The Short Scale Bass Appreciation Society!

[Stub Mandrel]

5 hours ago, ped said:

I must say, I prefer short scale basses that have their own shape, as opposed to a scaled down body from another bass. That way they feel like an instrument in their own right instead of a mini version of something else.

 

I like the proportions of the Jaguar SS, but it's based on a guitar body. The long scale version looks a bit gangly.

[JohnDaBass]

On 21/12/2024 at 14:26, Stub Mandrel said:

 

I like the proportions of the Jaguar SS, but it's based on a guitar body. The long scale version looks a bit gangly.

Here you go ( these pair are short scale)

 

 

Edited December 31, 2024 by JohnDaBass
error

[Stub Mandrel]

1 hour ago, JohnDaBass said:

Here you go

 

 

They both look ok...

 

Possibly I've seen pics of the long scale at an odd angle.

[scrumpymike]

6 hours ago, ped said:

I must say, I prefer short scale basses that have their own shape, as opposed to a scaled down body from another bass. That way they feel like an instrument in their own right instead of a mini version of something else.

Despite having preferred Gibsons and other s-s basses since I started playing, I've got mixed feelings on this. Here's a few random thoughts:

 

 

When I bought my first bass (a Watkins Rapier) back in the mists of time, I chose it on the basis of what felt most comfortable and looked cool without even knowing that different scale-lengths were available;

 

Gibson's shorter-than-Fender-standard scale was/is equally valid and hearing this constantly referred to as 'junior' (i.e. 'not for real men') - notably by Fender - p155es me off;

 

In light of the above, what have Fender's marketing people got for brains? IMHO, they could have a big s-s market running in parallel to their 'standard' scale-length offerings if they didn't dumb-down on their s-s products;

 

Mitigating against my love for Gibsons is the fact that, for me, the strap-balance that comes with having the top strap button at the F12 'sweet spot' is essential (and why I moved away from SGs);

 

Like it or not, the perception that 'proper' bass guitars have to look like a P or a J (with the possible exception of the Gibson SG) is widely held, especially (but not only) outside the bass-playing fraternity;

 

That's why I feel happier playing my Sandberg Cali ll on stage than my equally excellent Vox Starstream Artist, although this may change as my latest band members share my love for the quirky looks and wonderful Aguilar sounds of the Vox;

 

IMHO, the main-stream bass-guitar manufacturers have held back the natural evolution of the s-s bass guitar - Gibson through a mixture of incompetence and dodgy quality control, and Fender presumably in a misguided attempt to preserve the purity of the brand's original DNA.

 

 

There, glad I've got that lot off my chest 🙂

[fretmeister]

11 hours ago, dmckee said:

I’ve not tried a Lionel or a short scale Stingray, but with short scale versions of originally long scale basses like those, is the body actually smaller than original? Like, is it actually just scaled down, and if so, by how much? 

I’ve got a Lionel, but I’ve never played the full scale VS4 so I don’t know if the body is a different size, but the Lionel is a lot smaller than a usual Fender precision.

 

The 34 scale TT4 (jazz) is definitely smaller than a Fender Jazz as well.

 

I’d really like a VS4 so if I ever find enough money maybe I’ll find out!

[Low End Bee]

 

I blame Happy Jack for this.

Just bagged a Wattplower II. Obligatory sofa pic. It's now wearing La Bella Mustang Flats and sounding huge. 7lb 9oz and effortless to play. Well chuffed.

 

[bassist_lewis]

35 minutes ago, Low End Bee said:

 

I blame Happy Jack for this.

Just bagged a Wattplower II. Obligatory sofa pic. It's now wearing La Bella Mustang Flats and sounding huge. 7lb 9oz and effortless to play. Well chuffed.

 

I played one of these (or more likely the v.1) back in 2018 when I bought my JMJ Mustang. Very awesome basses, occasionally still feel like buying one. 

[scrumpymike]

2 hours ago, Low End Bee said:

 

I blame Happy Jack for this.

