flowersdie Posted July 9, 2020 Share Posted July 9, 2020 (edited) Hi all, My girlfriend is currently looking at buying a cheap beginners bass and is looking at the HB shorty and the J and D mini. What would you recommend (if at all)? Are there major differences between the two? It's for a lo fi project thing although the band has already been offered their first gig! Best wishes Jeremy Edited July 9, 2020 by flowersdie misspelling Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stewblack Posted July 9, 2020 Share Posted July 9, 2020 I know a few people here have the J&d mini. I very much doubt there will be much, if any, difference. The HBs are way better than they have any right to be at the price they charge. I gig with Harleys on a regular basis, never let me down, always sound great. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hooky_lowdown Posted July 9, 2020 Share Posted July 9, 2020 Not any real difference between the two, other than the J&Ds come in various colours, and the HB only in black. Alternatively if you look second hand SX short scale basses are I would say a step up over the others. Also older Encore short scale basses are arguably better than HB or J&D mini, in terms of build quality and sound, but you'll probably need to give it a good set up before you see the difference. 😃 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bassfinger Posted July 9, 2020 Share Posted July 9, 2020 (edited) My Daughter as a J & D Mini and I'm astonished at how nice it is. Solid alder body, lovely poly body finish, very nicely set up and needed little in the way of tweaking out the box, and feels like a much more expensive instrument. Genuinely very impressed, can't knock their quality for the asking price. Edited July 9, 2020 by Bassfinger 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flowersdie Posted July 10, 2020 Author Share Posted July 10, 2020 Thanks for the replies all, we're going to the DV247 Romford shop next week so she can try one of the J and Ds. She likes the colour of the surf green one (as do I)! She is going to try one of the J and D full size basses too; do you know how they would compare to the full size HBs? I guess similar. She has been practicing on an old 1970s short scale Kay Ric copy (K20-B?), which a friend has lent her, which she really enjoyed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flowersdie Posted July 10, 2020 Author Share Posted July 10, 2020 Will also have a look at the short scale SX basses. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Burns-bass Posted July 10, 2020 Share Posted July 10, 2020 It’s slightly more expensive, but the Ibanez Talman is a really well built bass you could gig with. And it comes in cool colours (I’m saving up for a pink one!) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stewblack Posted July 10, 2020 Share Posted July 10, 2020 Be interested to hear your thoughts on the surf green j&d @flowersdie I have been eying them up online but seeing one in the flesh is a whole different ball game. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rumple Posted July 10, 2020 Share Posted July 10, 2020 I had a full sized J&D JB Vintage 1975 SFGR Bass, it looked and sounded really good. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bassfinger Posted July 10, 2020 Share Posted July 10, 2020 3 hours ago, stewblack said: Be interested to hear your thoughts on the surf green j&d @flowersdie I have been eying them up online but seeing one in the flesh is a whole different ball game. Wee Bassfinger has the surf green. I think it looks lovely. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hooky_lowdown Posted July 10, 2020 Share Posted July 10, 2020 Surf green is by far the coolest colour. 😎 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bassassin Posted July 11, 2020 Share Posted July 11, 2020 No mention of the J&D Mini Jazz? There's a J&D Mini Jazz! Wonder how these stack up against the 4x more expensive Sire shorties? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stewblack Posted July 11, 2020 Share Posted July 11, 2020 1 hour ago, Bassassin said: No mention of the J&D Mini Jazz? There's a J&D Mini Jazz! Wonder how these stack up against the 4x more expensive Sire shorties? Tell you what, with a modicum of pressure I could be persuaded to find out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rumple Posted July 13, 2020 Share Posted July 13, 2020 On 11/07/2020 at 17:17, stewblack said: Tell you what, with a modicum of pressure I could be persuaded to find out. Go for it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stewblack Posted July 13, 2020 Share Posted July 13, 2020 14 minutes ago, Rumple said: Go for it! Aargh, I bend, I break. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stewblack Posted July 13, 2020 Share Posted July 13, 2020 ... and they're out of stock. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rumple Posted July 13, 2020 Share Posted July 13, 2020 8 minutes ago, stewblack said: ... and they're out of stock. ☹️ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bassassin Posted July 13, 2020 Share Posted July 13, 2020 2 hours ago, Rumple said: ☹️ In stock in black! https://www.musicstore.de/en_GB/GBP/J-D-Bass-guitar-JB-Mini-BK-Black/art-BAS0007167-000 I'd be waiting for see-through blue. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stewblack Posted July 13, 2020 Share Posted July 13, 2020 11 hours ago, Bassassin said: In stock in black! https://www.musicstore.de/en_GB/GBP/J-D-Bass-guitar-JB-Mini-BK-Black/art-BAS0007167-000 I'd be waiting for see-through blue. Yeah they're nice too Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flowersdie Posted July 17, 2020 Author Share Posted July 17, 2020 (edited) Well, Mrs Flowersdie chose the J and D mini jazz bass which was the only short scale in the DV247 shop, she says it's perfect for her little hands. She got £15 off due to it being a display copy, so it was £80 (she bought a deluxe bag for it too). She is very pleased, they are getting new stock of the other colours in the next few weeks. She has named the bass 'craddock'! Edited July 17, 2020 by flowersdie more words 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stewblack Posted July 17, 2020 Share Posted July 17, 2020 (edited) OK forget it Apparently the US slang for bottom is a swear word now? Edited July 17, 2020 by stewblack not allowed to type an entirely inoffensive word Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul S Posted July 31, 2020 Share Posted July 31, 2020 Another new member of the HB PB Shorty Society - bought it on Tuesday and it arrived a short while ago. Took it out of the box, tuned it up. Hey Presto - nothing else needs doing. Absolutely nothing. Set up is to my liking. Fit and finish is extremely good. The maple in the headstock even has a little speckle running through it. Sounds like a Precision bass. Possibly not as much character in the tone as my more expensive P basses but it absolutely does the job. 3.2kg/7lbs. 2x allen keys for truss rod and bridge and a cheap lead. £80 and, with the Powerbank I also bought, free shipping. I am flabberghasted, frankly. £80. I *may* stick a better pickup in it. I have a 62 Custom one kicking about. I *may* get a black pickguard made as I am not keen on white ones. Then again, I may just leave it be. I mean, £80 ffs. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul S Posted July 31, 2020 Share Posted July 31, 2020 Just put my favoured TI Flats on it. Golly Gosh. I'd sell all my expensive basses except I haven't got any. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stewblack Posted July 31, 2020 Share Posted July 31, 2020 2 hours ago, Paul S said: I'd sell all my expensive basses except I haven't got any. That's it. That's exactly it. I haven't any either and now I have literally zero desire to buy any. If these basses were a couple of hundred quid cheaper, well maybe you'd get something worth the upgrade but they are like 10, 11, 12 times as cheap. It's crazy. Congratulations and jubilations, now get the pics up. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hooky_lowdown Posted July 31, 2020 Share Posted July 31, 2020 I have no idea why HB don't make the Shorty and PB20 in any other colour than black? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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