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Case for a short scale bass

Started by Hemisaurus, May 24, 2012, 10:00:07 PM

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Hemisaurus

Who makes cases that would fit a 30" scale SG bass?

renfield

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.

bbottom

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

renfield

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.




renfield

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...

mortlock

ive never liked short scale basses. they feel weird and the string tension is off. they seem like toys not a real bass.

Lumpy

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.
Rock & Roll is background music for teenagers to fuck to.

Lumpy

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.
Rock & Roll is background music for teenagers to fuck to.

mortlock

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.

Lumpy

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.
Rock & Roll is background music for teenagers to fuck to.

mortlock

were we just debating something we agreed with?

renfield

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.

renfield

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.

Lumpy

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.
Rock & Roll is background music for teenagers to fuck to.


Jor el

What Would Scooby Do ?



giantchris

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.

mortlock

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.

renfield

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.

giantchris

Cool, always time to upgrade it later down the road too if you want to.  Always fun to have a bunch of different basses!