The Short Scale Bass Appreciation Society!

[Paul S]

2 minutes ago, fretmeister said:

Slightly changing the subject...

 

Is there a good 51 style shorty P bass? I seem to be watching a lot of ZZ Top vids and Dusty's various 51s look and sound excellent so I'm quite tempted.

 

Retrovibe do a corker.  I coul;dn't get on with the slab body but everything else was perfect.  Their version of the '51 pickup is wonderful, dark abd bitey.

 

https://retrovibe.co.uk/product/retrovibe-p30-slab-precision-bass-30-6-short-scale-black-limited-edition-of-8/

[Lozz196]

Wilcock do one, but it’s not cheap - there is one up for grabs on here at moment 

[Osiris]

13 minutes ago, fretmeister said:

 

Sorted!

 

Thanks, I was thinking more along these lines but I see where you're coming from.

 

 

[Obrienp]

23 minutes ago, Osiris said:

 

How do you find it to play regarding the forearm against the body binding? I've been tempted to buy one a couple of times over the years but hate binding on body edges.

 

Years ago I had an Aerodyne jass bass which was brilliant... Except that after a 2 hour gig it felt like you'd sawn through your forearm and your hand was about to fall off. OK, exaggerating a little comedic effect but my forearm and hand would be tingling with pins and needles if not actually numb. I persevered with the bass for a couple of years because I loved everything else about it but it eventually had to go. 

 

Is it the same with the U5? Does the binding have a sharp edge or is it rounded off to some degree? Does this affect your playing position?

 

I see there's a newer (2023?) version of the mint green one that comes without the binding but the body edges still look pretty angular. I think Andertons are the only place in the UK that stocks them and I don't have time for a 200 mile round trip to try one on the off chance it's more comfortable than the Aerodyne. 

Yes, I had an Aerodyne too and had the same issue. Ditto with the Gretsch Junior Jet and I have it with the Guild Starfire (but I have found a fix for that). I don’t notice it so much with the U5 as it has a bit of an arm chamfer and there is one on the the back opposite it, which makes the bass tilt slightly against the body, making less of an acute angle under the arm. It actually has a belly bulge rather than cut but it works for some reason. Also the body size is reduced proportionately to the scale, which puts the edge in a different place on the arm.
 

That said, I don’t use it for a full gig: I tend to use it for a few songs that require fretless, so I can’t really say whether it would get uncomfortable but I have been rehearsing with some folks where I use it exclusively, so I might be able to comment after a full gig with them. If it is uncomfortable, I will apply the fix I use with the Starfire: stick on foam edging designed to stop toddlers injuring themselves bashing into tables. It works a treat and the adhesive is not meant to damage the finish (we’ll see about that). I wish I had known about it when I had the Aerodyne.

 

I think @Casapete gigs with one and might be able to say how it is over an extended period. 

Edited 19 hours ago by Obrienp

[AlexDelores]

24 minutes ago, fretmeister said:

Slightly changing the subject...

 

Is there a good 51 style shorty P bass? I seem to be watching a lot of ZZ Top vids and Dusty's various 51s look and sound excellent so I'm quite tempted.

https://retrovibe.co.uk/product/retrovibe-p30-slab-precision-bass-30-6-short-scale-yellow-limited-edition-of-8/
 

 

[AlexDelores]

Sorry just noticed these have already been shared. They look very nice though! 

[Osiris]

18 minutes ago, Obrienp said:

Yes, I had an Aerodyne too and had the same issue. Ditto with the Gretsch Junior Jet and I have it with the Guild Starfire (but I have found a fix for that). I don’t notice it so much with the U5 as it has a bit of an arm chamfer and there is one on the the back opposite it, which makes the bass tilt slightly against the body, making less of an acute angle under the arm. It actually has a belly bulge rather than cut but it works for some reason. Also the body size is reduced proportionately to the scale, which puts the edge in a different place on the arm.
 

That said, I don’t use it for a full gig: I tend to use it for a few songs that require fretless, so I can’t really say whether it would get uncomfortable but I have been rehearsing with some folks where I use it exclusively, so I might be able to comment after a full gig with them. If it is uncomfortable, I will apply the fix I use with the Starfire: stick on foam edging designed to stop toddlers injuring themselves bashing into tables. It works a treat and the adhesive is not meant to damage the finish (we’ll see about that). I wish I had known about it when I had the Aerodyne.

