The Definitive "Pro" Shortscale...?

#47
ZenG said:
Haha...right...they'll say "Where's your Fender P ? "

Seriously...for the times when studios will use a shorty...which one gets the nod automatically?
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I think the premise of this thread is flawed. The whole "studios are uncomfortable with anything besides a Fender P" is a myth propagated by people who read it on the internet. It may have been true in the sixties, but it's f***ing 2017 man. Even a long time ago the Hofner and Danelectro basses were popular in studios--probably more popular in studios than they were live.
 
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#48
How many great British Invasion bands of the 60's played shorties? Almost all of them at some point. Gibson, Epiphone, Vox, Guild, Harmony, I'm sure there are a bunch that aren't coming to mind at the moment...

It's been a few years since I've owned a shorty, my last being a 78 Fender Musicmaster. I'm about ready to add one back in to my mix...
 
#52
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This is my vote. Aria Pro II CSB B&G. 32 inch Single reverse P pickup. High mass brass bridge. Fantastic sustain. Very bassy because the short scale requires a lower tension to achieve the same tuning. Presence is amazing.
 
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#53
If you wanted to turn up to a recording session and not get singled out for gear choice then a vintage Guild Starfire or Fender Mustang bass would probably be accepted without question, depending on the genre.
 
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#54
matante said:
I think the premise of this thread is flawed. The whole "studios are uncomfortable with anything besides a Fender P" is a myth propagated by people who read it on the internet. It may have been true in the sixties, but it's f***ing 2017 man. Even a long time ago the Hofner and Danelectro basses were popular in studios--probably more popular in studios than they were live.
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There are a lot of very conservative (and/or lazy) engineers and producers who only want to record P's still.
They have that sound in their head as the right one for their project. And if it's their project they get to decide.
If you're paying the bill, then you get to use whatever you want.
Unless you've been brought in specifically because they want a particular sound or technique you're good at.

A lot of it has to do with intonation and setup issues as well. Every good studio I've ever worked in had a house P with perfect intonation that played like a dream with no buzz. And a house drum kit that was set up properly for recording, mic'd and ready to go, even if it was just a kick, snare and high hat.
You quickly got steered to those if there was even a hint of a setup issue with what you brought.
 
#57
lz4005 said:
There are a lot of very conservative (and/or lazy) engineers and producers who only want to record P's still.
They have that sound in their head as the right one for their project. And if it's their project they get to decide.
If you're paying the bill, then you get to use whatever you want.
Unless you've been brought in specifically because they want a particular sound or technique you're good at.

A lot of it has to do with intonation and setup issues as well. Every good studio I've ever worked in had a house P with perfect intonation that played like a dream with no buzz. And a house drum kit that was set up properly for recording, mic'd and ready to go, even if it was just a kick, snare and high hat.
You quickly got steered to those if there was even a hint of a setup issue with what you brought.
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This is a very definitive answer - depends who is paying and what your role is. And recording magnifies any flaws in instrument and playing, so whatever makes those less of a factor is important.
 
#59
mrufino1 said:
And recording magnifies any flaws in instrument and playing, so whatever makes those less of a factor is important.
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I used to know a recording engineer who would always suggest the house kit to local bands who came in to record originals. He and that studio were well known for great drum sounds. Usually the band would refuse, so he would pack up the house kit, let them set up theirs, mic everything and record a sound check. Then he would dissect the band's kit under a microscope, finding issues with each piece individually so he could swap back in all the house drums piece by piece and re-mic everything. It was kind of amazing to watch the whole process. It could take up to 3 hours, with him getting paid the whole time.

I think he would even mic the beater side of the kick drum so he could isolate it and make sure they heard any mechanical squeaks the drummer's pedals made.

He did it so often he had tape squares and numbers all over the floor so he could get the house kit stands back exactly where he wanted them, and pieces of dowel cut to use as guides so he could get his mics back to exactly the right distances from the heads.

All of which is to say: if you think bass players have it bad in the studio, try being a drummer.
 
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#60
BaileyMan said:
How many great British Invasion bands of the 60's played shorties? Almost all of them at some point. Gibson, Epiphone, Vox, Guild, Harmony, I'm sure there are a bunch that aren't coming to mind at the moment...

It's been a few years since I've owned a shorty, my last being a 78 Fender Musicmaster. I'm about ready to add one back in to my mix...
Click to expand...

Its also debatable how many of those bands did not actually consist of John Paul Jones, Jimmy page, clem catini, etc, so what was seen on album covers and TV shows may not be in the recording studio.
 
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