Looking for mini-bass

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bingefellerbingefeller Frets: 5723
Hi folks, 

I'm short on storage space and am after a mini-bass, like a child's bass.  It will only be used for recording at home so the sound quality isn't that important - as long as it plays in tune.

What is out there - it has to be brand new.  

The Ibanez Mikro bass is cheap and seems to get good reviews on Amazon - 

What about the Fender Bronco Bass?  

Ideally I want it to be as small as possible, it must be brand new and my limit is around £200.

thanks.
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Comments

  • Winny_PoohWinny_Pooh Frets: 7732
    Why brand new? Steinberger spirit bass just comes over your budget
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  • JezWyndJezWynd Frets: 6021
    How about the Hofner Shorty Bass. I have a Hofner Ignition Club Bass and the build quality is excellent.

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  • What about a Kala U-Bass? :-) Smallest of the small!
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  • bingefellerbingefeller Frets: 5723
    Why brand new? Steinberger spirit bass just comes over your budget
    I always buy new because I prefer it.  The Spirit does look good but I couldn't justify paying that money for something which I wouldn't be playing a lot.  


    JezWynd said:
    How about the Hofner Shorty Bass. I have a Hofner Ignition Club Bass and the build quality is excellent.

    Damn that looks tiny.  



    What about a Kala U-Bass? :-) Smallest of the small!
    Looks good but I dunno.....
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  • JezWyndJezWynd Frets: 6021
    edited March 2016
    JezWynd said:
    How about the Hofner Shorty Bass. I have a Hofner Ignition Club Bass and the build quality is excellent.

    Damn that looks tiny.  

    It does doesn't it! It is a 30" scale though. The Ibanez you link to has a scale of 28.6". I wouldn't worry about the seemingly crap tuners, I have them on the Club Bass and in fact they work just fine, hold tuning very well. I bet if you put a set of LaBella Beatle Bass flats on that it would practically play itself.

    I have an old Satellite bass hanging on the wall, 24" scale. It needs some work as the neck is bowed somewhat but it's still playable as is and it has a truss rod so should be curable. One of those 'projects' I never get around to.

    image
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  • EricTheWearyEricTheWeary Frets: 16253
    May not be quite small enough or quite cheap enough but a Gretsch Junior Jet has 30.3" scale and as used by Royal Blood and is quite a cool looking bass.
    Tipton is a small fishing village in the borough of Sandwell. 
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  • stickersticker Frets: 869

    The Harley Benton Beat Bass "violin bass" copy for Thomann  is exceptional for the ££

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  • Paul_CPaul_C Frets: 7671
    I paid £190 for my Squier SS (short scale - 30") Jaguar bass

    image


    "I'll probably be in the bins at Newport Pagnell services."  fretmeister
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  • BigLicks67BigLicks67 Frets: 766
    You could try a uke bass like the one in this video starts at 0.48 and sounds pretty good.


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  • ICBMICBM Frets: 71960
    The uke basses do sound good - at least amplified.

    I'm not keen on the solid ones though, they seem to be a compromise that doesn't really work. There's one in the shop just now - a proper USA Kala, not a cheap one - it doesn't stay or play in tune very well, and the pickup has a string balance problem. Somehow it's much more obvious with a solidbody than it is with the acoustic ones. I don't think it's the strings either, they seem in good enough condition.

    "Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski

    "Just because I don't care, doesn't mean I don't understand." - Homer Simpson

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  • Paul_CPaul_C Frets: 7671
    I found with my uke bass that the bottom string (Aquila Thundergut) in particular was all over the place so I fitted some Aquila Thunder Red strings which are much better balanced and the bottom string is much more in tune.
    "I'll probably be in the bins at Newport Pagnell services."  fretmeister
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  • JeremiahJeremiah Frets: 631
    Paul_C said:
    I found with my uke bass that the bottom string (Aquila Thundergut) in particular was all over the place so I fitted some Aquila Thunder Red strings which are much better balanced and the bottom string is much more in tune.
    Pretty much agree with this. I've tried a few different strings and the Thunder Reds have the best balance of tone and usability. Though even with them the bottom string has a bit of a different timbre to the others and loses note definition as you go up the neck.

    I guess that trying to get such low pitches from such a short instrument has some inevitable compromises; there's a good reason why double basses are the size they are.
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