I just started Josh’s Beginner to Badass course. I am learning on a Mustang clone with a 1.5” nut. I travel a lot for work and am thinking of picking up a Traveler Ultralight bass in order to keep up with the course and practice when I am traveling. The Traveler has a 1.75” nut width. I am looking for opinions about how the different nut width might impact my learning. Thoughts.
I had the ultra lite and sold it for their travel P bass instead. Much better sound etc. the ultra lites piezo pickup is very brittle and not the best sound.
As far as nut width goes, that’s the least of your concerns to be honest. The scale difference and string spacing are a bigger difference than nut width.
All that said, you can and should be able to get used to the smaller bass. They are great for maintaining practice while traveling. Mine goes with me whenever I fly.
Thanks for the input. I did not even consider string spacing. As for scale, both my mustang clone and the Traveler Ultralight are 30". I am at the point In life (58-years old) that I am content learning on and sticking with short scale basses.
I was Googling this morning and came across the Hofner shorty and violin shorty basses. I am going to look at them too for travel.
Thanks again.
This is what I have, you can generally find them used all the time locally or on Reverb.
I paid $250 for mine.
Nut width is a subjective subject, some folks like a specific size in nut, I used to but as I played different basses it matters less. What I do have preferences in is neck profiles.
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I agree. A good feeling neck is an absolute. Otherwise, I tend to really get tied up and my muting sucks.