short scale basses

clockwork green · April 06, 2011, 08:36:38 PM

I love the tones of the two-pickup version of the SG basses (EB-3?). If the balance is off with a strap you can move strap holes. If they made a fretless version for the same price I'd be all on it despite not playing bass in any band.

tomz. · April 06, 2011, 10:37:55 PM

I have a couple short scale basses, and have sold a couple along the way. I give a thumbs down to the epi EB-0, neck dive and it sounded like mud, cheap hardware. I have a Hamer ss and it's a nice little bass, it holds and plays like a guitar, super fun to play, really light also. I put a Music Man pup in the bridge, sounds good. The best ss bass I have is from Rondo actually. It's a Brice, they don't even have Brice anymore, but it's a renamed Agile, Les Paul and it's probably one of the nicer playing instruments. active pups (which I could do without) and nice binding. For three hundy, I give it a thumbs up.

If I were to do it over, I would look for a old bronco.

I'd sell my Brice LP (sunburst) for cheap btw. I don't play much bass these days and I still have my hamer.

justJon · April 06, 2011, 11:18:51 PM

As a rule, I hate short scale basses. I chalk that up to being bigger than the average guy. 6'2", 230 or so. There are two exceptions I've had over the years, though.

One was an old Epiphone hollowbody, es-335 style, double cutaway. I got that as my first bass, when I was 14 or so. Played great, sounded great to me. I honestly don't remember what ever happened to it.

The other was an Ibanez Gio, double cutaway, almost SG type styling. That was a cheapie, but IMO, a real sleeper.

I always hankered after a Gibson, or even Epiphone EB-3 . Never laid a hand on one, though. And, I'm pretty sure they're 34" scale.

VOLVO))) · April 07, 2011, 01:38:00 AM

J-j-j-Jon, I remember a year or two ago you found a Model T (was it you?) that wasn't working in a pawn shop there... What happened to it? I remember you got it working, then nothing else ever came up about it...

justJon · April 07, 2011, 10:36:58 AM

Yes, that was me.

Sadly, the deal that seemed too good to be true turned out to be too good. Bought for cheap, fixed for cheap, then stopped entirely. Transformers apparently fried completely. Likely would cost much more than I am willing to invest to get it running again. It's currently a (non-working) conversation piece in the back of my tech's shop.

Our second-guessing is that whoever had it before it was pawned was running it at completely inappropriate resistances and or volumes, and just fried the thing. I replaced the fuse and cap ,had the bias checked, etc, but it just fried out.

Ah, well. If I ever get rich and famous, maybe I'll search for parts and re-fix it, in the meantime, I'm not out even $200, and I'm a drummer, so it was just a fun project, anyway.

But what might have been....

zachoff · April 07, 2011, 11:21:27 AM

There's a ton of short scale win on this page...
http://www.hagstrom.org.uk/hagstrom_bass.htm

Mr Neutron · April 07, 2011, 11:50:31 AM

http://www2.gibson.com/Products/Electric-Guitars/Bass/Epiphone/Allen-Woody-Rumblekat.aspx

Discö Rice · April 07, 2011, 02:22:45 PM

Quote from: zachoff on April 07, 2011, 11:21:27 AM
There's a ton of short scale win on this page...
http://www.hagstrom.org.uk/hagstrom_bass.htm

Those Hagstrom basses are cool looking. Any idea how they sound?

VOLVO))) · April 07, 2011, 02:40:36 PM

Quote from: justJon on April 07, 2011, 10:36:58 AM
Yes, that was me.

Sadly, the deal that seemed too good to be true turned out to be too good. Bought for cheap, fixed for cheap, then stopped entirely. Transformers apparently fried completely. Likely would cost much more than I am willing to invest to get it running again. It's currently a (non-working) conversation piece in the back of my tech's shop.

Our second-guessing is that whoever had it before it was pawned was running it at completely inappropriate resistances and or volumes, and just fried the thing. I replaced the fuse and cap ,had the bias checked, etc, but it just fried out.

Ah, well. If I ever get rich and famous, maybe I'll search for parts and re-fix it, in the meantime, I'm not out even $200, and I'm a drummer, so it was just a fun project, anyway.