 

I think @Casapete gigs with one and might be able to say how it is over an extended period. 

 

That's great, thanks for the detailed reply.

 

But please keep me updated on how you get on as and when you play a full gig with it.

[casapete]

1 hour ago, Osiris said:

 

How do you find it to play regarding the forearm against the body binding? I've been tempted to buy one a couple of times over the years but hate binding on body edges.

 

Years ago I had an Aerodyne jass bass which was brilliant... Except that after a 2 hour gig it felt like you'd sawn through your forearm and your hand was about to fall off. OK, exaggerating a little comedic effect but my forearm and hand would be tingling with pins and needles if not actually numb. I persevered with the bass for a couple of years because I loved everything else about it but it eventually had to go. 

 

Is it the same with the U5? Does the binding have a sharp edge or is it rounded off to some degree? Does this affect your playing position?

 

I see there's a newer (2023?) version of the mint green one that comes without the binding but the body edges still look pretty angular. I think Andertons are the only place in the UK that stocks them and I don't have time for a 200 mile round trip to try one on the off chance it's more comfortable than the Aerodyne. 

I have a U5, and like you was concerned about the ‘digging in the arm’ effect of the bound body.

Happy to say that there is a small amount of contouring on the body to ease this - see pic below.

I’ve used mine without experiencing any problems. ( Mine is a natural / orangey tinted version,

probably a couple of years old.)

 

 

 

 

[Osiris]

2 minutes ago, casapete said:

I have a U5, and like you was concerned about the ‘digging in the arm’ effect of the bound body.

Happy to say that there is a small amount of contouring on the body to ease this - see pic below.

I’ve used mine without experiencing any problems. ( Mine is a natural / orangey tinted version,

probably a couple of years old.)

 

 

 

 

 

That's great, just what I needed to know, thank you... Or not as it's back on the shopping list now 

[ezbass]

I discovered recently that Sire are not binding the U5 now.

 

[fretmeister]

Ooo!

 

That will make sanding the edges even easier!

[Osiris]

12 minutes ago, ezbass said:

I discovered recently that Sire are not binding the U5 now.

 

 

Yes, I had alluded to that in an earlier post although the body edge still looks quite angular but a couple of the guys above has said it's not as bad as it looks in terms of playing comfort. But with JMJ and a Sandberg shorty I fancy something with a bride pickup - even though it's something I only use sparingly - just for some tonal variation. Although the Sandberg and JMJ sound nothing alike despite both being P configuration. Oh, and I have a Harley Benton P/J Mustang too so really it's just a very tenuous excuse for another bass!

[ezbass]

41 minutes ago, Osiris said:

it's just a very tenuous excuse for another bass!

It’s BC, ‘twas ever thus.

 

42 minutes ago, Osiris said:

Harley Benton P/J Mustang

I was just about to suggest this, whilst reading further up, but you’ve plainly already done it. I find the bridge pickup to be really weak on these, I reckon a GZR set would sort that out nicely, although it would require the fitting of a side jack socket.

[Obrienp]

1 hour ago, casapete said:

I have a U5, and like you was concerned about the ‘digging in the arm’ effect of the bound body.

Happy to say that there is a small amount of contouring on the body to ease this - see pic below.

I’ve used mine without experiencing any problems. ( Mine is a natural / orangey tinted version,

probably a couple of years old.)

 

 

 

 

Thanks for stepping in and with a pic. “Contour” was the term I was desperately searching for and just couldn’t retrieve from my age addled memory! Your pic also shows what I was referring to as a belly bulge in that the body is actually a bit thicker right where you would expect a belly cut. It looks a bit odd but it works with the way the bass lies against the body on a strap.

 

For some reason I can’t post pics at the moment, unless the file size is less than 44K! Do we have a personal attachment limit? Sorry for the off-topic question.

[Osiris]

17 minutes ago, ezbass said:

It’s BC, ‘twas ever thus.

