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Why so many short scale basses at the moment?


Greg Edwards69

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1 hour ago, ezbass said:

New bass and no photo, a sorry state of affairs.

How does the neck differ from what we would expect from Ibby, any chance of some dimensions?

It is a bit poor!

The neck is very different from most of them I have had, and the ones I currently have - a lot more P bass'y. The dimensions are on the website:

both 45mm width at nut, the sr 68mm by 24th free, the TMB 72 at the 20th (where they both end), makes sense the spacing is wider on the TMB at almost but not quite 18mm vs 16.5mm

Front to back the TMB is 21.5mm at 1st and 24.5 at teh 12th, compared to 19.5mm and 21.5mm at the 12th on the SR, so way chunkier there and you can feel that, it reminds me more of the G&L2500 neck wise. I suppose it is similar to the ATK too.

Neck access isn't bad, joins right near the top so even though it only has 20 frets you can reach them without too much trouble.

My wife hated the colour on the website but it person she says its not such a bad shade of toothpaste. I think it looks better in person than the website shows. The pickups seem nice and clear - I was expecting noisier, but didn't hear anything on my brief try. The controls move well, although the knobs are cheaper than a cheap thing!

 

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17 hours ago, Lw. said:

20210317_191521.jpg

Apologies for going off topic but looks like I've found a fellow member of the Eden WTX-264 fan club!  Not many of us around but I think these are great little amps and that baked-in Eden tone works well with the vibes that s-s basses generate.  Can't see what your cab is but I run mine thru a BF One10 and it sounds sublime.

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@scrumpymike - yes, decent little amps! It was my back-up amp tucked in my bag at gigs but it probably deserved a better shot at things, they do have a great tone - I don't do anything with the EQ! If I'm being picky, I'd prefer it if the fan wasn't always on but that's the case for many amps! 

The cab is TKS - probably similar ethos as the BF; lightweight with vintage tone. Has a real bark when cranked though! 

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1 hour ago, Lw. said:

@scrumpymike - yes, decent little amps! It was my back-up amp tucked in my bag at gigs but it probably deserved a better shot at things, they do have a great tone - I don't do anything with the EQ! If I'm being picky, I'd prefer it if the fan wasn't always on but that's the case for many amps! 

The cab is TKS - probably similar ethos as the BF; lightweight with vintage tone. Has a real bark when cranked though! 

Same here - everything at TDC with the occasional tweak of the 'Enhance' voicing knob.

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Congratulations Bernard!  As expected, that is a thing of great beauty and I know from experience how good Alan’s work is.  Shame I didn’t know about him when we lived up in the Borders.  I think I would have been a regular visitor.

Edited by scrumpymike
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21 hours ago, Woodinblack said:

Lovely, but first rule of the SS club, don't call it the SS club :D

 

IIRC, this one has a sub-30" scale, so more like the USS club, where U = ultra.  Given that it's also headless, you should be able to slip it into your pocket.

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  • 3 weeks later...

Oooh, I see fender has thrown a new inexpensive option into the mix (although at 32" it's not a true short scale). That MM type pickup could work rather well in its design. Could be a good option for those wanting to try something different, or just to have a play with at home.

https://www.notreble.com/buzz/2021/04/06/squier-unveils-the-affinity-series-jaguar-bass-h/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+bassistscom+(notreble.com)

Edited by Greg Edwards69
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my foray into the Short scale world was pretty interesting.  I tried quite a few basses but settled on the Ibanez TMB30 and the Squier CV Mustang as well, they were inexpensive and well...in stock at the time I bought them. There were more I wanted to get my hands on and/or consider buying but they simply weren't available. 

Between the two, I thought the Squier CV Mustang was the better choice for me,  but I still ended up selling it.  Why, because I wasn't particularly fond of the finish of the one I bought used, and stores were out of stock with the surf green option, also I wanted to try a Fender PJ Mustang but couldn't get my hands on one. 

That being said, I do have a Mid-scale bass, a MIM Fender Urge modified with EMG pickups that seems to work very well for me.  It's 32" scale but about the size of a short-scale due to the small body of the bass, in terms of playability, it's closer in feel and sound to a regular scale bass.   Still, a true short scale would be nice to add to the collection as they have a unique quality all their own so the search still continues. 

In the picture:

Left to right,  Regular scale Peavey Fury        Medium Scale : Fender Urge                        Short scale :  Squier CV Mustang

109794633_1662970517199841_651330444663003316_n.jpg

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3 hours ago, scrumpymike said:

Now that IS nice!  New one on me, never heard of them.  I'd love a 30"-scale version of that.

Fender Urge was Stu Hamm's signature Fender bass.  There was a several variations IIRC, in both medium and long scale varieties. I believe his main bass was a 32" with a Split P in-between two J pickups. A veritable plethora of tones!

I believe he wanted 32" so that it felt the same as his previous Kubicki Ex Factor basses.

Edited by Greg Edwards69
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On 08/03/2021 at 22:20, scrumpymike said:

Around 3.75kg at a guess, perfect balance with top strap pin at F11, and (for me) correct positioning on the strap - i.e. strings anchored close to the edge of the body for easy reach to lower frets.  Great access to top frets too.  This bass oozes quality in terms of body/neck/fretboard finish, hardware, 6-point neck fixing, and inclusion of a zero fret, which I always like.  It's a s-s bass that feels substantial to play.

Looks very nice - I had a 34" Sandberg fir many years and it was a great bass. How does the S/S Sandberg balance on the knee?

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1 hour ago, Greg Edwards69 said:

Fender Urge was Stu Hamm's signature Fender bass.  There was a several variations IIRC, in both medium and long scale varieties. I believe his main bass was a 32" with a Split P in-between two J pickups. A veritable plethora of tones!

I believe he wanted 32" so that it felt the same as his previous Kubicki Ex Factor basses.

Yes, the MIM version has the two jazz pickups, the US version has the P bass pickup placed in between the two jazz pickups, one version is full scale but most are medium 32" scale. I've yet to see or try a US version for myself but like you, have heard of the versatility of that version .  The Urge Stu Hamm was the first signature bass Fender produced if I remember correctly that sadly has been discontinued. It's pretty light with a slim asymmetrical neck. A good bass option for players with bum shoulders (like me).   

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Short scales are simply getting rid of those "chaper, begginner-aimed" tags they had for decades IMHO. There are many great quality SSs that envy nothing to longer scale basses nowadays and probably people just like them. When they came out there wasn't much choice and for example the Musicmasters were actually cheaper and beginner-aimed..

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On 07/04/2021 at 09:44, Greg Edwards69 said:

Oooh, I see fender has thrown a new inexpensive option into the mix (although at 32" it's not a true short scale). That MM type pickup could work rather well in its design. Could be a good option for those wanting to try something different, or just to have a play with at home.

https://www.notreble.com/buzz/2021/04/06/squier-unveils-the-affinity-series-jaguar-bass-h/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+bassistscom+(notreble.com)

Just contacted Merchant City Music as they have the black up on preorder. Saying July but could be September or later for them and other colours. Boo, but very much looking forward to these

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