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Why so many short scale basses at the moment?


Greg Edwards69

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Just now, TheLowDown said:

Because there's a market for them. They have quite a unique tone that people like, and they're really easy to handle and play, less chance of neck dive, generally lighter. There's not much not to like.

Add to that no dead spots issues on the fretboard.

Edited by Baloney Balderdash
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On 01/12/2020 at 21:17, TheLowDown said:

Because there's a market for them. They have quite a unique tone that people like, and they're really easy to handle and play, less chance of neck dive, generally lighter. There's not much not to like.

I can't agree with the neck dive comment as a generalisation . The 2 shorties I've played recently,  a Squier jag ss and my Mustang PJ  both head south. With a suede strap the Mustang is just about horizontal but the Jaguar wasn't. 

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2 hours ago, MoonBassAlpha said:

I can't agree with the neck dive comment as a generalisation . The 2 shorties I've played recently,  a Squier jag ss and my Mustang PJ  both head south. With a suede strap the Mustang is just about horizontal but the Jaguar wasn't. 

I'm not sure what you can't agree with in what I've said. Take 2 basses, one long scale and the other the equivalent short scale. The short scale will have less chance of neck dive. What part of that do you disagree with?

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Re neck dive, I'd say from experience that most s-s basses with their top strap button at F12 are pretty unlikely to dive.  The exception would be something with a relatively compact/light-weight body and large headstock with chunky tuners.  The latter case can normally be sorted with light-weight replacement tuners.  Pretty obvious really.

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On 20/10/2020 at 17:01, P-Belly Evans said:

For me, the tone of my Mustang is to die for. I am not fazed by scale length, string spacing, weight,  4 or 5 strings (never played more), active or passive. I love all my basses, but man the Mustang sounds so cool - especially playing funk with a plectrum for some reason........ 

Same here, I’ve found the tone works really well across multiple genres. I switched from a Jazz to a 4003 to the Mustang and haven’t looked back, plus so easy to get through a long gig (when they return) without your hand cramping up! I have a MIM PJ, which sounds great, but also my fave is my AP which can deliver a real range of sounds.

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Before pulling the trigger on a JMJ Mustang, I checked out many videos (I have played them in the flesh too). A couple I listened to recently had the demonstrators putting it through various effects. I couldn’t believe how well they tracked with analog, octave pedals, even right down at the nut end, no indecisive warble at all. Intrigued as to why this was possible, I did a bit more digging. It seems that SS basses produce more fundamental and less harmonic overtones than a long scale, which I assume is what octave fx and the like pick up when they don’t track correctly. Now I’m waiting patiently for my JMJ to arrive (no, that’s a lie, I’m chomping at the bit).

Now thse aren’t the videos I was talking about, but I can’t stop listening to this guy.

 

Edited by ezbass
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On 17/01/2021 at 14:04, TheLowDown said:

I'm not sure what you can't agree with in what I've said. Take 2 basses, one long scale and the other the equivalent short scale. The short scale will have less chance of neck dive. What part of that do you disagree with?

The 2 examples I quoted have smaller  (lighter?) bodies and standard size heads and hardware. I agree, if the bodies were the same with shorter necks it would be the case. 

The Bronco balances better as it has a better proportioned head and smaller tuners, for example. 

I'm considering lightweight tuners for my Mustang, any recommendations? I  generally prefer smaller keys. It's tuners are 91g not including the bushes. 

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5 hours ago, ezbass said:

Before pulling the trigger on a JMJ Mustang, I checked out many videos (I have played them in the flesh too). A couple I listened to recently had the demonstrators putting it through various effects. I couldn’t believe how well they tracked with analog, octave pedals, even right down at the nut end, no indecisive warble at all. Intrigued as to why this was possible, I did a bit more digging. It seems that SS basses produce more fundamental and less harmonic overtones than a long scale, which I assume is what octave fx and the like pick up when they don’t track correctly. Now I’m waiting patiently for my JMJ to arrive (no, that’s a lie, I’m chomping at the bit).

Now thse aren’t the videos I was talking about, but I can’t stop listening to this guy.

 

That first tone is exactly what I am talking about. I got a vintera new for 600 so couldn't justify the JMJ. I still have rounds on it (waiting for a particular shop to honour some custom made flats, when it is back open), but that growl is exactly what I love about my Vintera. I can get it from my lovely chinese 70s CV precision, but I have to dial in a bit more treble to do so. 

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5 minutes ago, P-Belly Evans said:

That first tone is exactly what I am talking about. I got a vintera new for 600 so couldn't justify the JMJ. I still have rounds on it (waiting for a particular shop to honour some custom made flats, when it is back open), but that growl is exactly what I love about my Vintera. I can get it from my lovely chinese 70s CV precision, but I have to dial in a bit more treble to do so. 

I nearly went for a Vintera having played one and been most impressed by it. However, I was feeling down/extravagant and decided to go the whole hog, that SD pickup is very nice and not available for retrofit at the moment.

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1 hour ago, P-Belly Evans said:

Don't blame you. I love a nitro finish too!! 

Funnily enough, I don't usually get on with them, I always seem to find the necks sticky, my Road Allen being an exception. I've played 2 of these and it wasn't an issue, so fingers crossed the new one will be the same. If not, I'll strip it and Danish Oil it, as I did with my old Roadworn P bass.

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1 hour ago, ezbass said:

Funnily enough, I don't usually get on with them, I always seem to find the necks sticky, my Road Allen being an exception. I've played 2 of these and it wasn't an issue, so fingers crossed the new one will be the same. If not, I'll strip it and Danish Oil it, as I did with my old Roadworn P bass.

Never had an issue with it myself -  yet - and I like the fact that there is a skill involved in the finishing. However, the best thing is..... that the smell when I put this bad boy away will never get old...... mmmmmm

😂😂

 

IMG_20200615_081905.jpg

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30 minutes ago, P-Belly Evans said:

Never had an issue with it myself -  yet - and I like the fact that there is a skill involved in the finishing. However, the best thing is..... that the smell when I put this bad boy away will never get old...... mmmmmm

😂😂

 

IMG_20200615_081905.jpg

See the 'how threads progress' thread from the other day.. This is how it is done. 

😎😎

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I had my eye on a short scale Squier last year but I decided against it because it just didn't feel like the real deal ... No opportunity to visit a guitar shop and actually give one a test run due to lockdown did not help but this thread is making me think I should maybe revisit this opinion. As an "average size woman", I'll bet Steve Harris has got hands twice as big as mine! 😆

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