Short Scale bass with SG Sized Neck?

[dmt]

Basically I love the neck on my SG bass, but that's about it. The body is too light for the neck, and the pickups are only ok. The neck is one of my favourite if not my favourite neck of all my basses. What are basses in production right now with a similar neck? The ones I know of are:

Reverend Wattplower (I'd prefer the mark II)
Mike Watt Wattplower Mark II Bass

Gibson Les Paul DC Tribute
Gibson | Les Paul Junior Tribute DC Bass
I played one and the pickup was insanely thumpy, if anyone knows a bright pickup (P pickup and brighter) I could put in it that would be awesome.

Thanks!

You could try a different pickup and lighter tuners in the SG bass - that’s what I’m doing.

For tuners, you could use Hipshot Ultralites (the same tuning machines Gibson actually uses on the Les Paul Junior DC Tribute bass to help alleviate neck dive) or the slightly less light but easier to install Gotoh GB528 RES-O-LITE tuners.

For a pickup, you could consider a Bisonic type (which are direct drop in or near drop in replacements for the stock Gibson faux mudbucker)

 

[BassoSaku]

I had the opportunity to buy a second hand 2015 vintage Gibson SG Standard. That year SG basses comes with a Babicz bridge. I don't know if it is that or just good craftmanship but the sustain of that bass is insane! I had a 1969 EB 0 and that sure didn't have any sustain to speak of. Added bonus is that it is a bridge that actually can be adjusted precisely!

You can check out the spex form Gibson's legacy site:

Gibson.com: SG Standard Bass 2015

And I am truly digging that bass!

 

[GeoKinetic]

A gap of 9/16 inch at 12th fret

Sorry I'm not exactly sure what this measurement refers to, would it be possible to width of the fretboard at the 12th or 20th fret (as in from edge to edge)?

 

[mellowgerman]

OP, if I fell in love with a LP Jr. bass but didn't like the stock pickup, I would just get a Thunderbird pickup cover off ebay and put one of Novak's pickups underneath with a little bit of foam to get the cover to sit right; his goldfoil, musicmaster, and mustang pickups should all fit. That's considering you don't want to cut a new pickup cavity. If that was an option, Novak Bisonic!

 

[Olde Axeman]

My main bass is a SG. I use a TMB30 as a backup because the necks are extremely similar, it's a PJ, and the pair give me a pretty wide tonal palette.

I measured the fretboard widths on both axes just below the nut and at the 12th fret. They are a little different, but not much. Close enough that they feel about the same to me when playing them. Way more similar feel than comparing the SG with my Mustang PJ.

Actual fretboard width measurements for the two on my basses (using a dial caliper) are 1.590" vs. 1.61" for just below the nut (SG vs. TMB30) and 1.211" vs. 2.105" at the 12th fret (again, SG vs. TMB30).

For what it's worth, to my ears the TMB 30 sounds best with Labella Deep Talkin' flats and the SG sounds best with GHS Boomers (rounds). Very different tones and, as usual, YMMV.

 

[GeoKinetic]

I use a TMB30 as a backup

Wait I used to own one but I think the 19mm spacing threw me off. Does this mean I'm gonna buy another and put a narrow bridge on it lol.

 

[mesaplayer83]

Looks familiar!

Mine:
View attachment 3679718
The SG does look cooler, but the Mustang looks cuter (cool in its own way). With the stock pickups, like you said, I agree that the Mustang’s sound is much more widely applicable

Very nice - the pair of them can carry quite a few situations...

 

[Olde Axeman]

I can only say that the TMB30 has a neck closest to the SG of any short scale bass I've tried, but of course I have not tired EVERY bass. Personally, I don't find the TMB30's string spacing to be off-putting.

I think what it means for you is that you need to do a serious side-by-side comparison between the SG and TMB30 and go from there.

 

[40Hz]

The Supro Huntington series has a chunky neck. Soundwise it all depends on how much you like the sound of goldfoil pickups.

 

[Ripper75]

Have you played a Guild Jetstar?

 

[Gizmot]

At the NAMM show, I checked out the G&L Fallout (now available without racing strips) and the MusicMan Stingray short scale. Both of these looked and felt really good. The necks on both of these are more thin than chunky, but the G&L is a bit closer to thick and its a little less expensive than the Stingray.

 

[Eddie LeBlanc]

Ever seen a Spector Bantam??? Pretty cool with great reviews.

Spector Bantam 4 Bass – MusicPlayers.com

Spector Bass Guitars - Bantam 4 Short Scale Bass

 

[oldskoolskatedad]

Basically I love the neck on my SG bass, but that's about it. The body is too light for the neck, and the pickups are only ok. The neck is one of my favourite if not my favourite neck of all my basses. What are basses in production right now with a similar neck? The ones I know of are:

Reverend Wattplower (I'd prefer the mark II)
Mike Watt Wattplower Mark II Bass

Gibson Les Paul DC Tribute
Gibson | Les Paul Junior Tribute DC Bass
I played one and the pickup was insanely thumpy, if anyone knows a bright pickup (P pickup and brighter) I could put in it that would be awesome.

Thanks!

Bump for the Wattplower MKII! I was very intrigued with the Wattplower MKI when it came out but now I've got some serious GAS for the MKII. I've yet to acquire an EB/SG style bass but I think it's time.

 

[SgtPepperYYZ]

I just got the new Les Paul Junior DC bass yesterday and I absolutely love it. And that is coming from a hardcore Fender guy. I always loved the looks of SG basses and Thunderbirds (I even had a thunderbird for a short time) but I kept going back to my Fenders. Recently I've been getting into late 60s/early 70s rock and I was wanting to give a Gibby another try. When I saw the DC junior bass I knew it was going to be that or nothing!

I fell in love with it completely. IMO the pickup in the DC junior is the best pickup gibson has ever come out with. The perfect love child of the thump mud bucker and the grindy thunderbird sound. With a little Fender in there with the coil tap! Rolling back the tone, you totally get EB-0 vibes 100%. When everything is dimmed you get great Thunderbird/Ripper vibes. Then coil tapping it is more of a Thunderbird/p bass/rickenbacker mix to my ears.

All of that to say that this bass is a complete winner in my book. Definitely not thump and muddy; unless you want it to be that way!

 

[crabbybassman]

I love my short scale Gibson SG Basses. I'm not sure but I think the Silver one has something the other ones don't have. It weighs more probably because of the coats of paint but I swear the metallic sparkles cause it to sustain for days. Digs deep and mean for sure. The Fireburst one weighs about 6 lbs and is the one I take out and beat up on a regular basis. I like to post pics of the beasts, did I say I love my little Gibson family. They rock.

 

[Thorsoundcore]

If you can deal with a slightly longer (med scale) neck, I'll always recommend an Aria csb.. Dunno how it compares exactly to the SG neck, but it's on the chunkier side. I have the dual pick up deluxe version:

 

[ThinCrappyTone]

I had the opportunity to buy a second hand 2015 vintage Gibson SG Standard. That year SG basses comes with a Babicz bridge. I don't know if it is that or just good craftmanship but the sustain of that bass is insane! I had a 1969 EB 0 and that sure didn't have any sustain to speak of. Added bonus is that it is a bridge that actually can be adjusted precisely!

You can check out the spex form Gibson's legacy site:

Gibson.com: SG Standard Bass 2015

And I am truly digging that bass!

Those 2015 SGs are special!