The Short Scale Bass Appreciation Society!

[JohnDaBass]

10 hours ago, Owen said:

That is because you are correct and I am slapdash. 

 

OK, I have been sucked in to this world. I bought an Epiphone NEWPORT with Roto Tru Bass strings on it. SUCH FUN!!!!!!! I need a 5 string though. I just want a NEWPORT with a wider neck. And I do not want to slide in to Wilcock territory. I am sure they are very fine indeed and I do not begrudge them their price tag. But the NEWPORT is doing it for me as it is. I like the aesthetic. I am on to a complete non starter here, no? 

 

I looked at the Ibanez Talman. I am not digging the visuals like the NEWPORT. 

 

As if to prove it, here is a Wilcock which would do all I wanted. https://thebassgallery.com/collections/all/products/wilcock-mullarkey-v. But.......................................

Photos!!!!

[Obrienp]

Ibanez also do the EHB headless 5 strings (can’t remember the exact designation).One is a plain 30” with conventional frets and the other is a fan fret multiscale 30-32”. Much cheaper than the Wilcox (nice as that is). They have interesting looking tops these days too and Nordstrand pups instead of the Barts that they had on the previous iteration. Very ergonomic bodies on the EHBs as well.

 

P.S. Another advantage is that the string clamping mechanism means you can use standard scale strings and just cut off the excess. That gives you greater choice and often cheaper prices than if you are stuck using dedicated SS strings.

Edited 16 minutes ago by Obrienp

[fretmeister]

Just now, Obrienp said:

Ibanez also do the EHB headless 5 strings (can’t remember the exact designation).One is a plain 30” with conventional frets and the other is a fan fret multiscale 30-32”. Much cheaper than the Wilcox (nice as that is). They have interesting looking tops these days too and Nordstrand pups instead of the Barts that they had on the previous iteration. Very ergonomic bodies on the EHBs as well.

 

 

I didn't know they had dropped the cheap Barts - that's a very good decision as they were bloody awful and I ended up spending loads on some Aguilars instead. I didn't get on with the fan frets in the end but I might be tempted by 30 inch, trad frets and Nordys!

[Obrienp]

1 minute ago, fretmeister said:

 

 

I didn't know they had dropped the cheap Barts - that's a very good decision as they were bloody awful and I ended up spending loads on some Aguilars instead. I didn't get on with the fan frets in the end but I might be tempted by 30 inch, trad frets and Nordys!

https://www.ibanez.com/usa/products/detail/ehb1505s_1p_01.html
 

Looks interesting.

[BassApprentice]

 

[fretmeister]

I quite like that. Different colour would be nice, but I'm not really fussed about aesthetics if an instrument plays well.

I'd probably bin the Ibby preamp as well and put something else in.

 

Headless on shorties makes so much sense - the string clamp means that just about any string can be used - on the older slant fret one I had I got TI flats to work properly with it without them coming unwound. Care is needed, but it's do-able!