Small and light - preferably med/short scale and headless...suggestions/experience?

[Muzz]

Hokay, so I'm in a couple of bands right now, plus doing a weekly Jam Night, and so I'm looking for something small and light to ease the load of three gigs a week (sometimes four) - I started down the road with a Hondo Alien short scale headless*, just to see if I could get on with the whole minimalist body thing, and while that one wasn't a very good bass, it proved a point, so I've moved it on for a Westone Quantum, which is a medium scale headless and a league above in terms of quality (once my local tech Matt Ryan had given it a good fret dress and setup). It's a good size, and easy in terms of logistics, the only issue being it's surprisingly heavy for a medium scale headless at pushing 7lbs 3oz.

 

Soooo (and to get to the point), any suggestions for anything small and headless (not one of those Wing things, mind) that'd come in around/under the 6lbs mark, but would still be a quality bass? I could push the budget towards a grand for the right bass, and as I say a medium scale would be good (I've just got my sweet spot for string tension sorted with D'Addario Balanced Tension strings, which have a .120 E), but I suppose I could have another run around the short scale/tension hoohah if necessary...

 

I've just looked at a Yamaha BX1, which, while undoubtedly a quality bass (and I love a Yamaha), is a 34" scale and weighs more than the Westone...shame, as I rather liked them...

 

 

* And also for something small and bolt-on to get onto a Ryanair flight for some gigs in Italy, which unfortunately haven't panned out...

[itu]

Axstar, BX1, Hondo/Kramer, Warwick's headless (and the name was Nobby Meidel?), Rail bass, Riverhead... are these all from the 80's?

[LeftyJ]

Ibanez EHB shortscale and short multiscale versions! 

 

The EHB1000S is the headless shortscale, and there's the EHB1005SMS 5-string headless short multiscale. 

https://www.ibanez.com/eu/products/model/ehb/ 

Edited May 4, 2023 by LeftyJ

[Muzz]

The first four are all 7lbs or more, but I'll have a look at the Rail (which is even more, erm, challenging than the others...Riverheads are very rare and, I suspect, expensive because of that 'made of Unobtainium' thing...

 

Thanks for the suggestions, tho... 👍 

 

Hmmmm, Sweetwater (as an example) have one of those EHB1000S's at 6lbs 9oz (the Multiscales are all 5s, not for me)...interesting...

[fretmeister]

I got to play the prototype of this

 

https://blackstaramps.com/carry-on-guitar/

 

 

It's extra short scale at 23.5 inches.

 

The neck dive is fairly crap, but it sounds very good indeed.

[tauzero]

Hohner B2 - about 3kg, 34" (865mm) scale. Aria Sinsonido - 2kg, 34" scale.

 

There was another one mentioned on BC a while ago which I finally managed to unearth - Snapdragon folding bass, https://snap-dragon-guitars.com/collections/bass-travel-guitars/products/snap-dragon-e-bass - 2.8kg, 29" scale.

[lemmywinks]

R&T Music in Barrow have an EHB1000S for £799, not too far from you:

https://reverb.com/uk/p/ibanez-ehb1000s-short-scale

 

Edited May 5, 2023 by lemmywinks

[TheGreek]

There's one on Gumtree for £650

 

https://www.gumtree.com/p/guitar-instrument/ibanez-ehb-series-e-bass-ehb1000s-pmm-short-scale-pink-gold-metallic-mat-bag/1457318449

[Hellzero]

Yamaha B Motion MB-II: https://www.zikinf.com/annonces/annonce-2155344

 

But it's not headless... I need some more coffee. 🤦🏻‍♂️

Edited May 5, 2023 by Hellzero
Because I'm an idiot

[NancyJohnson]

1 hour ago, TheGreek said:

There's one on Gumtree for £650

 

https://www.gumtree.com/p/guitar-instrument/ibanez-ehb-series-e-bass-ehb1000s-pmm-short-scale-pink-gold-metallic-mat-bag/1457318449

 

That headstock looks familiar.  Didn't MusicMan put out a Bongo with something similar?

[Muzz]

21 minutes ago, Hellzero said:

Yamaha B Motion MB-II: https://www.zikinf.com/annonces/annonce-2155344

 

But it's not headless... I need some more coffee. 🤦🏻‍♂️

Close, but no banana: 3.4kg = heavier than the Quantum I have now, unfortunately...I quite like that, tho...those pickups look very like the ones in the BX-1, too

[Hellzero]

Check Biarnel in Italy, they make at least one super light model, in Scorcio series, at 32 inches scale: https://www.biarnel.com/eng/biarnel-instruments/biarnel-electric-basses/biarnel-scorcio/

[Hellzero]

And of course Status has declined the KingBass in 32 inches scale with the BendWell thingy.

 

Don't forget @skelf ACG 32" headless models!

[Muzz]

For that sort of money I'll be speaking to Jon Shuker about a chambered headless, to be honest (perhaps one of his Superleggeras)...which I may yet do...although I'll have to sell something to do it... 🙁🙂

[Hellzero]

The Shuker Superleggera is a great idea too... But it will double your budget as you already said, just like a Biarnel or a Status (maybe triple here).

[Muzz]

Now look what you've done - I've emailed Jon Shuker... 🤪 🙂

[TheGreek]

54 minutes ago, Muzz said:

Now look what you've done - I've emailed Jon Shuker... 🤪 🙂

 

I'd check to see if he's running a "Build your own bass" courses this year - buy all the parts in advance, glue up any wood you might want to use and go prepared...

 

Dib dib dib, dob dob dob.

[iconic]

Not headless, but incredibly lightweight. 

 

Yamaha RBX4-A2M..... 

32", super light, jazz style pups.

 

They aren't quite unicorns, as they do come up for sale occasionally. A wanted ad' may bag one? 

 

https://www.musicradar.com/reviews/guitars/yamaha-rbx4-a2m-bass-197674

Edited May 9, 2023 by iconic