The Short Scale Bass Appreciation Society!

[BabyBlueSound]

1 hour ago, naxos10 said:

Until recently 3 of my short scales were strung with 50 - 110 gauge roundwound strings and they sounded spot on. 2 of these are ACG basses which came factory fitted with this gauge.

I have now fitted the 2 pbass short scales with 40 - 90 gauge flats can hear and here a difference in the harmonic content, while the tension is similar to the roundwounds.

 

I'd love to hear how your shorty sounds with 90 flats, can you record it?

[BCH]

2 hours ago, naxos10 said:

Until recently 3 of my short scales were strung with 50 - 110 gauge roundwound strings and they sounded spot on. 2 of these are ACG basses which came factory fitted with this gauge.

I have now fitted the 2 pbass short scales with 40 - 90 gauge flats can hear and here a difference in the harmonic content, while the tension is similar to the roundwounds.

What brand?...I have 50-110 on 26.5' & 30.5" ( Newtone) on ACG's but when I tried flats on the 30.5" (GHS I think) the tension felt very flappy...thx 

[Obrienp]

Tone is very subjective isn’t it. All my short scale basses have heavier gauges than 40-90/95 and all sound fine to me, wherever I am fretting. My custom P/J has Labella standard tension flats 45-105. It sounds great all the way up the neck and incidentally that is the gauge it came supplied with from the luthier who made it. I have Labella Beatle Bass flats 50-100 on my violin bass and they are perfect for the bass IMO. My fretless acoustic has Labella black nylon flats 50-105 (or is it 110) and they really work on it all over the neck. That came with 45-105, so I assume Guild thought that was the ideal gauge for the instrument.

 

I had 40-95 gauge round wounds on a Squier SS Jaguar and I thought they sounded really boingy. I changed them for 45-105 and it sounded much better IMO. On the other hand I kept the 40-95s on a Bronco, even after I had put a precision pickup in it. They just seemed to suit the bass.

 

I don’t know if fundamentals and harmonics are better or worse with my choice of strings but they work for me, and the instruments concerned. My conclusion has to be that you can’t make a hard and fast rule about string gauges that will suit every instrument and every player.

[Badscrew]

My Guild Starfire is strung with Fender 9050L (45-100), and it's a very good match

[martthebass]

3 hours ago, Obrienp said:

 

 

I don’t know if fundamentals and harmonics are better or worse with my choice of strings but they work for me, and the instruments concerned. My conclusion has to be that you can’t make a hard and fast rule about string gauges that will suit every instrument and every player.

 

This.

 

I have 50 - 105's on both my JMJ Mustang and G&L Fallout.  The JMJ is very old school whatever the neck position whereas the Fallout is far more 'modern' with plenty of harmonics that can be dialled in even in the upper register.  My MW mustang is strung 40-100s EBMM Slinkies and tends to sound thuddy across the board.

[Manwithvan]

22 hours ago, Stub Mandrel said:

 

http://www.stubmandrel.co.uk/14-music/170-cure-the-squier-jaguar-short-scale-s-wimpy-j-pickup

Thanks for this, I’m interested in trying it out on my Jag SS. My stable of Short scale was added to by a Maruscyk Elwood in January, and the medium scales by a classic vibe Jag a couple of weeks ago.

It’s impossible to compare the 30 and 32-in Jaguars, they feel different and sound different. The 30 has new 40-95s, the 32, older 45-105s. I wonder if that’s the main reason?

Just so I’m clear, Stub, the two pickup mods are either below or above, not both.

[Stub Mandrel]

2 hours ago, Manwithvan said:

Just so I’m clear, Stub, the two pickup mods are either below or above, not both.

 

Yes, both would be tricky anyway as the poles drop down.

[RichT]

Following on from my posts a few pages ago about looking for a lightweight SS solid body a little more upmarket than my Gretsch G2220, and a little less hollow sounding than my Hofner HCT Club, the current top of my list is the Ibanez EHB1005SMS - i.e. the multiscale SS 5 string version.

 

The thinking is mainly around wanting a light comfortable main player SS. The 5 string element isn't the primary concern, where that comes in is that I had the SRMS805 multiscale SR style 5 string, loved the sound but I was never playing it for more than 10 minutes at a time due to the size and weight, so discussions on this thread spurred me on to sell it to fund something smaller and lighter that will see more use. It was however my only 5 string and I'd love to have at least one, so this could be a good opportunity to kill two birds with one stone. 

