Mustang bass

Qwank

Anyone here have a mustang bass?

I decided the other day that i wanted to get a bass, no real reason why, just something else to play every once and a while. but, i had a really hard time playing a full scale bass because my fingers are so short. Guitar center had a Mustang bass and a squire Bronco bass. i liked the scale on these necks a lot. the mustang looked great. it was white with a tort pickgaurd.

so anyone here have a Mustang Bass. how is it compared to a P or J bass?

purr

I played a Bronco bass, i dig 'em. I don't really know how they compare to a P or Jazz bazz, probably thinner in sound i'ma assume. If yr just going to dink around on it i'd go for the bronco,

Mustang-Pete

I've not played any of the reissues, so I couldn't comment on them.... but I have played a 70s Mustang Bass. It was horrible. The neck was huge and chunky and it was just not nice to play in the slightest.

But I have played P and J basses. the J has a really thin nut width and it gets thicker quicker as you go towards the bridge. The P bass has the same bridge width, but the nut is slightly thicker. They are both really nice to play.

But then, I have long fingers.

funtoosh

so which one did you go for?

i just "played my bronco good-bye", as my girl-friends bass player is borrowing it tomorrow, her bass broke down on her, and i soo like the bronco, imperfect as it might be

Qwank

funtoosh said: so which one did you go for?
i just "played my bronco good-bye", as my girl-friends bass player is borrowing it tomorrow, her bass broke down on her, and i soo like the bronco, imperfect as it might be

funtoosh

yeah, thats quite a different guitar :-}

so whats the doubleneck like?? i

zontar

I don't have a Mustang bass, but I have an EB-3 copy (EB-3 were SG shaped Gibson basses) They too are short scale basses.

Here are two things to consider with short scale basses.

Even though I love my bass, they can sound muddier in the mix with other instruments--this doesn't mean they WILL, but that they CAN. So a good bass amp is essential, and you may need to tweak the overall sound with a band. But it's not difficult to do. So don't let that discourage you. Just be aware it MIGHT be an issue. Then again it might not be.

The other problem is getting new strings. Most music stores don't stock short scale bass strings. Long scale strings will not work as well because of how they are attached to the bass at the tuning end. So if you want a consistent brand you either need to find a store that stocks them on a regular basis--or else order them.

Again--not a reason to not get a shortscale bass--just something to consider.

Mustang-Pete

zontar said: I don't have a Mustang bass, but I have an EB-3 copy (EB-3 were SG shaped Gibson basses) They too are short scale basses.

Don't you mean the EB-0? My brother has an Epi EB-0 and it's short scale. I'm pretty sure the EB-3 was the regular scale length one.

zontar

The EB-3 was short scale, but later Gibson did make the EB-3L--which was a long scale.

The EB-3 had 2 pickups, the EB-0 had only 1.

http://www.vintageguitars.org.uk/eb3.php

http://www.flyguitars.com/gibson/bass/EB3.php

Mustang-Pete

Oh right! I never realised they made a short scale EB-3, as the only experience I've had with them was the longer scale one.

funtoosh

i played an epi EB-0 in a shop for a couple of minutes and found it to be very, very unbalanced and neck-heavy, is the EB-3 any different?

what i love about my bronco is it

Qwank

SGs are VERY neck heavy. especially this doubleneck i got. its a work out to play the thing and hold the necks up.

i was looking at the EB series basses too as i'm a fan of Gibson/Epiphone. but for some reason i just can't cant into an SG style bass.

and to answer the question above. aside from the fact that the body is plywood 😲 the double neck is made really well. it even has stock bone nuts on both necks. i wish they didnt cheap out on the body wood. i heard the new '08 models are solid mahogany though.

Mustang-Pete

Qwank said: i was looking at the EB series basses too as i'm a fan of Gibson/Epiphone. but for some reason i just can't cant into an SG style bass..

Funny you should say this... I don't like the SG guitar in the slightest. It's just wrong, wrong, wrong.

However, the EB series seem to be strangely attractive to me...

Wierd 😲

zontar

My EB-3 copy isn't neck heavy--the body is made of maple though, not mahogany--maybe that makes enough difference.

Mustang-Pete

zontar said: My EB-3 copy isn't neck heavy--the body is made of maple though, not mahogany--maybe that makes enough difference.

I dunno, maple and mahogany are both pretty damn heavy.

Robbmonster

I was thinking of getting a Squier Bronco Bass (just to dink around with) and I too suffer from small hand syndrome. Of course, this doesn't stop me playing full-scale guitars...

Anyways, I read somewhere that finding strings for shortscale basses can be difficult. Is this true at all??

tragictravisty

why would it be? are the red bits at the top all-important?

Robbmonster

tragictravisty said: why would it be? are the red bits at the top all-important?

I haven't a clue. That's why i ask.

Mustang-Pete

Yeah, it is important to have proper short scale strings for a short scale bass. Bass stings are thick, and they get narrower at the machine head end (so they fit in the hole and round the tuner more easily)

I dunno if this'll help at all, but here's a really good site where you can get strings from. It might just be a UK thing though...

http://www.stringbusters.com/index.htm

They have short scale, medium scale, long scale and super long scale strings! (they are sorted into manufacturer, so try Rotosound or D'Addario)

funtoosh

there are the stock fender shortscale strings that are quite good already. they