Short scale to cure my ills?

[Fishfacefour]

4 hours ago, Allaboutthebass said:

Hypothetically (I couldn’t condone such caddish behaviour) you could nip down to GG try some short scales (don forget the Gretsch G2220). You can then go home and order the one you liked, try it out on your rig for 14 days in the comfort of your own home, before returning it to GG (keep boxes).

I have done this in the past. Well, I planned to return it but never did... Its too tempting to keep instruments once they're at home. 

 

I hesitate to ask this as its covered in a number of threads, but what's everyone's favourite short scale? 

I've been poking around some reviews. I haven't heard a Mustang sound that I like, although I love the look.

The acinonyx sounds good, but is a bit pricey for me at the moment. 

The sire u5 looks worth a try. If it's as good as my v7 ill be happy. 

I'm erring towards the sterling short scale as I've fancied a stingray type for a while. 

I'm also curious about the Reverend Sentinel but there's not many sound examples online. I can get to merchant City music for a try in the next month or so hopefully. 

Anything else worth a try? 

[ezbass]

30 minutes ago, Fishfacefour said:

I have done this in the past. Well, I planned to return it but never did... Its too tempting to keep instruments once they're at home. 

 

I hesitate to ask this as its covered in a number of threads, but what's everyone's favourite short scale? 

I've been poking around some reviews. I haven't heard a Mustang sound that I like, although I love the look.

The acinonyx sounds good, but is a bit pricey for me at the moment. 

The sire u5 looks worth a try. If it's as good as my v7 ill be happy. 

I'm erring towards the sterling short scale as I've fancied a stingray type for a while. 

I'm also curious about the Reverend Sentinel but there's not many sound examples online. I can get to merchant City music for a try in the next month or so hopefully. 

Anything else worth a try? 

I tried as many as I could when I started looking at SS basses, the one that stood out and I could justify the cost of, was the JMJ Mustang, which I eventually bought. However, the best one of the entire bunch was a Wilcock Mullarkey, which was stunning, but way over budget. I’d still like one though, especially as I’m really enjoying the scale. The Chowny SWBs look interesting and a friend of mine has one of the Pro models that he’s very impressed by and he owns some real bass exotica.

[Jonesy]

I picked up a Gibson SG at the start of the year and it's a fantastic bass, feels great and has a big round tone that sounds great with flats. It was my first short scale bass and it's to much easier to get around, so much so that I'm now going to sell my precision and have just picked up another shorty - the Gibson DC Jnr. I think I'm a convert! 

The precision feels like I'm driving a family estate at 50mph on the motorway and the shorties feel like I'm ragging an XR2i down a country lane, it's so much fun! 😂

[Bix]

I've bought and sold a Mustang PJ and a Performer Mustang, and bought and kept a JMJ Mustang. The JMJ is a little too reliced, but is a superb bass .. fit and finish, playability and tone are great.

I'll be trying out a G&L fallout on Friday, so keen to see how that plays out.

I'd love to try a Wilcock shortscale, but haven't had the chance yet.

[Fishfacefour]

1 hour ago, Jonesy said:

I picked up a Gibson SG at the start of the year and it's a fantastic bass, feels great and has a big round tone that sounds great with flats. It was my first short scale bass and it's to much easier to get around, so much so that I'm now going to sell my precision and have just picked up another shorty - the Gibson DC Jnr. I think I'm a convert! 

The precision feels like I'm driving a family estate at 50mph on the motorway and the shorties feel like I'm ragging an XR2i down a country lane, it's so much fun! 😂

I forgot abouy the Gibson dc jnr. They look interesting, as do the fallout and chowny. 

Can the Gibson do convincing single coil sounds? Some videos it sounds great, others not so much. 

Also, just spotted a lovely looking Supro huntington at bass direct. 

So much choice. 

Not even going to entertain looking at a willcock, too tempting. 

I knew this forum would give me GAS... 

[meterman]

@Fishfacefour I bought a hollow body Hofner Violin Bass for very similar reasons, an old shoulder injury was making me struggle with a 34” scale instrument. The great thing about the Hofner is the weight, or lack of it. The tone controls take a few minutes getting used to, but it’s a joy to play.

However, if Ibanez had still been making their AGBV200A semi hollow short scale in vintage antique burst I might have gone for one of those instead. I’ve seen used examples on Reverb and might still get one. The couple I played in Denmark Street back in the day were great, serious tone  👍

08A5309A-1B1C-4F2B-A9F2-97A74935603F.webp

 

[WishICouldWalk]

3 hours ago, Fishfacefour said:

I have done this in the past. Well, I planned to return it but never did... Its too tempting to keep instruments once they're at home. 

 

I hesitate to ask this as its covered in a number of threads, but what's everyone's favourite short scale? 

I've been poking around some reviews. I haven't heard a Mustang sound that I like, although I love the look.

The acinonyx sounds good, but is a bit pricey for me at the moment. 

