2024 Short Scale Options

MochaFiend

MochaFiend

Jan 6, 2022
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#1
I'm looking at a few different options for a 30" or shorter SS bass. I am just looking for some experienced opinions before I go play them to make a final decision. I don't care about the name on the head stock.

My current basses are all 34" scale with rosewood fingerboards. I have an old house, turn of the previous century, with low ceilings and small rooms, and frequently accidentally bump the headstock, and just want something smaller overall, since I am mainly a guitarist.

1. Sire Marcus Miller U5
  • JB-like neck carve, least expensive, satin hard maple neck with rolled edges, highly rated, string-through body, V,V,T controls - 👍
  • high gloss maple fingerboard, lower bout side jack, low availability, neck-divey, slab - 👎
2. G&L Tribute Fallout
  • Slim C neck profile, rosewood fingerboard, humbucker, top jack, arm + body carve, satin neck finish, V,T controls + toggle for parallel, series, or split coil - 👍
  • PB-like chonk neck width, slightly more expensive, top load hardtail bridge, slight neck dive - 👎
3. Fender Mustang Player II
  • Modern C JB-like neck profile, top jack, PJ + PU selector switch -👍
  • most expensive, rosewood fingerboard not available with sunburst finish, questionable QC, top-load hardtail bridge, very neck-divey, slab - 👎
If there are any other SS PJs (TMB30? Mikro?) you think I should consider (Fallout is the oddball), please leave a comment. Thank you!
 
#2
Mikro is a great bass for the price point.

Perhaps consider uke basses?? In the not too distant past uke basses meant pesky rubber silicone strings and piezos. But very recently string manufacturers are making uke scale steel strings to go along with solid body uke basses. Nice not to have to worry about weight, neck dive or banging the headstock into a cymbal. And uke basses are a total blast to play!

UkeBassCollection-05.26.24.jpg
 
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#3
What are your other basses? What do you want most out of it?

There’s a few travel basses around that are pretty cheap. You could go real small and get a Kala bass.

There’s more kiler headless basses right now than ever. In Australia, you can get a NS Design NXT for the price of a Fallout and that’s not a close competition. NXT is one of the best designed and sounding basses ever in my opinion.

Do you want a bass that you will gig or have a different sounds to your others?
 
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#4
MochaFiend said:
I'm looking at a few different options for a 30" or shorter SS bass. I am just looking for some experienced opinions before I go play them to make a final decision. I don't care about the name on the head stock.

My current basses are all 34" scale with rosewood fingerboards. I have an old house, turn of the previous century, with low ceilings and small rooms, and frequently accidentally bump the headstock, and just want something smaller overall, since I am mainly a guitarist.

1. Sire Marcus Miller U5
  • JB-like neck carve, least expensive, satin hard maple neck with rolled edges, highly rated, string-through body, V,V,T controls - 👍
  • high gloss maple fingerboard, lower bout side jack, low availability, neck-divey, slab - 👎
2. G&L Tribute Fallout
  • Slim C neck profile, rosewood fingerboard, humbucker, top jack, arm + body carve, satin neck finish, V,T controls + toggle for parallel, series, or split coil - 👍
  • PB-like chonk neck width, slightly more expensive, top load hardtail bridge, slight neck dive - 👎
3. Fender Mustang Player II
  • Modern C JB-like neck profile, top jack, PJ + PU selector switch -👍
  • most expensive, rosewood fingerboard not available with sunburst finish, questionable QC, top-load hardtail bridge, very neck-divey, slab - 👎
If there are any other SS PJs (TMB30? Mikro?) you think I should consider (Fallout is the oddball), please leave a comment. Thank you!
Click to expand...
 
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#6
Fallouts are solid short scales. However I will note they do not feel all that short thanks to the body size/location of the bridge. A few inches longer than a Mustang if that matters to you at all.

Of the two short scales I have I like both for different reasons.

Fallout is versatile for a single pickup bass. MFDs are great pickups. Does not feel as small thanks to body size.

Mustang feels small, but plays great. While I have the Vintera Mustang, I have played the PJ style Mustangs. I prefer the Mustang pickup versions, but I am also not a PJ fan.

IMG_2551.jpeg
 
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#7
I've had all the ones you mention. G&L is the only one that remains.
Maxed out the Mustang PJ (pups, bridge, etc.) still never comes close to the umph, comfort and range of G&L Tribute Fallout.
Only one not on the map that I suggest you consider is the Ibby Mikro 5- which is a true J-J (not a PJ like the 4) and it is superb, tiny and growly.
Sire is comfy and great but not a Fallout.
Watch the G&L site for Fallout deals that come up every few weeks, they are true steals.
 
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#8
pingvuiini said:
Mikro is a great bass for the price point.