 

Has anyone tried one of the EHB short scales? Anything I should really know about them in advance? I know a lot of people don't like the Bartolini pickups and want to replace them with Nordstrands or Aguilars. The same BH2 Barts as the SRMS805 are in the EHB. Going by all the videos I've seen on Youtube I honestly I prefer the warmer sound of the Barts. The Nords seem too trebley and top-end heavy for my tastes, not sure if maybe people who prefer their sound are just playing totally different genres to me but the Barts suit me just fine. 

 

Interested in any thoughts re how that B string holds up at 32", the neck profile and reach to the nut, overall ergonomics and comfort/oddities, any particular successes or failures with types of strings tried, whether they really do feel like a well made main bass or if there's a gimmicky element to them. Anything at all that would be useful. TIA!

 

[Woodinblack]

10 minutes ago, RichT said:

Has anyone tried one of the EHB short scales?

 

A few people have here, I have the normal scale one. With the nords.

 

10 minutes ago, RichT said:

Anything I should really know about them in advance? I know a lot of people don't like the Bartolini pickups and want to replace them with Nordstrands or Aguilars. The same BH2 Barts as the SRMS805 are in the EHB. Going by all the videos I've seen on Youtube I honestly I prefer the warmer sound of the Barts. The Nords seem too trebley and top-end heavy for my tastes, not sure if maybe people who prefer their sound are just playing totally different genres to me but the Barts suit me just fine. 

 

In which case that is the only down side, so you are good. Note the Nords you can take off the top end warm them up just fine with the EQ, the barts aren't well liked as they lack definition, as well as just being wooly. But if you like the sound then you are good.

The pickups are the reason I don't have one and that when one came up on here with replaced pickups i had already bought something else!

 

10 minutes ago, RichT said:

Interested in any thoughts re how that B string holds up at 32", the neck profile and reach to the nut, overall ergonomics and comfort/oddities, any particular successes or failures with types of strings tried, whether they really do feel like a well made main bass or if there's a gimmicky element to them. Anything at all that would be useful. TIA!

 

They feel well made, but light. The B string sounds fine but the ergonomics are down to you - the neck is smaller than the SRMS805 but similar in its still an ibanez.

[RichT]

Thanks, that sounds very encouraging. Light and well made is the number one goal here. Glad to hear the neck isn't too disimilar to the SRMS805, I navigated the width and fanned frets of that just fine.

 

I hear you with the ability to darken the tone on the Nordstrands. The non-multiscale 34" Nord-equipped EHB1505 is also an option and within budget, but after enjoying playing the Hofner and Gretsch so much and finding I can do things easier than on my long scale basses, I think I'd prefer the shorter reach and scale of the 1005SMS. Oh decisions decisions... 

 

Edited May 15, 2022 by RichT

[fretmeister]

I have the 30-32 EHB model

 

Here it is with Aguilars and Flats.

 

This tune has plenty of B string use.

 

 

 

 

[RichT]

4 minutes ago, fretmeister said:

I have the 30-32 EHB model

 

Here it is with Aguilars and Flats.

 

This tune has plenty of B string use.

 

 

Thanks! Interesting - from what I've heard there I prefer the sound of the Aguilars to the Nordstrands. Are you playing flats there (and is that maybe why it's darker and warmer sounding than all the demos I've seen with Nordstrands?) Out of interest, how much did they set you back for the pair? Always got the option of upgrading further down the line. 

 

[ezbass]

19 minutes ago, fretmeister said:

I have the 30-32 EHB model

 

Here it is with Aguilars and Flats.

 

This tune has plenty of B string use.

 

 

 

 

That B sounds really solid. It goes to show that there’s more to a good B string than just extended scale length.

[fretmeister]

10 minutes ago, RichT said:

 

Thanks! Interesting - from what I've heard there I prefer the sound of the Aguilars to the Nordstrands. Are you playing flats there (and is that maybe why it's darker and warmer sounding than all the demos I've seen with Nordstrands?) Out of interest, how much did they set you back for the pair? Always got the option of upgrading further down the line. 

 

 

Yes - thomastik ti flats for that video. Just the normal 5 string set.

 

The sound I was using was also put together for the style of music.

 

At the moment the bass has some Steel roundwounds on it for some rock tunes I was working on.

 

If I get a mo next week I'll re-record this tune with the same amp sounds but with the roundwounds so you can hear the difference. I do all recording with a Helix and that sound is saved so I can come back to it exactly every time.

 

 

Edit - the pickups need to be the 6 string version to fit the angle. So they were a not inconsiderable £299.00.

Edited May 15, 2022 by fretmeister

[fretmeister]

16 minutes ago, ezbass said:

That B sounds really solid. It goes to show that there’s more to a good B string than just extended scale length.

