Fender Short Scale Bass

TDubs · September 2022

Reluctantly took up bass duties in a new project with some mates but found myself really enjoying it. I think this is possibly been because I’ve been leant a short scale Fender Mustang bass and I’ve found it a lot easier to play than my other bass experiences.

This will stem from my guitar routes but prefer guitars with a nitro finish over poly. Have seen the JMJ bass that has a nitro finish which I like

https://www.fender.com/en-GB/electric-basses/mustang-bass/jmj-road-worn-mustang-bass/0144060390.html

But then have seen Fender do a mustang bass with an added P/J style pickup which appeals from a flexibility of sound perspective.

https://www.fender.com/en-GB/electric-basses/mustang-bass/limited-edition-player-mustang-bass-pj-surf-green/0140118557.html

However this model and the American performer are poly/lacquer finish.

Is anyone aware of a past or present Fender short scale bass model that has a nitro finish with the dual pickup (mustang and P/J) configuration?

louis_LLM · September 2022

I’ve got the JMJ Bass in black, I use it regularly for country stuff and in my heavy shoegaze band, it seems to do everything, the pick-up is great, I just swap between flats and rounds and it has massive sonic difference. Had J and P basses before it and ditched them all, really can’t say enough good things about it!

In answer to your question, best bet is probably looking at recent FSR stuff, possibly getting an import model, most of the historic mustang basses in nitro finish have the split coil pickup a la the JMJ bass.

fretmeister · September 2022

I'd ask on Basschat - there's a thread dedicated to shorties and there's some guys on there who are very knowledgeable about this stuff.

TDubs · September 2022

Thanks @louis_LLM the FSRs I’ve seen are noted as gloss finish I think. Good to hear your positive feedback on the JMJ.

Will check out Basschat @fretmeister in fact I think I may have stumbled across that site the other day when I was researching!

fretmeister · September 2022

If it doesn't have to be a Fender, then Sandberg make an excellent Shortscale - the Lionel.

The Lionel VS4 is a P bass type and the Lionel VT4 is a PJ type. They are available in gloss and matt finishes. Might need to be an order to get exactly what you want though.

I have one in the build queue. Delivery next March / April. Can't wait!

Brize · September 2022

I wouldn't worry about nitro or poly on a bass - it's not like it's a proper guitar.

Whatever you do with that Mustang, get some La Bella strings on it:

https://www.stringsdirect.co.uk/strings-c1/string-sets-c865/bass-guitar-c34/la-bella-760f-mus-stainless-steel-flat-wound-30-scale-fender-mustang-bass-43-104-p9677

TDubs · September 2022

Brize said:

I wouldn't worry about nitro or poly on a bass - it's not like it's a proper guitar.

@Brize could you elaborate on this point?

and do those strings make that much of a difference given they are two or three times more expensive than others that are available?

Brize · September 2022

TDubs said:

Brize said:

I wouldn't worry about nitro or poly on a bass - it's not like it's a proper guitar.

@Brize could you elaborate on this point?

and do those strings make that much of a difference given they are two or three times more expensive than others that are available?

It was slightly tongue in cheek, but the nitro/poly isn't going to affect the tone so it doesn't seem like an important point in your choice of instrument.

Those strings transformed my Mustang but your experience may differ.

ICBM · September 2022

My advice would be to get the original single-pickup Mustang Bass, in a nitro finish if you like that.

The PJ one looks like it should have more sounds and flexibility, but in practice they’re somehow too much of a good thing on a short-scale bass - it’s like there’s too much going on frequency-wise and they sound muddy and confused, especially on the P pickup. I’ve played several of them and they’ve all been like it - even just using the J pickup, they don’t sound “right”.

The ‘Pawnshop’ one they did a few years ago with a Wide Range humbucker was the same - overblown and muddy - I had one which I rewired the pickup to parallel, which was much better but still not as good as the classic Mustang. The traditional small single pickup has more clarity and just sounds more musical - versatility can come from the way you play it, like a P Bass but smaller.

To be honest even the cheap Squier Bronco Bass with its single-coil guitar pickup under a plain cover sounds better than the PJ Mustang…! I recently helped a friend buy a bass and the choice was between those two - he bought the Squier, and not just because it was literally a quarter of the price, it actually sounded better.

