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General Category => Jam Room => Topic started by: Hemisaurus on May 24, 2012, 10:00:07 PM

Title: Case for a short scale bass
Post by: Hemisaurus on May 24, 2012, 10:00:07 PM
Who makes cases that would fit a 30" scale SG bass?
Title: Re: Case for a short scale bass
Post by: renfield on May 28, 2019, 02:08:55 PM
Put another way, what is the case for playing a short scale bass rather than a full scale?

As you may know, I am a miniature person so it might make intuitive sense to play a miniature instrument. But, it really feels like a cheat to me.
Title: Re: Case for a short scale bass
Post by: bbottom on May 28, 2019, 04:03:44 PM
I've had a few of the Gibson "SG" basses over the years and they all had a case. Just pick up one of those
Title: Re: Case for a short scale bass
Post by: renfield on May 28, 2019, 04:38:19 PM
I'm asking what is the argument for or against playing a short scale bass in general. L

So far this is the only thing I have to do that makes me wish I had a shorter scale, fucking murder on my fingers.. but we don't have any songs in F so who i dunno.

(https://i.imgur.com/EAGq0xw.png)

Title: Re: Case for a short scale bass
Post by: renfield on May 28, 2019, 10:42:50 PM
Played a fender mustang today and it cleared this issue right up for me. I don't like it. It was like getting a penis reduction or something.

I tried a bunch of basses today but I dint' find anything that felt as good as my Squire J Bass. They all SOUNDED better though. This is going to be an interesting quest...
Title: Re: Case for a short scale bass
Post by: mortlock on May 28, 2019, 10:50:05 PM
ive never liked short scale basses. they feel weird and the string tension is off. they seem like toys not a real bass.
Title: Re: Case for a short scale bass
Post by: Lumpy on May 28, 2019, 11:00:27 PM
I don't read music any more, is that an octave (the first measures)? Too lazy to look it up.

Maybe you just want something with a slimmer neck. Full scale Fenders are kind of like driving a Cadillac. Or a bus. Designed to cruise in a straight line, not so much for zipping around tight curves like a sports car (although you can certainly do that, if you're a good driver). Not everybody wants that big ass instrument. Look at some other brands too, or look for a Fender with a slimmer neck. I don't like the V shape neck that many Jazz basses have.
Title: Re: Case for a short scale bass
Post by: Lumpy on May 28, 2019, 11:02:41 PM
Quote from: mortlock on May 28, 2019, 10:50:05 PM
ive never liked short scale basses. they feel weird and the string tension is off. they seem like toys not a real bass.

It seems like whatever type of instrument people start out on, is what they tend to favor. That's just a hunch though. I love P basses, and that was my first bass.
Title: Re: Case for a short scale bass
Post by: mortlock on May 28, 2019, 11:04:58 PM
im sure theres something to that but short scale basses are different enough physically speaking and the feel that creates that they are more like a long scale guitar than a short scale bass.
Title: Re: Case for a short scale bass
Post by: Lumpy on May 28, 2019, 11:08:09 PM
Oh that's what I mean. You get used to a certain feel, and then later you're comparing a different instrument to that that memory. The string tension, the string spacing, your posture will all lack that familiarity.
Title: Re: Case for a short scale bass
Post by: mortlock on May 28, 2019, 11:35:45 PM
were we just debating something we agreed with?
Title: Re: Case for a short scale bass
Post by: renfield on May 28, 2019, 11:50:43 PM
Quote from: mortlock on May 28, 2019, 10:50:05 PM
ive never liked short scale basses. they feel weird and the string tension is off. they seem like toys not a real bass.

This was exactly my reaction. It almost seemed absurd when I plugged it in and it made a normal bass sound.
Title: Re: Case for a short scale bass
Post by: renfield on May 29, 2019, 12:04:55 AM
Quote from: Lumpy on May 28, 2019, 11:00:27 PM
I don't read music any more, is that an octave (the first measures)? Too lazy to look it up.

Maybe you just want something with a slimmer neck. Full scale Fenders are kind of like driving a Cadillac. Or a bus. Designed to cruise in a straight line, not so much for zipping around tight curves like a sports car (although you can certainly do that, if you're a good driver). Not everybody wants that big ass instrument. Look at some other brands too, or look for a Fender with a slimmer neck. I don't like the V shape neck that many Jazz basses have.

Yeah octaves:
x3
d|---6-4-6-|
a|----------|
e|-4--------|

x1
d|-6-4--------------|
a|------6-6-4-------|
e|--------------7-4-|

I inherited it from the band's previous bassist. Last bit is really fast, triplets on a 170 bpm pulse. Exhausting to practice.