Just bagged a Wattplower II. Obligatory sofa pic. It's now wearing La Bella Mustang Flats and sounding huge. 7lb 9oz and effortless to play. Well chuffed.

 

That looks amazing, any chance of more pic's? And what's it like for neck dive?

[Low End Bee]

18 hours ago, scrumpymike said:

That looks amazing, any chance of more pic's? And what's it like for neck dive?

Pics as requested. I'm not the best at photography though I'm afraid. It's hard to capture the sparkle in stills.

No neck dive. Tiny headstock and lightweight tuners. I was thinking about moving the strap button to the top horn as a personal preference but it seems to work well where it is for me at the moment.

.

[Woodinblack]

Love the look of that - if I played 4 strings, I would get one of those in a heartbeat - love those pickups

[howdenspur]

1 hour ago, Low End Bee said:

Pics as requested. I'm not the best at photography though I'm afraid. It's hard to capture the sparkle in stills.

No neck dive. Tiny headstock and lightweight tuners. I was thinking about moving the strap button to the top horn as a personal preference but it seems to work well where it is for me at the moment.

.

What an awesome pairing - the Wattplower looks fantastic!

[Obrienp]

4 hours ago, Low End Bee said:

Pics as requested. I'm not the best at photography though I'm afraid. It's hard to capture the sparkle in stills.

No neck dive. Tiny headstock and lightweight tuners. I was thinking about moving the strap button to the top horn as a personal preference but it seems to work well where it is for me at the moment.

.

I would love that, if it had a 38mm nut. Funny how 4mm can make so much difference to playing comfort for me these days (arthritis in the left hand).

[dmckee]

Apologies if this basic question is somewhere else, but I can’t find it. 

 

I’ve recently put some DR Legends on my Mustang. I really like them, but I know they’re long (34” ball to taper), which is fine on the Mustang with through body stringing, but can I put them on my Fallout? Ie will a flatwound be ok if I wind past the end of the taper onto the tuner (as I think I’d need to do with the E string at least).  I assume not and don’t want to trash a string unnecessarily. 

 

A bit annoying that DRs short scale isn’t actually short scale…. 

[ezbass]

16 minutes ago, dmckee said:

Apologies if this basic question is somewhere else, but I can’t find it. 

 

I’ve recently put some DR Legends on my Mustang. I really like them, but I know they’re long (34” ball to taper), which is fine on the Mustang with through body stringing, but can I put them on my Fallout? Ie will a flatwound be ok if I wind past the end of the taper onto the tuner (as I think I’d need to do with the E string at least).  I assume not and don’t want to trash a string unnecessarily. 

 

A bit annoying that DRs short scale isn’t actually short scale…. 

Given the large capstans on the Fallout, I think you’ll be OK. I had EB Cobalt Flats on my SS ‘Ray and they were fine.

[Osiris]

24 minutes ago, dmckee said:

Apologies if this basic question is somewhere else, but I can’t find it. 

 

I’ve recently put some DR Legends on my Mustang. I really like them, but I know they’re long (34” ball to taper), which is fine on the Mustang with through body stringing, but can I put them on my Fallout? Ie will a flatwound be ok if I wind past the end of the taper onto the tuner (as I think I’d need to do with the E string at least).  I assume not and don’t want to trash a string unnecessarily. 

 

A bit annoying that DRs short scale isn’t actually short scale…. 

 

I've not tried stringing a Fallout with long scale strings but I have fitted long scale strings to several other short scale basses and never had any issues. Yes, you'll get some extra string wraps around the machine heads but I've never had any strings snap, slip their tuning or any other issues. I'd say go for it! 

[JohnDaBass]

NBD Ashdown Capri SS

 

This is the new Ashdown Capri SS it has a different Pickup from the early promo photos which showed the E & G strings slightly out of alignment with the Pup pole pieces.

This Pup is " Hand wound" (?) according to the promo description and it sounds really good. There's plenty of output and a great range of tones throughout the tone control min to max.