I would also add that personally I wouldn't put flatwounds on a Mustang, even the La Bellas - I haven't tried those, but Mustangs I've played with other flats in the past just sound muffled and lack clarity between the notes. Much more so than a 34" scale they need brighter and more responsive strings to get the definition. On the other hand I do play more punky music (with a pick) and I need the attack - like a lot of players in the 1970s seemed to, I like a Mustang because it's the Fender which sounds closest to a Rickenbacker in some ways

.

TDubs · September 2022

Thanks @ICBM your comments, on pickups, seems to align with other comments I’ve read whilst digging around.

There also seems to be a lot of love for the JMJ series Mustang especially the pickups.

fretmeister · September 2022

The JMJ has a different neck to the others - it's more like a traditional P bass neck. The others are more jazz like.

Hopefully that suits you. I like the look of the black relic one but I prefer a smaller neck.

TDubs · September 2022

fretmeister said:

The JMJ has a different neck to the others - it's more like a traditional P bass neck. The others are more jazz like.

Hopefully that suits you. I like the look of the black relic one but I prefer a smaller neck.

@fretmeister the bass i'm borrowing (and am enjoying) is a squier mustang bass. When you say 'others' do you mean the mustang i'm using is like a jazz neck? So, like you, I seem to like a small neck so a JMJ may not work for me as it has a P bass neck?

Not many JMJs around so trying one is going to be tricky!

paulnb57 · September 2022

This slightly modded Squier Bronco is excellent
Rail humbucker and Hipshot Ultralights, the tuners cost almost as much as the Bass!

Great fun and surprisingly good out of the box, highly underrated and cheap as chips

rze99 · September 2022

And pretty cool in a trimmed back rock and roll way

Zoonyboy · September 2022

Squier modified SS Jaguar bass from around 10 years ago. Brilliant, and has P/J pickups, nice neck. I have a 76 Mustang and this thing is just as good. Cost me £192 brand new and was in tune when it arrived. Never changed a thing.

fretmeister · September 2022

TDubs said:

fretmeister said:

The JMJ has a different neck to the others - it's more like a traditional P bass neck. The others are more jazz like.

Hopefully that suits you. I like the look of the black relic one but I prefer a smaller neck.

@fretmeister the bass i'm borrowing (and am enjoying) is a squier mustang bass. When you say 'others' do you mean the mustang i'm using is like a jazz neck? So, like you, I seem to like a small neck so a JMJ may not work for me as it has a P bass neck?

Not many JMJs around so trying one is going to be tricky!

Is it the Classic Vibe one?

That has a 38.1mm nut - jazz type. The JMJ is 41.3 like a P bass

TDubs · September 2022

Is it the Classic Vibe one?

That has a 38.1mm nut - jazz type. The JMJ is 41.3 like a P bass

Not sure but I’ve measured the nut and it’s 38.1mm.

Every days a school day!

ICBM · September 2022

Zoonyboy said:

Squier modified SS Jaguar bass from around 10 years ago. Brilliant, and has P/J pickups, nice neck. I have a 76 Mustang and this thing is just as good. Cost me £192 brand new and was in tune when it arrived. Never changed a thing.

I’d forgotten those - you’re right, they sound very good, definitely better than the PJ Mustang, I think the active circuit helps a lot.

chris45 · September 2022

fretmeister said:

If it doesn't have to be a Fender, then Sandberg make an excellent Shortscale - the Lionel.

The Lionel VS4 is a P bass type and the Lionel VT4 is a PJ type. They are available in gloss and matt finishes. Might need to be an order to get exactly what you want though.

I have one in the build queue. Delivery next March / April. Can't wait!

@fretmeister did you order direct or can you tell me which dealer you used?

prowla · September 2022

I've got a MIM Mustang which I rather like; the other short scale I'd consider is a Gibson EB3 (aka. SG).

fretmeister · September 2022

chris45 said:

fretmeister said:

If it doesn't have to be a Fender, then Sandberg make an excellent Shortscale - the Lionel.

The Lionel VS4 is a P bass type and the Lionel VT4 is a PJ type. They are available in gloss and matt finishes. Might need to be an order to get exactly what you want though.

I have one in the build queue. Delivery next March / April. Can't wait!

@fretmeister did you order direct or can you tell me which dealer you used?

@chris45

I ordered through Classic and Cool guitars on recommendation from the Basschat massive.

https://classicandcoolguitars.co.uk/sandberg-new-basses/

We went through the exact specs I wanted including ones that are not available on the configurator, and I've paid a £250 deposit. Balance to be paid when it's built and ready to be delivered.

chris45 · September 2022

fretmeister said:

chris45 said:

fretmeister said:

If it doesn't have to be a Fender, then Sandberg make an excellent Shortscale - the Lionel.

