I have been tempted on this one too, but I can't get past the My Chemical Romance association. I might consider picking one up, and sticking it under my bed until a few years after the band breaks up, and Mikey Way is forgotten about.

The Exotics 1994-Current
The Chickenshack - www.wmse.org
www.thedoghouseflowers.com
www.uptownsavages.com

Hahahaha... that bass is cool but funny story... I used to play in a hardcore punk band in the late 90's/early 2000's. We played with these guys before they were famous and they were terrible. The singer had a large rip in his crotch and kept putting his foot up on the monitors while singing. Vile.

I had my first indication today I MIGHT not get full arm extension out of my left shoulder. These things happen. It means I MIGHT need to replace my standard-scale Squier Vintage Modified J-Bass (with a unique vintage-tinted bird's-eye maple neck and finger board ) with a short scale bass. One of the various Squier Mustang or Jaguar SS basses may end up replacing it. I just don't know about this one. I can't imagine it has the right sound.

This is Noel. Reverb's at maximum an' I'm givin' 'er all she's got.

What gives me hope is not many people seem to be aware of this bass. Now give me 5 minutes with a bit of sandpaper and the signature on the back of the headstock is history I played in various obscure punk & hardcore bands for about 10 years yet never heard of these guys, and after checking their music I'm glad I didn't

Noel, I'm sorry to hear that I hope you can keep your J-bass. I've just sold my good old P-bass as I don't play bass as much as I used to (I was a one-man bass band at some point before I found the way of Surf) and I've been looking at the Squier Jag basses too, but this one really caught my eye because of the cool finish and the string through body.

Old punks never die... They just become surf rockers.

Insect Surfers
The Tikiyaki Orchestra
The Scimitars
Lords Of Atlantis
Fiberglass Jungle - Surf Radio

Noel wrote:

I had my first indication today I MIGHT not get full arm extension out of my left shoulder. These things happen. It means I MIGHT need to replace my standard-scale Squier Vintage Modified J-Bass (with a unique vintage-tinted bird's-eye maple neck and finger board ) with a short scale bass. One of the various Squier Mustang or Jaguar SS basses may end up replacing it. I just don't know about this one. I can't imagine it has the right sound.

Some years ago, I had to move to a short scale bass. I have a Japanese made Mustang, which sounds like a P-Bass, albeit a bit more understated. I also have a short scale Warwick fretless with J-Bass style pickups, and a Japanese made Bass VI. All three sound good to my ear. The Warwick being very powerful, while the VI is useful as a bass, if played fingerstyle and with at least two pickups activated.

My point is that short scale basses can be pretty good instruments. You won’t get the pop out of them than a long scale bass provides, but they can do a lot of genres, and do them justice. Even if the tendinitis in my left arm cleared completely, I don’t think I’d go back to a long scale bass.

The artist formerly known as: Synchro

When Surf Guitar is outlawed only outlaws will play Surf Guitar.

Redfeather wrote:

I agree that short scale basses are a valuable asset. It has come to be that the only bass I keep nearby for recording is my Danelectro longhorn. So light, so easy to play, and it sounds great.

Leo Fender knocked it out of the park with the original P-Bass and the 34” scale. It changed the world of music. The 30” scale came along later, but surprisingly it works quite well in its own right and it has a different attack that some folks feel is similar to the sound of a double bass. I had a Jazz Bass, a P-Bass with a J-Bass pickup in the bridge position and a Warwick Corvette, all long scale, when the tendons in my left arm started protesting, but I found that I could play a short scale all day long. I thought that I’d miss my long scales, but I really don’t.

The artist formerly known as: Synchro

When Surf Guitar is outlawed only outlaws will play Surf Guitar.

It is no secret I dig mustangs.
Recently I acquired both a JMJ mustang and a squier mini p bass.
Well, I have to admit I am surprised by the tonal quality of the jmj mustang. The pickups truly are an upgrade to the Japanese. Apart from that.. The neck and body are different also (width, fatness).
The mini p... Boy, I bought it as a toy for my kids. But right out of the package it seemed a decent little bass. Now, a new pickup set, bridge and tuners further.. This is truly an incredibly little bass. With these strings and pickups, it outplays my Japanese mustangs, both mij and CIJ. Cheers, Andy

www.LosVenturas.be

Redfeather wrote:

I'm going to stick my neck out and voice my opinion that the tone of a bass guitar isn't really all that important for the kind of music we discuss on this forum.

Usually, all I'm interested in hearing from the bass is the rumbly low end with maybe a little of the top for some clarity. The sound of a P-bass on its own is truly glorious and I love James Jamerson's thing as much as anybody but for surf, my feeling is that the bass tone should be subservient to that of the guitars. This is why the short scale works so well for me.

I also have a Bronco bass but I greatly prefer the Dano.

I think the bass is actually very important, as are the drums.. for me the best surf , especially the 1st wave , was very rhythm centric , with the guitar being the star (obviously)

I think the best bass sound for surf is a P or J bass with Flatwound strings…. I’m not really a fan of bass with bright sounding strings in surf , which seemed to become popular in the second wave…

a good bass sound should move you inside like a big truck or low flying jetliner.

Don't Fear the Reverb ! Grateful Surf ! SURFIN' Tiki Bandits !
I can be reached through the following or at don@donschott.com. :

www.donschott.com
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