The Pup is 11 inches from the 12th Fret which makes it at the mid-point between the SS sweet spot of 10 inches and the 12 inches of the SS Stingray.

Very well put together, great finish, brass bridge pieces, reasonable tuners, no fret issues and a lovely satin roasted neck. Supplied without gig bag, no neck dive, nicely balanced very similar to my SS Jaguars.

Very pleased to add it to the herd!!

Edited yesterday at 16:20 by JohnDaBass
Error

[scrumpymike]

1 hour ago, JohnDaBass said:

NBD Ashdown Capri SS

 

This is the new Ashdown Capri SS it has a different Pickup from the early promo photos which showed the E & G strings slightly out of alignment with the Pup pole pieces.

This Pup is " Hand wound" (?) according to the promo description and it sounds really good. There's plenty of output and a great range of tones throughout the tone control min to max.

The Pup is 11 inches from the 12th Fret which makes it at the mid-point between the SS sweet spot of 10 inches and the 12 inches of the SS Stingray.

Very well put together, great finish, brass bridge pieces, reasonable tuners, no fret issues and a lovely satin roasted neck. Supplied without gig bag, no neck dive, nicely balanced very similar to my SS Jaguars.

Very pleased to add it to the herd!!

Just jumped online and the s-s Capri appears to be sold out everywhere. You did well to grab one.

[neil___lien]

2 hours ago, JohnDaBass said:

NBD Ashdown Capri SS

 

This is the new Ashdown Capri SS it has a different Pickup from the early promo photos which showed the E & G strings slightly out of alignment with the Pup pole pieces.

This Pup is " Hand wound" (?) according to the promo description and it sounds really good. There's plenty of output and a great range of tones throughout the tone control min to max.

The Pup is 11 inches from the 12th Fret which makes it at the mid-point between the SS sweet spot of 10 inches and the 12 inches of the SS Stingray.

Very well put together, great finish, brass bridge pieces, reasonable tuners, no fret issues and a lovely satin roasted neck. Supplied without gig bag, no neck dive, nicely balanced very similar to my SS Jaguars.

Very pleased to add it to the herd!!

It's beautiful.. makes me want one!

[ezbass]

4 hours ago, JohnDaBass said:

The Pup is 11 inches from the 12th Fret which makes it at the mid-point between the SS sweet spot of 10 inches and the 12 inches of the SS Stingray.

Relatively speaking, this puts it in the Rickenbacker 4003, bridge position (or as near as damn).

[JohnDaBass]

4 minutes ago, ezbass said:

Relatively speaking, this puts it in the Rickenbacker 4003, bridge position (or as near as damn).

I would love to get my hands on one of these pickups to plant it in one of my other projects.

Sounds fantastic.

[JohnDaBass]

3 hours ago, scrumpymike said:

Just jumped online and the s-s Capri appears to be sold out everywhere. You did well to grab one.

I wonder how the sales of the 34 inch full scale are going?

[scrumpymike]

16 hours ago, JohnDaBass said:

I would love to get my hands on one of these pickups to plant it in one of my other projects.

Sounds fantastic.

 

May well be worth asking if they'll sell you one. In my limited experience, they are such a nice helpful bunch of people. A while back they picked up on my post on here about a noisy RM500 fan and replaced it FOC even though they knew I bought it used. Helped me massively again with something a couple of weeks ago (I'm too embarrassed to say what it was).

[AlexDelores]

On 21/12/2024 at 15:15, JohnDaBass said:

Here you go ( these pair are short scale)

 

 

Is the orange one short scale too? I’m guessing it’s not stock? It looks great!

[MichaelDean]

30 minutes ago, AlexDelores said:

Is the orange one short scale too? I’m guessing it’s not stock? It looks great!

It's the Mike Kerr (Royal Blood) signature. And yes, it is a shortie. 

[AlexDelores]

11 minutes ago, MichaelDean said:

It's the Mike Kerr (Royal Blood) signature. And yes, it is a shortie. 

Nice! I didn’t realise his sig was a SS. Makes sense as he also plays Gretsch G2220.

Thanks!