Kids BASS shortlist

I had a look at the SX. They look like a good option but no European stockists that I can find and adding shipping, duties, tax and brokerage fees makes it unviable.

Thanks for the suggestion though.

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I’ve played with one of these and was seriously impressed:

Super light, set in neck, dual truss rod, contoured body, looks like a Specwick, costs about $350 in stores. Quality seemed ok - not perfect but not bad at all.

Here’s one for 261 euro in Slovakia:

https://musicsquare.sk/155663_SX-SWB1-NA-basova-gitara.html

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I’m loving the look of them @howard . Very Warwick Jazzman-ish

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It looks exactly like a Spector Euro or Warwick Streamer with Jazzman style pups, yeah.

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Just had a search and we can only get the P or P/J SXs in Oz . Maybe a good thing :joy:

A music shop in my home town sells SX basses, but hardly any of them are in stock. Apparently they are very hard to get these days.

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That seems to be the story all over @Mike_NL
No one has stock in hand.

I’ll add them to the shortlist anyway in case that changes over the coming months.

I could see this Jazz clone being a viable option.

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Well I spoke too soon.
I found a SX stockist 45min drive away.
Although, they’re a stockist without any actual stock!

I might take a trip over the weekend under some excuse (Hey, I need picks and strings!) to see if anything there grabs her attention.

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It’s daddy daughter bonding time. That’s all the “excuse” you need brother.

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@eric.kiser I had noticed the same thing the first time I saw Lara Lee. She plays a SX Ursa 2 RN:

Do you know what pickups she upgraded to?

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I’ve read and heard really good things about the MEZZO. Actually thinking of one for myself at some point. Might be the best compromise of all from a pricing, size and quality standpoint.

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Agreed, the Mezzo look great and given the colour options they could be top of the list.
They just don’t seem to be in stock in Europe yet.

No rush though, I can be patient.

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Here ya go! short scale and headless, and comes in silver, pink, black, and green

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/EHB1000SPMM--ibanez-bass-workshop-ehb1000s-bass-guitar-pink-gold-metallic-matte?mrkgadid=3248788285&mrkgcl=28&mrkgen=gpla&mrkgbflag=0&mrkgcat=&acctid=21700000001645388&dskeywordid=92700058005760118&lid=92700058005760118&ds_s_kwgid=58700006425854347&ds_s_inventory_feed_id=97700000007215323&dsproductgroupid=377754209012&product_id=EHB1000SPMM&prodctry=US&prodlang=en&channel=online&storeid=&device=c&network=g&matchtype=&adpos=largenumber&locationid=9061079&creative=473092234747&targetid=pla-377754209012&campaignid=11205481652&awsearchcpc=1&gclid=CjwKCAjwhaaKBhBcEiwA8acsHAC59Q0UfUnOSz7qRfv9XsU8dBe8mKeM59PBjLvzDhGC1iT_waFj3RoCd4EQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

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@KenKnight I dont think she said. In the rig rundown video I saw, she said the guitarist did the upgrade. I don’t think she is very gear oriented.

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…and then she’s going to need her own amp! And I daresay finding a strap that adjusts short enough might take some seeking.

+1 to all who said let her choose. And of course, as Josh suggests in his course, a good setup will make any of these a good choice (well, maybe not the u-bass for a first instrument!)

By the way, when I was about her age I asked to learn the upright bass, but no-one took that seriously. So bravo to you for doing this.

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Thanks for the comments @Nickceol and welcome to the forum.

She already has a 3/4 strat that she’s had for a couple of years and is currently rapidly outgrowing.
We found this Fender strap that goes as short as 76cm (about 30") which was perfect for a kiddie to grow into. It should be fine for a lightweight bass too.

If the bass is on the heavier side we might need to find a wider strap which could be problematic.

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My son is 7, approaching 8 and he has been using an Ibanez GSRM20 but finds it too small now. He is using a 29“ J&D Jazz Bass now but has tried a 32“ Ibanez Mezzo (that you have in your list) and finds it very comfortable. He can barely reach all tuners but that doesn‘t stop him from enjoying playing :smile:

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I’m in a band (coming up on three years since I started learning to play the bass) and have a Gretsch Junior Jet short scale, having small hands and being a smaller woman. I use a Fender amp. Had copper lining put in the bass and it further helped to reduce system noise. I’ve been very pleased with both of them! SO much fun! I used a full scale bass briefly but it was simply too long for me to comfortably handle and play. The Gretsch is so affordable, comfortable and plays well. I’m no bass expert by ANY means, but the Junior Jet has worked well for me—it’s worth looking into for your daughter.

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That’s very helpful @RA , thanks for sharing your experience.

How do you find the weight of the Gretsch?

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Hmmm…. I am not as strong as I’m aging (working on changing that though!) so many things feel heavier to me than ten years ago. However, the Junior Jet has obviously solid weight to it but I do not struggle at all with it. Honestly, it’s just heaviest in the Gretsch case that I put it in to gig—which adds a lot of weight to it. If your daughter isn’t hauling it around to gigs like I am, leaving it on a stand should not present weight issues at all (I personally love the Hercules guitar stand for my bass because it is so strong and stable). When I bought mine there was no case for it. The music shop gave me a Gretsch guitar case but my Junior Jet was small inside. I didn’t like it banging around so I used some memory foam to line the bottom of the case and cut a strip of memory foam that I wedge around the sides of the bass body when packing it up to keep it protected and stable. It works great! Just an idea if you run into that problem with whatever bass you choose for her. As for your daughter not caring for the sunburst finish effect, I am not a fan of that either but I do have it. Wish I had seen the solid colors— which are limited, but black or green would’ve been fine with me. The finish is very durable, by the way.

One more consideration— perhaps for the future if you think the cost is too much now for a child…
I am having a pocket bass made by a luthier in Texas named Scott Beckwith of Birdsong Guitars. He has a fb page and website. If you look on his builds page mine is the Sparrow SP 014. It is a 25 1/2 inch— I spoke to him for a while about the fact that I’ve got back issues, small hands, etc., and play sitting because of my back and he suggested the Sparrow. I should’ve had it last spring after a predicted year’s wait, but COVID really put a damper on his ability to get parts in a timely manner so he’s close to being done but waiting on parts. I chose this bass for ease of playing due to MUCH less fret stretch and size. I know pocket basses can have a bad rap but he assured me it will have even better sound than my Gretsch which I am very pleased with. He doesn’t frequently make the pocket size Sparrows— he specializes more in short scale basses (31 inch) which have a FULL LENGTH bass sound due to his design. Prices are above $1000 starting—FYI, but occasionally you can find a used one online for sale online. Gorgeous basses and he is definitely an honorable man running an honorable business. He’s got some good YouTube videos showing the basses and sound if you’re interested.

I’m excited for your daughter. Wish I had started playing as a child, but starting at 54 still seems to be workout well!:slightly_smiling_face: Wishing you well.

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