The sire u5 looks worth a try. If it's as good as my v7 ill be happy. 

I'm erring towards the sterling short scale as I've fancied a stingray type for a while. 

I'm also curious about the Reverend Sentinel but there's not many sound examples online. I can get to merchant City music for a try in the next month or so hopefully. 

Anything else worth a try? 

I've got a mustang which I like and this as well which is a 32" scale, slim neck and compact body so it doesn't feel too different to the mustang. I need to thin the herd though so I'll have to toss a coin pretty soon.

 

[WishICouldWalk]

Sorry, forgot to say it's a Grass Roots medium scale.

[Fishfacefour]

33 minutes ago, WishICouldWalk said:

I've got a mustang which I like and this as well which is a 32" scale, slim neck and compact body so it doesn't feel too different to the mustang. I need to thin the herd though so I'll have to toss a coin pretty soon.

 

Ooh that looks lovely. 

[Fishfacefour]

I know nothing about grass roots basses, other than they're Japanese I think? 

[WishICouldWalk]

35 minutes ago, Fishfacefour said:

I know nothing about grass roots basses, other than they're Japanese I think? 

Yeah, I bought it from ishibashi in Japan although I'm not certain it's Japanese made. I fell in love with the blocks and binding and liked the idea of a 22 fret neck as the 19 frets on the Mustang can be a bit limiting.

Edited May 19, 2021 by WishICouldWalk
Grammar

[Jonesy]

3 hours ago, Fishfacefour said:

I forgot abouy the Gibson dc jnr. They look interesting, as do the fallout and chowny. 

Can the Gibson do convincing single coil sounds? Some videos it sounds great, others not so much

I knew this forum would give me GAS... 

Good question.........it turned up yesterday, but I've been pretty busy with work and then out in the evenings, so I've only managed to get about 20 mins on it so far. When I get a chance to put it through its paces I'll let you know! One thing to note though is that it's a coil tap as opposed to coil split, so isn't really going into single coil mode 😊

I can't fault the way it feels or workmanship though, it's a lovely bass.

 

And yup, this forum is dangerous on the wallet!

[Fishfacefour]

On 19/05/2021 at 19:02, WishICouldWalk said:

Yeah, I bought it from ishibashi in Japan although I'm not certain it's Japanese made. I fell in love with the blocks and binding and liked the idea of a 22 fret neck as the 19 frets on the Mustang can be a bit limiting.

Blocks and binding always do it for me. No idea why.  I wouldn't want to risk an order from Japan without trying something first. 

On 19/05/2021 at 19:16, Jonesy said:

 😊

I can't fault the way it feels or workmanship though, it's a lovely bass.

 

And yup, this forum is dangerous on the wallet!

Right, DC jnr added to the (now quite long) shortlist. 

[Jonesy]

A couple of things to note after having played the DC for a bit longer....

When playing sitting down, ideally you'd have a right angle jack as the socket is on the bottom of the bass. If you're playing on a stool or chair without arms it's not so much of an issue, but I'm generally sat on my bed if playing at home and could see it messing with straight jack's in the long run.

The slab body takes a bit of getting used to and moving around of my right arm to find a comfy spot. I feel different basses ask you to play them in different ways, so I don't mind changing to suit the bass. It's not a bad thing, just something to think about when playing it.

I still haven't played it at volume and in a band situation, but am digging the coil tap so far!

[ezbass]

36 minutes ago, Jonesy said:

 

The slab body takes a bit of getting used to and moving around of my right arm to find a comfy spot. I feel different basses ask you to play them in different ways, so I don't mind changing to suit the bass. It's not a bad thing, just something to think about when playing it.

 

This is spot on. My Mustang is slab bodied (although the edges are fairly rolled) but comfy enough. My hand normally falls on a P placed pickup, between the pickups on a J or at the front corner of an MM, I'm not a close to the bridge player - normally. However, the Mustang shape and size drops my hand into that classic near the bridge position position that adds that tighter, slightly nasal tone. On a Mustang, with its darker, fuller sound, is an absolute boon IMO.

[Elfrasho]

Definitely consider medium scale. I've got a 31.5" and it still maintains the look and feel of a 'proper' bass but is outrageously easy to play. I've also got a 33", and even that makes life alot easier! 

The only downside to medium scale is there's not a massive selection if you're in the budget end of the market. 

[Fishfacefour]

48 minutes ago, Elfrasho said:

Definitely consider medium scale. I've got a 31.5" and it still maintains the look and feel of a 'proper' bass but is outrageously easy to play. I've also got a 33", and even that makes life alot easier! 

The only downside to medium scale is there's not a massive selection if you're in the budget end of the market. 

I've been intrigued by medium scale as it sounds like best of both worlds really. 

Only medium scale I've seen on offer is the ibanez mezzo which I'm ambivalent about tbh. But I've never played one or seen one in the flesh though so will remain open minded. 

Lots of maruszczyck medium and short scale at bass direct but they're probably more than I want to spend, and I'm nowhere near BD to try them out. 