 

Agreed. I'm a bit of a stuck record on that point.

In the past I had a Canadian Dingwall 37 inch at the same time as a 34 scale Marleaux and the Marleaux had a much better B string to the point of it being a bit comical.

 

Construction, strings, pickup type and placement are more important than scale length IMHO.

 

It's like 5 string P basses - they just don't work if the pickup is in the usual place. Maybe there's a node on the B string that is in a bad position relative to the pickup, or something else, but something makes them sound horribly flabby and indistinct irrespective of how good the rest of the ingredients are.

 

But even a simple thing like doing a reverse P and having the BEA side be closer to the bridge makes a remarkably big difference on the B string. 

[mr4stringz]

1 hour ago, fretmeister said:

I have the 30-32 EHB model

 

Here it is with Aguilars and Flats.

 

This tune has plenty of B string use.

 

 

 

 

Kudos for the choice of a Cherry Poppin’ Daddies tune for the demo!

[fretmeister]

7 minutes ago, mr4stringz said:

Kudos for the choice of a Cherry Poppin’ Daddies tune for the demo!

 

I love that band! Great fun!

[uncle psychosis]

@RichTI bought and returned an Ibanez EHB1005SMS last week.

 

I didn't spend that long with it, but the balance was excellent, I really liked the sounds it made, it was super light, and very comfy to play. 

 

So why did I return it? 

 

1. I realised I'm a traditional Fender man. Being 100% honest I felt silly playing a headless bass. 

 

2. On balance I don't really need the fifth string

 

3. The luminous fretmarkers just didn't work. 

 

4. The fretboard markers might as well have been invisible too

 

5. The locking jack was terrible. If I'd been keeping it I would have ditched it. 

 

So, on balance I thought it was a really good instrument, just not for me in the slightest. It does have some compromises though, at £900 I think Ibanez have let themselves down slightly on a couple of points. Absolutely worth trying one though. 

[RichT]

1 hour ago, uncle psychosis said:

@RichTI bought and returned an Ibanez EHB1005SMS last week.

 

I didn't spend that long with it, but the balance was excellent, I really liked the sounds it made, it was super light, and very comfy to play. 

 

So why did I return it? 

 

1. I realised I'm a traditional Fender man. Being 100% honest I felt silly playing a headless bass. 

 

2. On balance I don't really need the fifth string

 

3. The luminous fretmarkers just didn't work. 

 

4. The fretboard markers might as well have been invisible too

 

5. The locking jack was terrible. If I'd been keeping it I would have ditched it. 

 

So, on balance I thought it was a really good instrument, just not for me in the slightest. It does have some compromises though, at £900 I think Ibanez have let themselves down slightly on a couple of points. Absolutely worth trying one though. 

 

By contrast I'm not a traditional Fender man, never owned a Fender bass or FSO. My main bass right up until about 2019 was my beloved headless Hohner B2A. Only when the electronics got too unreliable did I start buying new basses for the first time this century (and begin making up for lost time!) at which point I started with some Ibanez models, so in my case Ibanez + headless is an attraction for me

 

I've seen several people complain about those luminous side fretmarkers. I don't need them to be luminous, but I do need the markers to be visible under normal lighting. I've seen some people say they don't even do that too well - is this because they camouflage into the bird's eye maple neck? Is this maybe less of an issue on the plain darker necks of the 1505 series? The front fretboard dots don't bother me, I never look at them, but side markers are essential. I've also seen a few people comment unfavourably on the locking jack, but also that there seems to be a particular technique to it. Hopefully that would just be persevering to get the hang of it. 

 

Thank you, excellent feedback.

 

[fretmeister]

I had my side markers replaced with plain bright white plastic ones. Much better.

[uncle psychosis]

I don't think it should make or break the instrument either way but the "luminous" inlays were worse in normal light than any other instrument I've ever owned. And in the dark they weren't much better! 

[fretmeister]

They are bloody awful.

[Guest gazzatriumph]

I had illuminous neck markers put on my Warwick the ordinary markers I struggled to see playing live, getting old you see, I got a UV lamp and positioned it behind me which kept the dots illuminated, couldn't have played without them, they were a godsend.

[BabyBlueSound]

We're getting a bit off-topic here  but my pet peeve is putting bright blue LEDs into EVERYTHING. You can't buy a phone charger or a USB hub these days without it lighting up a dark room, or burning small dots into your retina if they're constantly in your field of vision.

 

And then I have seen people/manufacturers actually installing LEDs as markers / decoration in the bass neck... 🤮 

Edited May 16, 2022 by whave

[Badscrew]

And then there's me who gets migranes from blue LEDs