anzoid

On 12/05/2020 at 14:25, scrumpymike said:

What strings are you using?

Just the stock ones that came with it - I think they're EB Slinkies though not 100% sure. They're what I tended to use on my longscale basses way back when and work nicely on the shortscale. Can't remember what's on the other ones...

Intrigued as to your thoughts on the Spector Bantam you moved on Mike. I've never owned a Spector though have played someone else's 5-string Legend type thing. I love the looks of the Bantam, but overall have never been drawn to the longscale 4-string Spectors because of the (for me) wide necks.

14 minutes ago, CamdenRob said:

It’s impressive in a solo context but if your doing all that in a band then the actual function of a bass instrument (bottom end - tying everything together) isn’t there, so either another instrument has to do it (in which case I’d rather be playing that instrument), or its missing and the music sounds like your listening to it on a phone speaker...

Wasn't that Level 42's dirty little secret - Mark King's slap basslines often had to be doubled up using a synth or suchlike in order to bring back the missing bottom end?

Personally, quite like slap in the right place, but can't play slap to save my life - slow synapses or something. And get fed up with it being over-used in every single bass demo video ever...

Oh, and the Stingray tuned down to D on the E string is absolutely killer

12 hours ago, Bafflegab said:

I’m liking that the Warwick SS and the SS Stingray line up almost exactly the same in each pic.  I have the wick, and was thinking about adding the ray... 

I'm in the very fortunate position of having both the Warwick (in natural) and the Stingray (in daphne blue). Sitting down they line up pretty well, the nut of the Warwick sits about half an inch further to the left than the Stingray. On a strap it feels further but still close - could be down to the fact that on the Warwick the distance from the top horn strap button to the centre of the neck is about 14.5cm and on the Stingray only just over 9cm. I'm not big on geometry, but I guess that makes a slight difference, and isn't something I included on the original images.

Not sure whether I'm "a" or "b": appreciate the compactness of all my current shortscales, particularly the reach being better (I've not tried the Chowny on a strap though...), but would prefer to be playing full scale. I suppose the SBMM Stingray is the most like a regular bass in terms of looks, the Warwick does look slightly off somehow if you're used to the normal Corvettes, it's a bit stumpy... but plays really nicely. The surprise contender is the definitely the Cort Action Junior. They gave it the wrong name and, I think, positioned it wrongly in the market as it's a very good instrument for the money. I've upgraded the bridge and tuners to Hipshot components, but didn't really need to. Was going to drop an EMG 40TWX into, but when everything arrived realised would have needed to do some serious mods to fit everything in - beyond me.

@scrumpymike How do you rate the Caspar? That is one I do have serious GAS for - visits to the Maruszczyk website to spec up my own version are really not helping. So please tell me it's awful and sounds terrible and is completely worthless...

14 hours ago, ubit said:

Cheers mate, do you know if they can do burst paint schemes? My Status was Blackburst which was black fading into natural wood. Really lovely. If possible I would love to get it redone in original.

Mine was a solid colour, but they do their spraying in house (at least they did then...) and seem able to turn their hand to anything.

I had a bass body refinished by Jack's Instrument Services in Manchester (https://jacksinstrumentservices.com/) a few years back. I'd stripped the body, but it was in kinda rough shape. They sanded and filled the body, prepped it and did an excellent job of a bright yellow nitro sprayed finish. Flawless result and the all comms etc. were excellent. Cost about £200 the, possibly would be more now. Worth dropping them a line as they're still working and the they were very easy to deal with.

AAS Strum GS-2 (https://www.applied-acoustics.com/strum-gs-2/) is pretty good, with some interesting presets and add-on packs. Sits well in a mix, but more aimed at rhythm than lead. Worth waiting for a sale though as full-price is a little high.

11 hours ago, therealting said:

I’ve actually been thinking of getting one to try out 32” five string...

