing in nice pastel colours, so I'd ask why are you even bothering to make an offering, that you'll struggle to sell at a profit and then end up remaindering out after 18 months, that's what I don't get, if you are trying to build a brand then be different and experiment like Serek and Wilcock and others, make them to a price point sure, but like Chowny are doing making/building/assembling in the UK. Reverend have built a brand on being a little bit different.

[Duroc17]

This is my Guild Byrds Starfire - I took recording last weekend and it ended up on 7 out of 8 live recorded tracks - I was expecting to be using the P mostly but the Starfire sounded so good. 

 

I absolutely love it. Smooth and deep but cuts through nicely 

[ezbass]

On 07/12/2022 at 17:09, scrumpymike said:

Only limited time for another quick play today. Once again,  for me this bass just feels and sounds right. My only slightly negative comment is that, in common with many cheaper basses, the volume control is 'all or nothing' - full on at full rotation and zilch when backed-off a tenth or so. Thankfully the tone control is more evenly progressive.

 

Re neck edge binding, there's a small radius to the edge but with the 12"-radiussed fretboard it feels fine to me.

 

So here are some pic's of mine as opposed to HB/Thomann publicity shots:

 

 

Any updates on this now that you've had a couple of week's worth of ownership?

[ezbass]

20 hours ago, Duroc17 said:

This is my Guild Byrds Starfire - I took recording last weekend and it ended up on 7 out of 8 live recorded tracks - I was expecting to be using the P mostly but the Starfire sounded so good. 

 

I absolutely love it. Smooth and deep but cuts through nicely 

Those BiSonics certainly receive a lot of love.

[scrumpymike]

1 hour ago, ezbass said:

Any updates on this now that you've had a couple of week's worth of ownership?

 

Really liking the HB Deluxe though only used it at home as it's a kind of backup for the backup gig bass. The lack of p'up selector switch remains the only thing I can fault but the tone pot gives a good range so perfectly useable as is. Massive value for money and as good as anything else I've tried in the <£500 range.

 

Removed the bottom 'mushroom' strap button in favour of a Dunlop flush strap-lock to make it fit (just) in a nice Gator hard case (Jag IIRC) I already have.

[Osiris]

43 minutes ago, scrumpymike said:

 

Really liking the HB Deluxe though only used it at home as it's a kind of backup for the backup gig bass. The lack of p'up selector switch remains the only thing I can fault but the tone pot gives a good range so perfectly useable as is. Massive value for money and as good as anything else I've tried in the <£500 range.

 

Removed the bottom 'mushroom' strap button in favour of a Dunlop flush strap-lock to make it fit (just) in a nice Gator hard case (Jag IIRC) I already have.

 

It's good to know you're (mostly) impressed, I can see one of the new HB shorties heading my way in the new year, either a burgundy mist one like yours or a sea foam green one  

[ezbass]

1 minute ago, Osiris said:

 

It's good to know you're (mostly) impressed, I can see one of the new HB shorties heading my way in the new year, either a burgundy mist one like yours or a sea foam green one  

I think that the burgundy mist is the best colour of these. I also like the black, but fingerprint magnet and all that.

[Osiris]

2 minutes ago, ezbass said:

I think that the burgundy mist is the best colour of these. I also like the black, but fingerprint magnet and all that.

 

Yes, the black is cool but I currently own 3 basses and they're all black so I fancy something different  Not sure the shell pink is me, the baby blue looks like a cheap JMJ Mustang - which it is, and sunburst is hideous, IMO. So that leaves the BM or SFG, I'd be happy with either, or both if they're as good as I hope! 

[SamIAm]

A variety of factors aligned today (not least of all it's my Birthday today ... no longer a 50 something 👵😱) and I pushed the button on a TMB-35, which should arrive tomorrow.  To be treated with kid gloves until I decide if it's a keeper or not.

It seems just spot on from a size perspective, I gather it is not light and tends to neck dive ... but if I do hang onto it then I am pondering a headless conversion which would help both ... it might end up looking more like its ehb1005sms sibling (which is well outside my price bracket).

But, I've till mid Jan (so long as I am careful with it) to return it if I want.

 

S'manth x

[Maude]

Happy Birthday @Smanth. 🙂

[Woodinblack]

44 minutes ago, Smanth said:

It seems just spot on from a size perspective, I gather it is not light and tends to neck dive ... but if I do hang onto it then I am pondering a headless conversion which would help both ... it might end up looking more like its ehb1005sms sibling (which is well outside my price bracket).

 

Well, unless you fan the frets which might be a lot of work, it isn't going to look like an ehb1005sms!

 

But they are great basses for the price, they aren't heavy (but headstock heavy). Look forward to see what you do with it.

[SamIAm]

6 minutes ago, Woodinblack said:

 

Well, unless you fan the frets which might be a lot of work, it isn't going to look like an ehb1005sms!

 

But they are great basses for the price, they aren't heavy (but headstock heavy). Look forward to see what you do with it.

LOL ... very true, perhaps the ehb1000s is a better comparison

... but with a different body shape, different pups and an extra string!  But basucally I suspect it'd look OK (Well, if you like the look of the Ibinez headless ... which I do)

 

S'manth x

Edited December 20, 2022 by Smanth

[Woodinblack]

Well, if it goes well for yours, I will follow your instructions on it

 

[ezbass]

9 hours ago, Smanth said:

A variety of factors aligned today (not least of all it's my Birthday today ... no longer a 50 something 👵😱) and I pushed the button on a TMB-35, which should arrive tomorrow.  To be treated with kid gloves until I decide if it's a keeper or not.

It seems just spot on from a size perspective, I gather it is not light and tends to neck dive ... but if I do hang onto it then I am pondering a headless conversion which would help both ... it might end up looking more like its ehb1005sms sibling (which is well outside my price bracket).

But, I've till mid Jan (so long as I am careful with it) to return it if I want.

 

S'manth x

Happy cake day. 🎁🎂🍾

[Obrienp]

@Smanthbelated happy birthday! 🎉🎂🥂

 

Let us know how you find the TMB35 when you get it. 

[Woodinblack]

Oh yes, and happy birthday for yesterday!