Can someone recommend a short scale bass.....

EricTheWeary

I noticed that the Reverend Dub Bass is one of the G and B basses of the year, that's 30" although rather out the budget. It does say something about not being suitable for contemporary techniques ( I don't think you'd see Jonas Hellborg or Billy Sheehan getting much mileage out of one)but as the name implies nice for some fat tones.

Frankieabbot

pintspiller said:

don't get a shortscale bass. i got a harley benton years ago. it's not good enough for a gigging band. i didn't think it was bass enough. find a full-scale you like at the right price, buy it.

Really really small arthritic hands.

paulnb57

I really like my Epi EB-0 I think the build quality is superb considering it cost 80£ used.....the Sidewimder pickup is awful though, althouh potted, very microphonic, replaced with a DiMarzio DP 120 now loving it! 

 I have a used Bronco in the mail, it will be modded, I love cheap guitars, very little inherent value and a modders dream!

pintspiller

Frankieabbot said:

pintspiller said:

don't get a shortscale bass. i got a harley benton years ago. it's not good enough for a gigging band. i didn't think it was bass enough. find a full-scale you like at the right price, buy it.

Really really small arthritic hands.

i've small hands too. and psoriatic arthritis (my fingers can look like sausages for weeks during a flare-up). i can't make a lot of the stretches, so i often move my hand. i stopped playing with the plectrum as i kept losing my grip. the more i play, the better i get.

ICBM

I have small hands and an even smaller span by most people's standards. I never play any real stretches on bass, I always move my hand - my fingers are too short and stiff to make proper stretches.

I play a Rickenbacker 4001 which seems about the best compromise between long and short scale - even though it's closer to long really (33.25"). I have played Fender and other 34"-scale basses in the past, but have never been fully comfortable. If I had another favourite bass it would probably be a Fender Mustang or a Gibson EB - probably an EB-2.

JezWynd

The Revelation LP Bass I mentioned before came and went back straight away. It was too heavy and the body seemed larger in the flesh than I had anticipated. Instead I went with a Hofner Club Bass (Chinese built). It's a beautiful instrument. Incredibly light - 5.2 lbs and I'm very impressed with the care that's gone into it, esp. with the neck, no sharp fret ends, very narrow and so easy to play. It came with rounds on but I'm fitting flats for that Hofner 'thud' sound I love. The frets are very shallow, which is fine by me as I play a vintage spec Tele. I don't have a bass amp at the moment but it sounds good through my Excelsior combo. The only criticism I could make would be that the nut A slot has been cut rather wide and the sunburst colour is a bit too red but for the money (214.00) it's a winner.

kodiakblair

Simple SWB-1. Sadly a bit more than £250,think it's £319 to £399.

They only do shorties,name says it all.

http://www.shortscalebass.co.uk/

BahHumbug

I absolutely love the Fender Mustang bass. As a relatively small bloke it fits me really well. And I don't give a monkeys about whether anyone else thinks the tone is I nferior to a long scale, it's an instrument that I love to play. Fenders are relatively difficult to come by below about £500, but you should be able to find a Squier for much less money.

EricTheWeary

Gretsch Junior Jet is about £260 as used by the bloke from Royal Blood, sort of a modern take on that Hofner. I guess good for his sort of four string guitar style.

JezWynd

EricTheWeary said:

Gretsch Junior Jet is about £260 as used by the bloke from Royal Blood, sort of a modern take on that Hofner. I guess good for his sort of four string guitar style.

The Jet is a solid body, the Hofner is hollow (truly hollow bodied, no centre block). They do a new version, the Contemporary which does have a centre block.

EricTheWeary

JezWynd said:

EricTheWeary said:

Gretsch Junior Jet is about £260 as used by the bloke from Royal Blood, sort of a modern take on that Hofner. I guess good for his sort of four string guitar style.

The Jet is a solid body, the Hofner is hollow (truly hollow bodied, no centre block). They do a new version, the Contemporary which does have a centre block.

Ahh. I guess the Jet would feed back like crazy with the Royal Blood set up if it had any air in it.