I've put the Mezzo back in! Would be interested to hear about the five string Mezzo if you get one From the "lined up by strap button" image it looks like the Mezzos possibly feel shorter than 32"

The thing that has been most interesting for me is seeing how far out to the left some of these would hang on a strap once you start lining up by strap button location. A handful are pushing out into 34" territory - or beyond.

Edited again. 32" Mezzo has gone (who plays those anyway :P) and I've added a pile more basses - with a Precision next to the Warwick Streamer LX for scale...
Complete list as it stands:

Warwick Rockbass Streamer LX - 34"
Fender Precision - 34"
Everything else is 30" or thereabouts, apart from the Squier Mini Precision and Ibanez Mikro at the end which are both 28.6"
Squier Jaguar
Cort Action Jr
Chowny SWB-1
SBMM Stingray
Warwick Corvette
Gretsch G2220
Fender Mustang
Hofner Violin
Spector Bantam
Squier Bronco
Gibson EB-O (I think... bit of a guess on the strap button location)
Danelectro Longhorn (ditto on the strap button...)
Ibanez Talman TMB30
G&L USA Fallout
Sire Shortscale
Squier Mini Precision
Ibanez Mikro
Ibanez Mezzo (32")

Pictures updated. Will tweak things to add an Ibanez Mikro as well... plus Danelectro etc.

Yup... should probably add all those - going to make for a wide image The original set is the ones I was interested in acquiring (though never managed to find a Jaguar for sale).

As I've switched exclusively to shortscale this year I've done a fair amount of locking up specs and trying to find the right one (or four) shortscale bass for me... Main criteria was reach out to the first fret because of an ongoing shoulder problem. To help given that most of these weren't available to try anywhere near me I made the picture below. First one lines up bridge and nut (with two 34" [Warwick Rockbass Streamer LX and Ibanez SR300] and one 32" [Ibanez Mezzo] for comparison. Red lines up top are 34", 32", 30.5" and 30") The second one is everything lined up by the strap button, with the Warwick Streamer being the reference point as that was what I was playing. The shortscales are probably all well known, but just in case: left to right after the Mezzo: Squire Jaguar, Cort Action Jr, Chowny SWB-1, SBMM Stingray, Warwick Rockbass Corvette Shortscale and Gretsch G2220. Apart from the Jaguar I have played all the others (and now own a modded Cort Action Jr, two Chowny SWB-1s, the Stingray and a 2nd hand Warwick in natural that arrived this week... ahem...). Hopefully of use to anyone who might be on a similar journey. Happy to add other shortscales if there are any I missed that someone else is interested in.

[Updated to reflect the suggestions made in thread... and I've definitely not played all of these, but have GAS for a few more now... Edited again to add back in the Mezzo, and realised the Chowny strap position would be a bit lower because the strap goes round the top horn.]

[Updated again to add a third image that might be useful - everything lined up by where the bass would likely be if you were playing sitting down - so lined up by waist...]

Although the Vintage Icon is a nice playing bass, the relicing on the one I had for a while was really really rubbish... almost clinical relicing, no way would any of it have been done by real playing - unless you could create perfectly straight lines by accident. Sound, feel, quality etc. were all really good for the money. But not the relicing.

Thank you!

Oh well, semed like a good idea whilst it lasted. The body on the Action Jr is quite large and I had wondered whether they had just used the same basic template as the other Action 4-string models but with a short-scale neck. Seems like there's more to it than that - and the idea of moving a bridge is not one that I would approach with much relish... zero technical skills on that front.

I have a Cort Action Jr shortscale bass that has a great neck and which I have modded with Hipshot tuners and bridge. It totally rocks - the stock pickup is actually very good.

However, I have been thinking about trying the Action Jr neck in a Cort Action HH4 - https://www.cortguitars.com/product/item.php?it_id=1547009276

Does anyone have an Action HH4 from which they would be willing to take a few measurements? I think I'm looking for:

• Neck pocket width at the bridge end.
• Neck pocket width at furthest edge of the body (i.e. checking neck taper)
• Neck pocket length.
• Neck pocket depth.
• Distance from neck pocket to bridge screw holes.
• Anyting else that may be relevant...

