The Short Scale Bass Appreciation Society!

[Stub Mandrel]

22 hours ago, rwillett said:

The current exchange rate £:$ is around 1.25 (ish). So £349 is approx $436. Take off VAT at 20% and we're back to $363. 

 

That's approx a 75% uplift. A bit more than a little extra profit. There are other costs as well but not a bad increase (for the seller)

 

Rob

 

American prices don't include local and state-dependent sales tax, of 0-12%

[Stub Mandrel]

18 hours ago, Obrienp said:

Thanks.

 

Top right hand corner is a full scale bitsa I put together on a ‘51 Precision theme. Got bored during lockdown and started to try to create another Swiss Army knife type bass. It’s now got a Jazz bass neck on a ‘51 body (Obeche), DiMarzio Relentless mudbucker (not so muddy really), Seymour Duncan quarter pounder ‘51 Precision and Warman MM humbucker, plus a no-name high mass bridge (with string through option). I enlarged the control cavity and fitted a Tele control plate with a 5 way strat switch, vol and tone controls. Vol is push/pull to switch the Warman MM pickup between series and parallel. The whole thing weighs about 8.5 lbs because the Obeche body is so light.

The pic shows it with the original Allparts ‘51 licensed neck I had on it, before changing to the jazz neck. I just sold that neck attached to another Precision bitsa. World’s worst attempt at a sort of sunburst finish using wipe on stains, as can be seen in the pic below. I know I can leave this unattended at a pub gig and nobody is going to pinch it 🤣.

 

 

The original turdburst 🤣

[Obrienp]

36 minutes ago, Stub Mandrel said:

 

The original turdburst 🤣

Thanks; I’m going to use that 🤣
 

I can just see the advert if I ever decide to sell it: “ this unique multi-role custom bass in satin turdburst “.

Edited August 26, 2024 by Obrienp

[scrumpymike]

20 hours ago, Obrienp said:

I know I can leave this unattended at a pub gig and nobody is going to pinch it 🤣.

 

Love it! Re finish, funnily enough that's what caught my eye on your original wall-hanging pic. Your pick-up/control configuration is my absolute fave. It's just so versatile and and I don't get why there aren't more basses like it out there. That was what made me buy one of the otherwise ergonomically challenged Fender Rascal basses that I later had re-bodied by our AndyJr.

[fretmeister]

Just managed to score a bargain.

 

My favourite shorty strings for my Sandberg are Dunlop Flats. Unfortunately they are an outrageous £95 at Strings Direct, and usually about £80 on Amazon.

 

Amazon had them up for £35 for some reason and I managed to grab 2 sets. At the time they had 5 sets available and with hindsight I should have bought them all as that would have kept me in strings on that bass for the rest of my natural. Still, with 2 sets that should give me a good 10-20 years worth - they last just as long as La Bella DTF (which I've got on a different shorty)

 

I was half expecting the order to be cancelled, but they've just arrived.

 

They are back up to £77 on Amazon at the moment, but it's worth keeping an eye on for future bargains.

[Obrienp]

1 hour ago, scrumpymike said:

Love it! Re finish, funnily enough that's what caught my eye on your original wall-hanging pic. Your pick-up/control configuration is my absolute fave. It's just so versatile and and I don't get why there aren't more basses like it out there. That was what made me buy one of the otherwise ergonomically challenged Fender Rascal basses that I later had re-bodied by our AndyJr.

That’s a very pretty bass. Love the finish! Unfortunately, the Obeche on mine does not have an interesting enough grain to warrant a proper natural, or transparent finish.

[Dazed]

On 26/08/2024 at 12:55, fretmeister said:

Just managed to score a bargain.

 

My favourite shorty strings for my Sandberg are Dunlop Flats. Unfortunately they are an outrageous £95 at Strings Direct, and usually about £80 on Amazon.

 

Amazon had them up for £35 for some reason and I managed to grab 2 sets. At the time they had 5 sets available and with hindsight I should have bought them all as that would have kept me in strings on that bass for the rest of my natural. Still, with 2 sets that should give me a good 10-20 years worth - they last just as long as La Bella DTF (which I've got on a different shorty)

 

I was half expecting the order to be cancelled, but they've just arrived.

 

They are back up to £77 on Amazon at the moment, but it's worth keeping an eye on for future bargains.

Aw gutted I would’ve had some of them been after some for a while but rarely look on Amazon and when I have they were at the prices you mentioned. 

[HoorayForAnonyms]

12 hours ago, Dazed said:

Aw gutted I would’ve had some of them been after some for a while but rarely look on Amazon and when I have they were at the prices you mentioned. 

I’ve been perplexed by the price increase on these in the last year or so. I bought two sets for £35 each when they were first released. 
 

It’s actually cheaper to buy directly from Amazon in the US. And I’ve bought things directly from Amazon US and always had a smooth transaction. They also offer free international returns which I’ve used before.
 

Even with customs and shipping, the total landed cost for the flats is £62.05! 

[fretmeister]

13 hours ago, Dazed said:

Aw gutted I would’ve had some of them been after some for a while but rarely look on Amazon and when I have they were at the prices you mentioned. 

