Short Scale basses

[Psycho Bass Guy]

That's why I like to state, "According to my crackpot theory," when pulling unsubstantiated facts from my rectum.

I wouldn't call true fact unsubstantiated. Unsubstantiated facts are the most popular and oft-repeated and carry the most weight. Truth is seldom popular.

[dadagoboi]

That's why I like to state, "According to my crackpot theory," when pulling unsubstantiated facts from my rectum.

I wouldn't call true fact unsubstantiated. Unsubstantiated facts are the most popular and oft-repeated and carry the most weight. Truth is seldom popular.

I should have put quotes around "facts"

[Denis]

Like Steve Martin said on one of his early albums, "I wish they would have told me I was not allowed to lie or make up facts."

[drbassman]

Well, I played my Gretsch ThunderJet at practice last night and it kicked ass!  The guys in the band loved it.  Beefy flats and TV Jones pups, sound great.  Scale is not an issue, especially with the right tube driven amp.  I played my Gibson Triumph too and it did just as well. I didn't have any issues with a flabby sounding e-string

I took along my 92 TB that I got from the Old Man and it too sounded fantastic with rounds on it.  Overall, I think I gonna play the Gretsch and the TB on and off.

[Pilgrim]

Well, I played my Gretsch ThunderJet at practice last night and it kicked ass!  The guys in the band loved it.  Beefy flats and TV Jones pups, sound great.  Scale is not an issue, especially with the right tube driven amp.  I played my Gibson Triumph too and it did just as well. I didn't have any issues with a flabby sounding e-string

I took along my 92 TB that I got from the Old Man and it too sounded fantastic with rounds on it.  Overall, I think I gonna play the Gretsch and the TB on and off.

Bill, this tends to reinforce my feeling that in a mix, many basses that may sound different still sound very good. IMO there's not one sound that is good, there are lots of them. I suspect the reason is that you still sound like YOU.

[drbassman]

Bill, this tends to reinforce my feeling that in a mix, many basses that may sound different still sound very good. IMO there's not one sound that is good, there are lots of them. I suspect the reason is that you still sound like YOU.

There's something to be said for our own style, regardless of the bass we're playing.  I do adjust my playing on the TB.  It has TIs and I can't attack it as hard, but it growls naturally anyway.  The Gretsch has stiffer flats and I can lay into it a bit more.  It's really about the amp too.  We have a custom built tube amp with 4 10" speakers and it makes about any bass sound great.

[Barklessdog]

Stanley Clarke has hardly any problems with bottom end or harmonics with is $10,000 Alembics. He better not for that cash.

[ilan]

Stanley Clarke has hardly any problems with bottom end or harmonics with is $10,000 Alembics.

I disagree. I think his Alembic sound lacks bottom end. He probably likes it like that.

[rahock]

I disagree. I think his Alembic sound lacks bottom end. He probably likes it like that.

Alembics have a unique sound and feel that lends itself well to a LEAD bass/solo up the wazoo style, and that is the Stanley Clarke thing. That being said, I couldn't agree more about  lacking in the bottom end. They are more for cutting and less for blending. I got my hands on one at a jem session a year or so ago, and I thought I was really going to be Wowed by it.....but I wasn't . I'm a die hard Fender Precision guy(who occassionaly strays a little), and that Alembic just felt and sounded more like a guitar than a bass to me. I know a lot of players absolutely love them, but they are not my cup of tea. On the other hand, both my Ps,  particularly my 51 RI, are definately not a favorite among a lot of bass players, but I love 'em both.
Rick

[Droombolus]

I used to be a P guy but due to the deminishing mobility of my left hand I had to sell my beloved CS 51 RI. Trust me there is a life beyond the P ..... these days I'm a SG guy and loving it ....

[ack1961]

I used to be a P guy but due to the deminishing mobility of my left hand I had to sell my beloved CS 51 RI. Trust me there is a life beyond the P ..... these days I'm a SG guy and loving it ....

Any chance you can details the differences between these 3 basses?  Especially the red Epi and Gibson. I don't know much about them.
To my untrained eye, the pickups look similar, but the switch and knob configuration are very different.
I like shorties, and have always been a fan of the SG - unfortunately I've played two EB-0's in my life, and they were both junk.  Physical junk - mistreated.
BTW, the sunburst is gorgeous.

[Droombolus]

Fireburst if you please ......   

In short:

The Epi is a MIJ Elitist EB-3 with US PUPs and sounds much like a 70s Gibbie and handles much like the original article, thick neck and all.

In one the middle is a Heritage Cherry SG Standard Bass with TB-Plus PUPS and much thinner neck, sounds much more modern than an EB-3

The Fireburst is a SG Supreme Bass, basically the same animal as the Standard but for its 50/50 Mahogany/Maple body which makes for a much more agressive high-end

[ack1961]

Thanks for that.

[bobyoung]

I've owned a few short scale basses in my time, among them an EB-3, an EB-2 and an Eko Hofner copy which I still have. I hate to say it but the Eko has by far the best sound out of them, it has way more punch than either Gibson. I think it has single coil pickups on it which makes it bright and clear. The EB-2 was definitely the coolest one though and the first night I played it onstage through my SVT the drummer listened it and said "Now there's a real bass" haha! I've also noticed that the E tends to lack punch on short scale basses (except for the Eko), they always sound better up the neck too to my ears, nice and boomy.

[drbassman]

My two favorits are my Gretsch ThunderJet and my Gibson Triumph.  They both really rock the joint and have a great low end!