NR TB project

[drbassman]

Looks like a Schaller roller bridge to me.

Dave's correct.  It's my favorite bridge, the Schaller roller bridge.  The best side-to-side adjustable saddle set up out there.  Great for narrow or wide necks.

[Pilgrim]

Nice!  Thanks.

[drbassman]

The bass is in the shop for painting!  Shouldn't be too long.  I can't wait!

[drbassman]

OK, I couldn't decide until the last minute, but vintage white it is and it looks great!  The pup is a ThunderBucker 66S and it sounds great.  I used TI flats to tame the tone a bit and it still growls like crazy with the pup placement and maple neck/ebony board.  It doesn't sound like anything else I own and I'm liking it.  It has such a strong mid-range presence and lower registry clarity, it doesn't sound like a 30" scale bass at all to me. 

The full length shot was out of focus so I'll try that again later.

[Highlander]

Nice...

[Dave W]

Pretty!

After a while with my SG Standard and Fender Rascal, I've come to realize that I'm just not a short scale fan. But for me, it's not about the fundamental or midrange, it's about the lack of complexity in the upper ranges. Years ago I played short scales and was happy. After years without one, I've come to realize why I changed.

[drbassman]

Pretty!

After a while with my SG Standard and Fender Rascal, I've come to realize that I'm just not a short scale fan. But for me, it's not about the fundamental or midrange, it's about the lack of complexity in the upper ranges. Years ago I played short scales and was happy. After years without one, I've come to realize why I changed.

I don't know what complexity in the upper ranges is.  For me, my biggest criticism of ss basses is an ill defined E string that doesn't ring out or have a deep clear tone.  I'm not a mud fan.  I've found TI flats to have a great sounding E string and overall tone quality that often improves a ss bass.  I find most ss scale flat sets have a dull indistinct E string and passable A through G strings.

The one thing that's not possible to achieve with a 30" scale is the ringing piano-like power and fullness of a 34" scale string, especially when using rounds.  They'll never sound the same, that's for sure. I should note the TI rounds for ss do a pretty good job of getting close to the 34" ring and power.   But with some tweaking and a good Mesa amp/speakers, I can make a lot of pleasing (to me) bass music with a ss.

[godofthunder]

 Bill, That looks awesome!

[drbassman]

Thanks Scott, it turned out better than I expected.  Sounds really nice too, not like a typical short scale.  I might just make a few of these to sell and see how they do. 

Check your PM.

[Pilgrim]

Bill, I share your opinion. The longer I play bass, the more I incline to short scale, and I've found that they serve very well for me. I don't look negatively on anyone's preference in instruments, as it's a highly individual thing. I think that I also may not be as attuned to very fine nuances of things like "complexity," and differences in sound based on wood and bridges (don't hear a thing that's different), but I'm OK muddling along without that.

[Dave W]

To each his own, both of you obviously get what you want from short scales, and that's great. It's not for me though, both mine will be on the market shortly.

[drbassman]

Bill, I share your opinion. The longer I play bass, the more I incline to short scale, and I've found that they serve very well for me. I don't look negatively on anyone's preference in instruments, as it's a highly individual thing. I think that I also may not be as attuned to very fine nuances of things like "complexity," and differences in sound based on wood and bridges (don't hear a thing that's different), but I'm OK muddling along without that.

Yeah, I'm a bit like you.  Even though I practiced audiology and have advanced degrees in it, complexities between bass scales are hard for me to discern, much as the complexities people talk about in fine wines.  If I like the taste of it, I don't care if it has undertones of pear and finishes with burst of chocolate!   I just have to like it. 

[godofthunder]

  I found that with short scales that the strings made a big difference. On my EB3s and EB0s I use Rototsound standard gauge long scale strings 104-45 I think. Their short scale strings are lighter gauge and sound wimpy. Nice powerful E string with a 104 gauge but more punch not so much piano like ring.

[patman]

Maybe I'm a simple man, but I always think about long scale vs short in terms of "thud" (or punch)...Long scale basses generate more "thud"...

I feel it doesn't matter as much while recording, but that it sure does matter when playing live.

[Dave W]

  I found that with short scales that the strings made a big difference. On my EB3s and EB0s I use Rototsound standard gauge long scale strings 104-45 I think. Their short scale strings are lighter gauge and sound wimpy. Nice powerful E string with a 104 gauge but more punch not so much piano like ring.

That's very true. I have long scale Roto NPS Swingbass 45-105 on the Rascal, 43-104 medium scale LaBella flats on the Gibson, both noticeable improvements over the stock strings. Still not the long scale sound I like, though. Plenty of E string definition but still lacking that long scale ring.