Thanks!

I'm rather partial to a pair of Ampeg SVT 210AVs stacked vertically. Currently using my pair with a Trace Elliot Elf, and it's window rattlingly loud - but I've not actually gigged with it. Cranked it pretty loud at the last South West Bass Bash. I think it would happiliy handle a 500W amp... not tried. Sound is typical Ampeg rock whatever you seem to use with them.

The SBMM short scale arrived yesterday from Bass Direct. Here's a pic with my Chowny SWB-1 (sorry, just a camera phone...):

First impressions:

It's a Stingray... but shorter. Sounds mostly like one. Tone pot (nearest the jack socket) does the usual. Middle knob selects between three wirings - parallel, true single-coil and series, not sure which is which - the sound gets fatter... Volume knob has a push-push switch that, when out, turns on the passive boost... which I guess means that "normal" has some kind of built in attentuation. The "boost" isn't huge, but it'll happily overdrive the input on my Elf unless I back off the gain quite a bit.

Not sure which of the three settings gives the most classic Stingray sound... they're all pretty good.

Build quality is superb. Flawless finish, not fret sprout or rough edges. Bass arrived in tune and with a rather nice padded gigbag. Only slight minus is the nut is a bit rough, but nothing that really needs sorting out, just looks like it was slightly chewed by a dog...

Comparing with the Chowny which comes in in a similar price range - not much to say about difference in quality. I'd say they're about the same - which is testament to the quality of what @Chownybass is turning out as they're competing in an increasingly crowded short-scale market - and still are tops, the SWB-1 isn't going anywhere anytime soon! They're both 38mm at the nut and spacing at the bridge looks about the same - 18-19mm. Necks are also similar - both slim front to back - maybe the SBMM is slightly thicker. Biggest difference is my SWB-1 has a gloss finish neck, and the SBMM is satin. Personally I prefer gloss, but the satin isn't bad. (I think the 2020 SWB-1s will have satin finished necks anyway...)

Sound wise, couldn't choose which I prefer - they both have their place. The Chowny does a passable imitation of a Warwick Thumb (as well as its own thing) which is why I love it to bits. The SBMM does a good Stingray. The SBMM is a fraction lighter than the Chowny, but not by much.

Bass Direst looks to have the white with rosewood board in stock, but mine in Daphne Blue might be the only one around for the moment.

Overall - if you want a Stingray sounds, and want short scale - this is very good.

Elf into a couple of Ampeg SVT-210AV cabs sounds pretty good.

3 minutes ago, BassApprentice said:

I can't think (happy to be proved wrong) of a readily available short scale with a single humbucker. 

The Cort Action Jr has a single humbucker and is a surprisingly good short-scale for the money. On mine I upgraded the tuners and bridge to Hipshot products and it is a very nice sounding bass - the upgrade to a KickAss bridge was definitely worthwhile, made the sound much more focused.

Bass Direct is going to be doing them at £650. I've just put down a deposit on one in Daphne Blue. NBD to follow sometime towards the end of March if all goes well.

46 minutes ago, Happy Jack said:

And guess what Vin used those funds for ...

To buy your Chowny SWB-1 Fretless?? Say it ain't so

I am so very very tempted by this even though I just bought a Chowny SWB-1 Pro Fretless from @vinorange about a week ago...

Unashamed Level 42 fan - absolutely brilliant. Um... your voice suits the songs perfectly. Obviously not Mr King, but right for the songs... given you sometimes hear covers where the singer is almost a complete mimic and others where they're just, you know,  wrong - your voice is different and fits the songs really well.
Shame you're the wrong end of the country from where I live as I'd come to a gig or ten and hang out at the merch table. When's the CD coming out?