But what might have been....

If you ever want to get rid of it, I want to rebuild it... I know it'll be about a grand to get it running again, so, if you want your money back, I'll pay the shipping...

Lumpy · April 07, 2011, 05:23:45 PM

Sell him the Model T, get that baby up and running!

VOLVO))) · April 07, 2011, 05:40:10 PM

I can do it, shit, I'd most likely put the transformers on my credit card and eat ramen for a couple months... I know I can do it. Herbie can walk me through...

zachoff · April 07, 2011, 06:08:26 PM

Quote from: Discö Rice on April 07, 2011, 02:22:45 PM
Quote from: zachoff on April 07, 2011, 11:21:27 AM
There's a ton of short scale win on this page...
http://www.hagstrom.org.uk/hagstrom_bass.htm

Those Hagstrom basses are cool looking. Any idea how they sound?

Not really... I've only ever played a Hagstrom 12 string and it sounded awesome, but was fairly difficult to play/fret (I'm sure I'd get used to it, but only played it for 15-20 minutes). It sounded especially awesome chorded w/ distortion.

Hemisaurus · April 07, 2011, 07:40:07 PM

Quote from: SunnO))) on April 07, 2011, 05:40:10 PM
I can do it, shit, I'd most likely put the transformers on my credit card and eat ramen for a couple months... I know I can do it. Herbie can walk me through...

Wouldn't it be easier to just ship it here then?

VOLVO))) · April 07, 2011, 08:28:00 PM

Good point... but I wanted to do it...

. Gotts learn sometime! What better to learn on than my dream amp?

Hemisaurus · April 07, 2011, 08:51:09 PM

Quote from: SunnO))) on April 07, 2011, 08:28:00 PM
Good point... but I wanted to do it... . Gotts learn sometime! What better to learn on than my dream amp?

Cause the xfmrs cost a fortune, if you don't need 'em, or worse if you do, and burn up a replacement accidentally

VOLVO))) · April 07, 2011, 09:21:30 PM

Sigh... you've sold me. Let's see what Jon says!

justJon · April 07, 2011, 11:04:33 PM

OK, to break the suspense, I currently have no plans to sell it. If I do, You, Sunn0))) and Hemi, collectively will be the first to know.

Part of me says, yeah, it should be fixed and played, but part of me says, if it's ever played again, it'll be by me, or at least in a band I'm part of. For now, I'll occasionally stare wistfully off into space dreaming about it.

VOLVO))) · April 07, 2011, 11:20:15 PM

Long as I/we have dibs on making it live again, unless you do!

Seriously though, it's doing you no good as a paper weight... FIX IT.

Hemisaurus · April 08, 2011, 12:08:03 AM

Quote from: SunnO))) on April 07, 2011, 11:20:15 PM
Long as I/we have dibs on making it live again, unless you do!

Seriously though, it's doing you no good as a paper weight... FIX IT.

Hey, you're still sitting on that suicide amp afaik

VOLVO))) · April 08, 2011, 12:25:59 AM

Yeah, well, it's a shitty paper weight. It only weighs a few pounds. haha. Give me your address, if you want this death trap.

Hemisaurus · April 08, 2011, 07:28:09 AM

Quote from: SunnO))) on April 08, 2011, 12:25:59 AM
Yeah, well, it's a shitty paper weight. It only weighs a few pounds. haha. Give me your address, if you want this death trap.
Quote from: SunnO))) on March 19, 2011, 10:18:56 AM
We're all buddies here, it's not like I'm going to show up on your doorstep with a box of wine, an Ewiz vinyl and a hard-on.

Oh yeah, so now you want to show up on my doorstep?

VOLVO))) · April 08, 2011, 10:50:28 AM

Sure do, but this time, I'll only bring the hard-on. hahahaha

Hemisaurus · April 08, 2011, 02:10:18 PM

and here's me without an electron microscope

Lumpy · April 23, 2011, 07:32:43 AM

Bump.

Squier is selling a short scale Jaguar bass. I've heard nothing but praise for the new vintage and modified vintage style Squiers (I played a 50s CV Squier at the store, it was a winner). If I needed a bass I would consider a Squier for sure. This comes in red, and black too.