I have my Covid jab next week, so will feel happier going to a shop to try things out soon. 

[Elfrasho]

1 hour ago, Fishfacefour said:

I've been intrigued by medium scale as it sounds like best of both worlds really. 

Only medium scale I've seen on offer is the ibanez mezzo which I'm ambivalent about tbh. But I've never played one or seen one in the flesh though so will remain open minded. 

Lots of maruszczyck medium and short scale at bass direct but they're probably more than I want to spend, and I'm nowhere near BD to try them out. 

I have my Covid jab next week, so will feel happier going to a shop to try things out soon. 

I tried the mezzo in merchant City music, pre covid so I'm sure they'll still have them when you come to Glasgow. It was a nice bass but just felt the body was too small for me. I still want something that feels substantial but just was easier on my fingers! 

 

I got a acg single cut so the body still feels like a proper big bit of wood. My 33" is the bachhuss 33". Think they are 650 brand new and not one if their premium lines. Again, the body feels substantial.

[Trueno]

Medium scale... too long for me...

Anyway... a question for fellow SS’ers. I absolutely detest relic’d basses... but find I’m getting warm fuzzy feelings each time I consider a JMJ Mustang. I only like the blue ones, though, and can’t seem to find any at the moment... only the black ones. Anyone know if a new batch is due or is it black only from now on... relic AND black is a step too far.

edit... hopefully not a derail...

Edited May 21, 2021 by Trueno

[ezbass]

12 minutes ago, Trueno said:

Medium scale... too long for me...

Anyway... a question for fellow SS’ers. I absolutely detest relic’d basses... but find I’m getting warm fuzzy feelings each time I consider a JMJ Mustang. I only like the blue ones, though, and can’t seem to find any at the moment... only the black ones. Anyone know if a new batch is due or is it black only from now on... relic AND black is a step too far.

edit... hopefully not a derail...

The Gallery looks like it had one, but that seems to have gone already. As I understood it a while back, JMJs would be available in June.

I really like mine. However, I find the relicing very lazy and somewhat unconvincing, as a lot of the dings are too uniform and obviously done with the same tool in a repeating pattern. That said, it's a great playing and sounding bass, that is really well put together (the neck pocket is tighter than a gnat's chuff). Seymour Duncan really should release that pickup to the general public, but I imagine Fender have made a deal where they can't, thus preventing folk upgrading cheaper Mustangs like the Vintera or Squiers.

[solo4652]

Because of a sporting injury to my neck and shoulder, I switched from 34" to short scale a few years ago. Echoing Osiris' point, it's the reduced distance to the first fret that makes the big difference for me, rather than the reduced distance between frets. To try out short scale, I bought a Harley Benton Shorty from Thomann. £63. Bonkers. https://www.thomann.de/gb/harley_benton_hbp90bk_shortscale_ebass.htm?sid=419559fd6d8232d3ab920710b6280f0e  I've had a few shortscales since then, but the shorty, with some new strings and some Wilkinson pickups for about £30 took a lot of beating - seriously. The Shorty has a P width neck which works for me, and I've struggled to find a good shortscale with a wide neck since.  Shortscale + Jazz neck can get a bit cramped. 

Fishfacefour: Don't know where you're based. I'm in Stockport. If you want to come over and try out my two short scale basses (Lakland Hollowbody, G&L Fallout Tribute) - just let me know

Edited May 22, 2021 by solo4652

[Stub Mandrel]

Cycling and DIY both set off my arthritis. gel gloves and handlebar grips help with the cycling.

Fortunately, bass playing has the opposite effect and reduces my arthritis,  for me at least

[ezbass]

15 minutes ago, Stub Mandrel said:

Cycling and DIY both set off my arthritis. gel gloves and handlebar grips help with the cycling.

Fortunately, bass playing has the opposite effect and reduces my arthritis,  for me at least

This comes as no surprise the way you’ve been cycling recently.

Edited May 22, 2021 by ezbass

[Fishfacefour]

On 22/05/2021 at 09:38, solo4652 said:

 

Fishfacefour: Don't know where you're based. I'm in Stockport. If you want to come over and try out my two short scale basses (Lakland Hollowbody, G&L Fallout Tribute) - just let me know

Thanks, that's super kind, I'm up in Scotland and unlikely to be down your way any time soon. 

£63 for an instrument is bonkers. I always assume someone is getting exploited somewhere along the line! 

That's a good point about cramped necks.

[ezbass]

On 21/05/2021 at 16:09, Trueno said:

Medium scale... too long for me...

Anyway... a question for fellow SS’ers. I absolutely detest relic’d basses... but find I’m getting warm fuzzy feelings each time I consider a JMJ Mustang. I only like the blue ones, though, and can’t seem to find any at the moment... only the black ones. Anyone know if a new batch is due or is it black only from now on... relic AND black is a step too far.

edit... hopefully not a derail...

Just saw this and thought of your post...