 

I was just about to suggest this, whilst reading further up, but you’ve plainly already done it. I find the bridge pickup to be really weak on these, I reckon a GZR set would sort that out nicely, although it would require the fitting of a side jack socket.

 

I've got the mk1 model with the Gotoh machine heads and it's an excellent bass for the money. I regularly gig it alongside the other 2 mentioned above, both of which would cost you 6-8 times as much, and to be fair to the HB it easily holds its own. It's hard to quantify the respective pickup outputs when you can't blend them - the single biggest gripe with the mk1 model - but it doesn't bother me in the slightest. On mine I've lowered the bridge pickup a touch to give an approximate 60:40 blend of neck to bridge and treat it as the fundamental sound of the bass. (I really like those Roswell pickups too, excellent full range tone for a budget pickup). Being used to single pickup basses this works perfectly for my needs. Even with the bridge pickup sunk a little you can still clearly hear it affecting the tone so on my bass at least the bridge pickup doesn't appear to have a weak output. But at the price point I wouldn't be at all surprised to find a degree of variability in terms of hardware. Maybe I was lucky and got a good one 🤷. I have been eyeing up the mk2, especially in burgundy mist, but the general consensus seems to be the newer budget machine heads and new pickups are a bit crap in comparison to the mk1. But if you're thinking of moving yours on by all means drop me a message 😀

Edited 16 hours ago by Osiris
Typos and clarity

[Obrienp]

1 hour ago, ezbass said:

I discovered recently that Sire are not binding the U5 now.

 

Looking at the Sire website, I think that is just for the mint paint finish (my least favourite). I think the flamed maple top variants are more attractive and still bound.

[AlexDelores]

Not sure if these have been posted on here yet but these are relatively new and have a PJ config. 
 

Visually not my thing but they might do it for some. 
 

https://www.gear4music.com/Guitar-and-Bass/Hartwood-Delta-Bass-Guitar-Sunburst/6PQE?origin=product-ads&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=22258054978&gbraid=0AAAAAD_kjLS6ifX4TqRvnxg_qAh17C6OC&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIm9ba5JPYjgMVvopQBh00CAoqEAQYBCABEgJM6fD_BwE

[Obrienp]

11 minutes ago, AlexDelores said:

Not sure if these have been posted on here yet but these are relatively new and have a PJ config. 
 

Visually not my thing but they might do it for some. 
 

https://www.gear4music.com/Guitar-and-Bass/Hartwood-Delta-Bass-Guitar-Sunburst/6PQE?origin=product-ads&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=22258054978&gbraid=0AAAAAD_kjLS6ifX4TqRvnxg_qAh17C6OC&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIm9ba5JPYjgMVvopQBh00CAoqEAQYBCABEgJM6fD_BwE

That looks as though it has a lot going for it. It says it is contoured but the body looks pretty slabby to me in the pics. Good modding platform though and a compromise nut width of 40mm might please both the P and J bass communities.

[ezbass]

1 hour ago, Osiris said:

 

I've got the mk1 model with the Gotoh machine heads and it's an excellent bass for the money. I regularly gig it alongside the other 2 mentioned above, both of which would cost you 6-8 times as much, and to be fair to the HB it easily holds its own. It's hard to quantify the respective pickup outputs when you can't blend them - the single biggest gripe with the mk1 model - but it doesn't bother me in the slightest. On mine I've lowered the bridge pickup a touch to give an approximate 60:40 blend of neck to bridge and treat it as the fundamental sound of the bass. (I really like those Roswell pickups too, excellent full range tone for a budget pickup). Being used to single pickup basses this works perfectly for my needs. Even with the bridge pickup sunk a little you can still clearly hear it affecting the tone so on my bass at least the bridge pickup doesn't appear to have a weak output. But at the price point I wouldn't be at all surprised to find a degree of variability in terms of hardware. Maybe I was lucky and got a good one 🤷. I have been eyeing up the mk2, especially in burgundy mist, but the general consensus seems to be the newer budget machine heads and new pickups are a bit crap in comparison to the mk1. But if you're thinking of moving yours on by all means drop me a message 😀

I have the mk1 too, but I stuck a blend pot in straight away. I then disconnected the bridge pickup altogether.