 

Add some to your basket and then "Save For Later" so any time you buy anything you can see if the price has changed.

[scrumpymike]

Jumped on Thomann's website to check out their short-scale stock -  just out of interest as I already have my 'ultimate' s-s Sandy. They're listing 19 basses but only have 2 in stock! In my experience over recent years, that's an all-time low and they're showing the popular base-model Lionel BB not expected in stock until next June!!

[Dazed]

3 hours ago, HoorayForAnonyms said:

I’ve been perplexed by the price increase on these in the last year or so. I bought two sets for £35 each when they were first released. 
 

It’s actually cheaper to buy directly from Amazon in the US. And I’ve bought things directly from Amazon US and always had a smooth transaction. They also offer free international returns which I’ve used before.
 

Even with customs and shipping, the total landed cost for the flats is £62.05! 

What a messed up world we are in

[Obrienp]

2 hours ago, scrumpymike said:

Jumped on Thomann's website to check out their short-scale stock -  just out of interest as I already have my 'ultimate' s-s Sandy. They're listing 19 basses but only have 2 in stock! In my experience over recent years, that's an all-time low and they're showing the popular base-model Lionel BB not expected in stock until next June!!

I have noted that their stock goes very quickly. I dithered about pulling the trigger on a Guild Starfire 1 for a few days. When I pulled the trigger the price went up £14 during the transaction! I looked it up again an hour later to see if they were advertising it for the price I paid and they had none in stock, so I must have got the last they had. I had previously been looking at the Warwick Star Bass semi and that went out of stock while I was reading the spec.
 

I suspect they only order one or two of the more expensive short and medium scale basses at a time. I guess in terms of their overall sales they are pretty niche. They probably churn out masses of Harley-Benton models but I doubt they sell many Lionels. 

[SamIAm]

I've just added this preloved Ibanez TMB35 to my family of shorties (Purchased of course from this very parish).  Plan is for some major modding.

Sam x

[Obrienp]

Posted in wrong thread, sorry!

Edited August 29, 2024 by Obrienp

[LeftyJ]

3 minutes ago, Obrienp said:

There was a guy at the Norfolk Blues Society Jam in Norwich yesterday evening with an Ibanez Rickenbacker copy. It’s the first time I have seen one. It appeared to have a mudbucker type humbucker in the neck position but sounded great. He reckons it dates from the 70s and had been well used when he bought it. He had to have all the frets replaced and some repair done to the rosewood board but apparently it plays like a dream now. I immediately got serious GAS but this was extinguished when he handed it to me: a proper boat anchor but I guess through neck and maple is going to give you that. Anybody else come across these before?

 

Could be the Ibanez 2389B, which is indeed from the 1970s. Not a shortscale, like the Rickenbacker 4001 it tries to mimic it has a 33 1/4" scale. 

[Obrienp]

7 minutes ago, LeftyJ said:

 

Could be the Ibanez 2389B, which is indeed from the 1970s. Not a shortscale, like the Rickenbacker 4001 it tries to mimic it has a 33 1/4" scale. 

Thanks. Yes, I posted in the wrong thread by accident. It was indeed a 33 1/4”. I’ve moved the post. Thank you for the response.

[Baloney Balderdash]

I really should stop spamming posts about the same two basses, each time I've made a slight visual modification to it, but just this last time, my Ibanez GSRM20B Mikro Bass, and it's most recent incarnation:

Edited August 29, 2024 by Baloney Balderdash

[ped]

You might have missed it but I posted some recordings of my Thunderstangbacker here

 

 

[Dazed]

On 29/08/2024 at 10:59, SamIAm said:

I've just added this preloved Ibanez TMB35 to my family of shorties (Purchased of course from this very parish).  Plan is for some major modding.

Sam x

I keep seeing these pop up and am tempted everytime. An ever growing itch

[msb]

I saw one that had been modded with a Tbird pickup and really liked it. So when I found a local used one I snagged it and planned to do the same.

Might change pots and tuners , but I like it.

[JohnDaBass]

A Nice Pair of Black & Tans ( well tort ☺️)

[Fuzzbass2000]

Anyone using Fender flats (9050 45-100) on Mustang strung through body? Do they fit or do the silks sit on the nut?

 

I know there are many other options - but they’re all 50-60£ a set. The Fender strings seem to be closer to the 40£ mark.

Edited September 8, 2024 by Fuzzbass2000
Additional info

[bassist_lewis]

3 minutes ago, Fuzzbass2000 said:

Anyone using Fender flats (9050 45-100) on Mustang strung through body? Do they fit or do the silks sit on the nut?

 

I know there are many other options - but they’re all 50-60£ a set. The Fender strings seem to be closer to the 40£ mark.

I seem to remember my JMJ came with a set of Fender flats and they fitted fine. They were pre-installed so I couldn't tell you exactly which ones they were.

[meterman]

I've had 40-100 Fender strings on Mustangs before and the silks cleared the nut, it wasn't an issue 👍

[Lozz196]

Yeah they fit fine, I have a set on a JMJ