Perhaps consider uke basses?? In the not too distant past uke basses meant pesky rubber silicone strings and piezos. But very recently string manufacturers are making uke scale steel strings to go along with solid body uke basses. Nice not to have to worry about weight, neck dive or banging the headstock into a cymbal. And uke basses are a total blast to play!

View attachment 7007965
Click to expand...
I did see a Mayones Cali 4 that got my attention, but it's a little pricey for my needs, although almost certainly a quality instrument. I'll keep digging, but you may be onto something.
 
#9
Neon Blues said:
What are your other basses? What do you want most out of it?

There’s a few travel basses around that are pretty cheap. You could go real small and get a Kala bass.

There’s more kiler headless basses right now than ever. In Australia, you can get a NS Design NXT for the price of a Fallout and that’s not a close competition. NXT is one of the best designed and sounding basses ever in my opinion.

Do you want a bass that you will gig or have a different sounds to your others?
Click to expand...
My other basses aren't anything exciting. The ones I'd love to own, I can't afford, so it's mostly meat and potatoes. I have a Schecter CB4 (fantastic bass, once I got used to the pickup placement), a AmProII JB, and AmProII PB. The NS Design basses look great, but I think difficult to get my hands on one to sample in the United States, and then having to survive telling the wife how much I spent on a bass that was not the Ken Smith of my dreams...

I'm definitely not looking for something to gig or perform with professionally. I'm mostly looking for something easy to cart around the house that I can noodle on while watching television with the wife, or grab in a hurry if some riff occurs to me that I need to commit to file before it evaporates from my conscious mind.
 

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#12
ahadl2500 said:
Fallouts are solid short scales. However I will note they do not feel all that short thanks to the body size/location of the bridge. A few inches longer than a Mustang if that matters to you at all.

Of the two short scales I have I like both for different reasons.

Fallout is versatile for a single pickup bass. MFDs are great pickups. Does not feel as small thanks to body size.

Mustang feels small, but plays great. While I have the Vintera Mustang, I have played the PJ style Mustangs. I prefer the Mustang pickup versions, but I am also not a PJ fan.

View attachment 7007995
Click to expand...
I did look at the vintera and also the performer series, but i wondered if the versatility would be limited, so that's why I was leaning PJ. I don't own a PJ, so it was also the novelty and curiosity. Thank you for pointing out the overall length difference with the Fallout. I was not aware, and that almost kind of eliminates it from the running because I really am looking for something short. I may play one anyway, just to convince myself one way or another, but it's damn hard to argue with someone who owns them both! Cheers.
 
#13
Bassiclees said:
I've had all the ones you mention. G&L is the only one that remains.
Maxed out the Mustang PJ (pups, bridge, etc.) still never comes close to the umph, comfort and range of G&L Tribute Fallout.
Only one not on the map that I suggest you consider is the Ibby Mikro 5- which is a true J-J (not a PJ like the 4) and it is superb, tiny and growly.
Sire is comfy and great but not a Fallout.
Watch the G&L site for Fallout deals that come up every few weeks, they are true steals.
Click to expand...
Thank you for the suggestion! The people who own a Tribute Fallout *really* love it, similar to the U5 Marcus Miller. The others seem a bit meh, but the rabid fans are on the Sire and G&L. I really appreciate the link as well. Bookmarked and hitting "refresh" every hour like a crazy person.
 
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#15
MochaFiend said:
My other basses aren't anything exciting. The ones I'd love to own, I can't afford, so it's mostly meat and potatoes. I have a Schecter CB4 (fantastic bass, once I got used to the pickup placement), a AmProII JB, and AmProII PB. The NS Design basses look great, but I think difficult to get my hands on one to sample in the United States, and then having to survive telling the wife how much I spent on a bass that was not the Ken Smith of my dreams...

I'm definitely not looking for something to gig or perform with professionally. I'm mostly looking for something easy to cart around the house that I can noodle on while watching television with the wife, or grab in a hurry if some riff occurs to me that I need to commit to file before it evaporates from my conscious mind.
Click to expand...
I thought you were looking for a short scale PJ at first….

Based on the way you plan to use it… I’d say something like an Ibanez AFB200 or perhaps an AGB200. My AFB is juuuust loud enough I can mess around in a quiet room without plugging in. AFB is full hollow, so there’s a sweetness to the tone. The hollow is just acoustic enough to hear. AGB is semi-hollow, so I’m not sure how loud it is unplugged.

The Short scale ray is great. I almost got the SBMM one. Played a few in store. Possibly a Hofner club/beatle bass? Or Schecter Banshee?

Otherwise I think you have mentioned the best options.

If you like weird… bootlegger short scale ace bass.

Edit: I’ve been following that short scale club for years. You really can’t go wrong with U5 from what I hear. I have a Sire V3 so I’m one of those Sire fans. The Fallout is similar in how people love it except some don’t like its size (they like short scale for shorter reach which fallout doesn’t have). Others like fallout size because it’s short scale but doesn’t feel tiny.
 
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