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I'd measure the entire instrument rather than relying on scale length alone. Some headstocks are surprisingly long to the point that a shortie with a big headstock could have a total length more than a Medium scale with a smaller headstock. Bridge placement varies a bit too with some designs having their bridges away from the edge of the bass so they are actually longer. In the photo on the left is a Jim Deacon shortie P bass. 30 inch scale. On the right is an Ibanez Mezzo SRMD200 32 inch Medium scale (this one is for sale! It's in the classifieds). The bottom of the basses are both in my bass stand. When they are on the floor standing up the shortie is actually a tiny bit taller than the medium. The little Jim Deacon P basses are cheap used if you can find one but will need some upgrades. The stock pickup is very poor and the controls are really on/off with nothing happening in the middle. They are also quite neck divey. I have 2 as after upgrades to a good pickup and loom and lightweight tuners they are fantastic little basses. The one in the photo hasn't had the tuner upgrade yet. I have them here already but I've been really lazy!

Loving your work. Is there any specific benefit from having two truss rods, as opposed to one truss rod and two carbon strips? Do you need the ability to fine-tune relief on the bass and treble sides independently because of the string tension?

Looks like a fun setlist - good luck with it. One thing to watch out for - with all those key changes I'd hazard a guess that the guitarist(s) is/are using a drop pedal/key change function on Kemper - from my experience they use the wrong preset, or forget to switch tuning at least once per gig - sometimes they realise and correct it, other times they don't - if they don't (if it's just one guitarist with no other melodic instruments to indicate he's in the wrong key) you might have to transpose on the fly.

Actually in a way it is Thomann's fault as they continue to use DHL for deliveries in the UK, and while they may be giving an excellent service on mainland Europe, here they are mostly a bunch of useless muppets.

Boss pedals might be possible, without them losing out on sales. The Anagram has/will have plugin support, and Boss already have a plugin suite of their most popular pedals available to purchase. There may eventually be a way that a user can purchase the Boss plugin to run on the Anagram, or they can work together to integrate it as a paid addon.

IME playing along to the recorded version always gives you a false sense of ability as the original part is there in the background as an unconscious safety net. Also the songs are EXACTLY the same every time, and while that should be what the band as a whole is aiming for, the reality is often a quite a bit different. In the days when I was playing covers, no matter how well I thought I'd nailed the bass line when practicing at home, in the rehearsal room with the rest of the band it would become rapidly obvious that there was still some way to go.

Did see that one but a bit expensive at the moment. Dave

Tanglewood also did a 30" Elfin bass, I have one. It's loads of fun but like a lot of 30" scale basses it's still close enough in length to a full size bass to be cumbersome. It doesn't fit in a guitar gigbag like my Ibanez EHB does.

They are now available https://www.sushiboxfx.com/product/the-watt/ I'm very tempted but I have spent far too much lately - including helping my daughter get her very first car, so I'll have to wait for about 300 years!

Hey everyone! I’m Dan, a full-time musician and studio owner based in Milton Keynes. I’ve been playing bass for around 20 years, and I’m fortunate to be an artist with both Alpher and Blackstar. Alongside running my studio and events company, I play in a few different bands and get involved in lots of music-related projects, but bass has always been at the centre of everything I do. In recent years I’ve become a big advocate for short scales. My JMJ Mustang has stuck with me longer than most of the basses I’ve owned, which says a lot! I love the style and vibe of short scales, and they’ve also been a huge help since I developed a tendon issue in my right hand a couple of years ago. The lower tension makes them far more comfortable and keeps me playing longer. I’ve followed Bass Chat for a while but never joined until now. Excited to finally be part of the community and talk all things bass - especially the short-scale side of it!

Thanks, I’ll I’ve a look into it. i don’t currently use a DAW or anything like that. I generally play along to the track on my headphones on the Katana go

Like the Daily Star in 1990.

Crazy Little Thibg - check with the drummer for the triplets run down. Not all drummers can drum Sweet Child could be interesting. Other than that, it looks fun.

You got any more of those pics....?

Good, because so far I think I've only bought g**t*r gear in 2025, and... *shudders* ...sold a bass! I can change, I swear! It was a fretless acoustic that I haven't used since 2015, so to be fair it was about time.

If you pop the top then you should be able to see the value and taper of the pots. I’ve got an old TC head that’s broken that I don’t mind desoldering them on mine if they’re the same value.

@Silky999 Who did the wrap? Looks like it might be a better bet than my local car place who have never done it before! Presumably it does not go under the bridge so the contact with the wood is unaffected?

Hey everyone! I’ve followed Bass Chat for a number of years but only just joined the community properly. My name’s Dan, and I’ve been playing bass for around 20 years. I’m lucky enough to work in the music industry through my own music studio and events company, and I also play in a few different bands. Earlier this year, I was fortunate to join the artist rosters for both Blackstar and Alpher Instruments, which has been a real highlight for me. Over the years I’ve owned more basses than I can count, but lately I’ve found myself gravitating more and more toward short scales. My JMJ Mustang has actually stuck with me longer than most others, which says a lot! I’m a huge advocate for short scales—not just for their mojo and unique vibe, but also for how playable they are. One thing worth mentioning is that I developed a tendon issue in my right hand about 3–4 years ago (likely from overplaying). Because of that, longer-scale instruments aren’t always an option for me, but the lower tension of short scales means I can still play comfortably for much longer. So, I’m partly here to say hi, and partly to share my appreciation for short scales. Really looking forward to being part of the conversation!

I have done some experiments with Z (the load the pups see) - and found there can be all kinds of changes in sounds as a result. However, I found, deciding which is "the best one?" an difficult choice- it's possible to make 20 modifications, each yields a different sound, the obvious one to go for is not always that obvious! So for me, end result, just don't waste time experimenting. I connect passive pups into a hi Z preamp/interface (>1Mohm) using a short good quality lead. If I want fuller/cleaner tone I go for active pups. One test was to have little capacitors across the passive pups at the socket on the guitar, using a selector switch, say 20pF, 100pF, 220pF, 1000pF I could switch between. They did seems to have an effect on tone, which directed to me think, I need a short good quality lead (low C) - but then a radio link which has a high Z input, all sorted. So now I don't do anything - I take it as-is. Just my MO.