The Lionel VS4 is a P bass type and the Lionel VT4 is a PJ type. They are available in gloss and matt finishes. Might need to be an order to get exactly what you want though.

I have one in the build queue. Delivery next March / April. Can't wait!

@fretmeister did you order direct or can you tell me which dealer you used?

@chris45

I ordered through Classic and Cool guitars on recommendation from the Basschat massive.

https://classicandcoolguitars.co.uk/sandberg-new-basses/

We went through the exact specs I wanted including ones that are not available on the configurator, and I've paid a £250 deposit. Balance to be paid when it's built and ready to be delivered.

Thanks for the info

fretmeister · September 2022

I'm a big fan of Sandbergs. I currently own 2, and I've had 3 others in the past.

Great basses.

dindude · September 2022

Don’t be entirely put off by the Mustang PJ, see for yourself if it works, I have a lot of time for mine, plays nice, and sounds great. The P pickup on its own is a bit woolly but the 2 together is a fine base tone and the J on its own gets a bit of honk going.

https://i.imgur.com/f2b1ece.jpg

Funkfingers · September 2022

Consider the Squier Mikey Way signature Mustang Bass. This came with a generic passive soapbar pickup and controls, making it easily upgradable using a professional quality aftermarket pickup.

The obvious choice is the EMG-35 series pickups, offering P, J and humbucker models plus a dual-mode model that switches between J and HB.

Seymour Duncan makes the passive NYC Soapbar - effectively, a double Jazz pickup - and the active Blackouts For Bass.

Bartolini, Delano, Nordstrand and others also make pickups in this size. I can not remember whether Aguilar offers any.

Thus, you could have a Mustang Bass and, then, choose how it will sound.

UnclePsychosis · September 2022

Funkfingers said:

Consider the Squier Mikey Way signature Mustang Bass.

Good luck finding one

If I was buying a Mustang I'd go for a JMJ.

Whitecat · September 2022

fretmeister said:

I'm a big fan of Sandbergs. I currently own 2, and I've had 3 others in the past.

Great basses.

+1 - probably the best value in western-made basses at the moment by quite a ways. I have a J-style that was quite frankly a bargain considering the spec. Absolutely worth checking out.

ICBM · September 2022

dindude said:

Don’t be entirely put off by the Mustang PJ, see for yourself if it works, I have a lot of time for mine, plays nice, and sounds great. The P pickup on its own is a bit woolly but the 2 together is a fine base tone and the J on its own gets a bit of honk going.

https://i.imgur.com/f2b1ece.jpg

It does look nice in that colour

. It’s a shame the ones I’ve tried just haven’t sounded good - possibly a pickup change might help.

On a slight OCD level it does annoy me that they can’t set the switches at the right height too! (Although easily fixed - the threads should be flush with the top of the nut.)

PrecisionGuided · September 2022

ICBM said:

dindude said:

Don’t be entirely put off by the Mustang PJ, see for yourself if it works, I have a lot of time for mine, plays nice, and sounds great. The P pickup on its own is a bit woolly but the 2 together is a fine base tone and the J on its own gets a bit of honk going.

https://i.imgur.com/f2b1ece.jpg

It does look nice in that colour . It’s a shame the ones I’ve tried just haven’t sounded good - possibly a pickup change might help.

On a slight OCD level it does annoy me that they can’t set the switches at the right height too! (Although easily fixed - the threads should be flush with the top of the nut.)

It's worse on a Jazz - the smallest knob is always miles off the deck - I slap a star washer on the pot-side of the panel for each pot - as you say minimal thread showing above the nuts is the way to go

Funkfingers · September 2022

By an amazing coincidence, a pre-owned MIM Mustang Bass has appeared at a guitar shop near me. (No affiliation.) The PJ pickups have been changed to Seymour Duncan Quarter Pound models. The bass is Sonic Blue - no competition stripe. The shop is asking £450. This may include a gigbag. Definitely no case. Shipping a possibility.

TDubs · September 2022

Funkfingers said:

By an amazing coincidence, a pre-owned MIM Mustang Bass has appeared at a guitar shop near me. (No affiliation.) The PJ pickups have been changed to Seymour Duncan Quarter Pound models. The bass is Sonic Blue - no competition stripe. The shop is asking £450. This may include a gigbag. Definitely no case. Shipping a possibility.

Thanks @Funkfingers Which shop is this?

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