I've got that V shaped jazz neck and I do prefer it, possibly due to your theory since it's the first bass I played. I'm really jealous of the precision bass tone though.
Title: Re: Case for a short scale bass
Post by: Lumpy on May 29, 2019, 01:29:15 AM
Quote from: mortlock on May 28, 2019, 11:35:45 PM
were we just debating something we agreed with?

I don't think so, I think we were bonding over our agreement.
Title: Re: Case for a short scale bass
Post by: renfield on May 29, 2019, 01:48:03 AM
Maybe this

https://orangecounty.craigslist.org/msg/d/fountain-valley-reduced-price-fender-jp/6892492929.html
Title: Re: Case for a short scale bass
Post by: Jor el on May 29, 2019, 01:58:04 AM


   Chiquita

Title: Re: Case for a short scale bass
Post by: giantchris on June 10, 2019, 09:52:28 PM
Quote from: renfield on May 28, 2019, 10:42:50 PM
Played a fender mustang today and it cleared this issue right up for me. I don't like it. It was like getting a penis reduction or something.

I tried a bunch of basses today but I dint' find anything that felt as good as my Squire J Bass. They all SOUNDED better though. This is going to be an interesting quest...
If you like the feel of your Squire J Bass why don't you just upgrade it instead of replacing it?  Feel is extremely important in playing and its hard to find basses that just fit.  You could throw one of those Bartolini active buffer's in there and Nordstrand/Seymour Duncan/Lace pups and you g2g, your tone will sound as good as any high end bass. 

I have a Hamer Slammer P bass that has sentimental value for me and I still wanted to play it so I put a Curtis Novak P bass pup in there then threw in a dimarzio mud bucker in the neck and a bartolini active buffer and it sounds insane for sludge doom I get compliments on the tone all the time.  You could do a lot of fun stuff with your Jazz to improve the tone, throw a humbucker or mudbucker in the neck slot, hell add a 3rd jazz pickup in the neck slot and add a 5 way switch like some sort of bizzare strat, get it wired in series, throw an actual guitar pickup in there like Cliff burton did, throw a rick pickup in there, etc.  You likely will have a better sounding bass upgrading yours over buying a new one unless you're planning on spending 1.5k and up.  Buying used is a little different but not by much since the used market isn't really all that good anymore for great deals.
Title: Re: Case for a short scale bass
Post by: mortlock on June 10, 2019, 10:39:29 PM
i dont recall cliff using a guitar pick up. in his red rick he had a gibson chrome humbucker like you would see in an SG bass and a red seymore duncan jazz bass pup installed.
Title: Re: Case for a short scale bass
Post by: renfield on June 11, 2019, 12:40:24 AM
Quote from: giantchris on June 10, 2019, 09:52:28 PM
Quote from: renfield on May 28, 2019, 10:42:50 PM
Played a fender mustang today and it cleared this issue right up for me. I don't like it. It was like getting a penis reduction or something.

I tried a bunch of basses today but I dint' find anything that felt as good as my Squire J Bass. They all SOUNDED better though. This is going to be an interesting quest...
If you like the feel of your Squire J Bass why don't you just upgrade it instead of replacing it?  Feel is extremely important in playing and its hard to find basses that just fit.  You could throw one of those Bartolini active buffer's in there and Nordstrand/Seymour Duncan/Lace pups and you g2g, your tone will sound as good as any high end bass. 

I have a Hamer Slammer P bass that has sentimental value for me and I still wanted to play it so I put a Curtis Novak P bass pup in there then threw in a dimarzio mud bucker in the neck and a bartolini active buffer and it sounds insane for sludge doom I get compliments on the tone all the time.  You could do a lot of fun stuff with your Jazz to improve the tone, throw a humbucker or mudbucker in the neck slot, hell add a 3rd jazz pickup in the neck slot and add a 5 way switch like some sort of bizzare strat, get it wired in series, throw an actual guitar pickup in there like Cliff burton did, throw a rick pickup in there, etc.  You likely will have a better sounding bass upgrading yours over buying a new one unless you're planning on spending 1.5k and up.  Buying used is a little different but not by much since the used market isn't really all that good anymore for great deals.

I feel this advice and I did indeed consider it (and I have no intention of getting rid of my beloved Squire).

But the second I touched the JP90 i ended up buying I knew it was The One. It had the qualities that made the Squire J comfortable for me, but even moreso if that makes sense. It is so fun and easy to play that it instantly cured my stagefright.
Title: Re: Case for a short scale bass
Post by: giantchris on June 23, 2019, 01:34:30 PM
Cool, always time to upgrade it later down the road too if you want to.  Always fun to have a bunch of different basses!