Trying out a short scale

[Stubbs]

I've been thinking about trying a short scale bass for a while now. So on Saturday I was in GC and they had a Epiphone EB-0 in cherry. They usually sell for $200. There was one for $150 because the volume knob got pushed in and cracked the wood and the finish around it. I offered to take it off their hands for $90. They agreed. I think I am just going to make a new pickguard for it that is large enough to cover the cracks and give the volume pot something to grab onto.
It is a fun little bass, not as muddy sounding as I expected

[reddogbass]

Originally Posted by Stubbs

It is a fun little bass, not as muddy sounding as I expected

Is that a disappointment, or a pleasant surprise? With just a little bit of work these can keep up with any of the long scale basses. I don't know why the short scales are underated.

[Oster]

I switch between long and short scale all the time. One of my short scales is the grandaddy of that Epiphone; a Gibson EB-0. The preference I have for my long scale Jazz bass lies in its deeper, fuller sustain and greater definition on the lower notes. The main preference I have for my short scale is the more 'rubbery' sound I get which sounds closer in spirit to stand-up bass. Also, it's nice to have basses that don't sound like everything else out there.

Is your Epi the bolt-on model or is it a set-neck? The neck join (if bolt on) might go a ways towards brightening the typical EB-0 sound.

[txspreacher]

How timely is this? I started thinking about a short-scale for home recording. I would rather sharpen up my own bass skills than spend the next two decades programming the bass function on my Zoom and it still sounding a tad "digital". I'll be following this thread and maybe start hanging around "The Bass Place" a little, at least.

[Dave W]

Originally Posted by reddogbass

Is that a disappointment, or a pleasant surprise? With just a little bit of work these can keep up with any of the long scale basses. I don't know why the short scales are underated.

Not trying to make you (or anyone else) feel bad about your choices or change your mind, but if short scale basses really could keep up with long scale basses, they'd be dominant in the market instead of a blip on the radar screen. The physics of scale length makes it difficult for them to compete. The shorter the scale length, the less prominent the fundamental. The overtone series is a lot less complex. It can be a very pleasant midrange-heavy sound but it can't compete as a full-range sound. Unless the bassist has a lot of sonic space to work in, he can easily get lost in a live mix. They're relatively anemic in the upper registers. And the E string of a short scale just doesn't speak with authority.

At another forum I posted a link to this Allen Woody medley, he's playing an EB series and a Thunderbird. Another poster made this observation: I like both sounds, but what immediately becomes evident is that the E string of the EBs doesn't stand a chance against the TB's long scale momentum. When Woody does his busy playing on the short scale he's thoroughly evident in the mix EXCEPT WHEN he hits that E string (which he mostly avoids as I tend do when I play a short scale). It's a whole different world with the TB and his bass playing is much more E string anchored on that.

[txspreacher]

Anybody here ever play one of the Gretsch Junior Jet short-scale basses? Man, between this and the recent thread about the Crate power block as a bass amp....

[Stubbs]

Okay I've had a few days to play the EB-0 some more. I totally agree that the low E string is lacking. It certainly doesn't have the fullness of the 34" scale low E. That is the major drawback. However the 30" scale is a little easier to get around on and it is alot of fun to play.

By the way for the past 19 years I have played a G&L SB-1 which will always be my #1.

[reddogbass]

I realize why there are advocates for the long scale. And this does apply when comparing off-the-shelf long vs. short. But I did say "with just a little bit of work..."

I have an old ('62) Epi short scale, and I do agree that it won't keep up sonically with the long scale basses. I'm not gonna fix it either because it is too nice- so I had to build one, and it's a whole different thing.

I can't play a long scale comfortably because it's just to big, so I had to do something!

[Tim Armstrong]

A properly set up short scale bass, with the right strings, will sound just fine. I know this because, after playing a VERY nice 34" scale P-Bass for a few years, I switched to short scale basses (a 31" Rogue Hofner copy and a 30" Fender Musicmaster).

The right strings, with the right tension, are quite important. DON'T just get a set of regular bass strings and trim them!

Cheers, Tim

[Vince a]

One of the new guys at our church uses a short scale (30 inch) Dean EVO XM bass, a 1000 watt Carvin head, and an Epifani single 12 inch cab . . . you'd swear there was a wall of 15s up there on stage! Nice sound . . . bass looks weird though.

[woodman]

as a rare-to-occasional bassman used to guitar necks, i swear by the short scale. i love my goofy lil Bronco!

(some restrictions apply, mainly that i hardly ever play bass onstage!)

[slauson slim]

Playing with a pick - preferably a hard or extra hard - on a short scale also helps with definition. Roto Swing Bass short strings are good on shorties too.