Short Love

[StevFargan]

A Short Love Story Made Long

Last week I went to Guitar Center to try some P Basses to see and hear how they felt, sounded, and to decide if I really needed one (I already have two Jazz basses, one fretted and one fretless along with a Sterling StingRay 4HH.)

I thought that I might like the Squier Sonic P Bass due to the narrower neck. I wanted to compare how it felt to other P Basses and also hear if there was a noticeable difference in the tone of some higher end Fender P Basses.

Well, while the nut width on the Squier Sonic was comfortable, other aspects were not all that impressive. The frets felt sharp and the tone sounded sort of uneven when playing up and down the fretboard.

I tried a number of MIM as well as some more expensive American made P Basses. I pleasantly surprised myself when I was able to play on a wider neck, but it still wasn’t anywhere near as comfy as a Jazz neck. I was unpleasantly surprised that the higher priced P Basses also had some sharp frets. The tone on these basses was a bit better, but not really amazing considering the Squier Sonic is less than $200 and the American made Fender P Basses were still over $1600 on sale.

Since it was an hour and a half drive one way to Guitar Center, I thought I might as well try some other basses.

I tried an Epiphone Jack Casady semi-hollow bass. It had a different sound while playing and a different feel to it. However, I didn’t really like the wider neck and the raised pick guard seemed kind of weird.

Then I saw a bass that I had passed by, a used Fender Mustang Bass with PJ pickups. It was love at second glance. When looking more closely I saw beautiful wood grain. When I picked it up it felt like it fit right into my hands. The smooth neck with smooth frets felt so inviting. Playing was pure pleasure and so very easy. The variety of tones caressed my ears and touched my soul.
Why didn’t I leave the store with it? Well, it had a tag that said, due to some local regulations (having something to do with it being used), that it wouldn’t be available for sale until December 1st. GAS was shut down. It gave me time to think about it and I have been thinking about this bass a lot.
Should I have put money down on this bass when I was at the store?
Do I need another bass?
Do I need a short scale?
Do I need this particular bass?
How or why does this bass fill me with desire?
Will this bass be available?
Should I call and see about having them hold it for me?

Answers, advice, and even other questions would be greatly appreciated.

(I know that I could have posted this in the GAS thread, but after reading through all 1380 previous posts here, this felt like the place to be.)

[AZBob]

@StevFargan

Should I have put money down on this bass when I was at the store?

Probably.

@StevFargan

Do I need another bass?

Always.

@StevFargan

Do I need a short scale?

Absolutely!

@StevFargan

Do I need this particular bass?

Let’s see…

@StevFargan

Playing was pure pleasure and so very easy. The variety of tones caressed my ears and touched my soul.

This is the way.

[howard]

The only way to get rid of a temptation is to yield to it. Resist it, and your soul grows sick with longing for the things it has forbidden to itself, with desire for what its monstrous laws have made monstrous and unlawful - Oscar Wilde (from The Picture of Dorian Gray)

[MikeC]

The answers to your questions are “yes.” Call the store and have them hold it for you.

If, and only if, you have a change of heart before the deal is done, cancel it. Simple.

If, and only if, you have a change of mind after you buy it, sell it. Also simple.

If, and only if, you don’t get it to begin with, you will forever slam yourself with unanswerable regret. Sad but true.

So go with God, my son, and sin no more.

[soulman]

@StevFargan

I tried a number of MIM as well as some more expensive American made P Basses. I pleasantly surprised myself when I was able to play on a wider neck, but it still wasn’t anywhere near as comfy as a Jazz neck. I was unpleasantly surprised that the higher priced P Basses also had some sharp frets.

That can happen due to low humidity in the store. They don’t leave the factory that way but if the neck dries out due to the low humidity the wood shrinks a bit leaving the fret ends exposed.

If filed smooth when they’re like that you’ll never have that issue again. Or if you keep your bass in a humidified room the neck will re-hydrate and swell enough to keep the fret ends from being exposed. It’s good to keep all of our guitars and basses at 40%-60% humidity as much as possible.

GC will also put a 30 day hold on used gear it buys in the event it’s been stolen and being tracked by law enforcement. I believe pawn shops are subject to that same regulation. If you want it call the store and ask them to hold it for you until 12/1. If they refuse pay for it. GC has a 45 day return policy so you can even take it home to see if it works for you. If not you return it for a refund.

[Al1885]

@AZBob

This is the way.

This is the way.

[Al1885]

@StevFargan

Since it was an hour and a half drive one way to Guitar Center

3 hour drive is half the price of the Sonic P-bass in my neck of the wood.

[Whying_Dutchman]

@Al1885

3 hour drive is half the price of the Sonic P-bass in my neck of the wood.

Only with American cars

[Al1885]

@Whying_Dutchman

@Al1885

3 hour drive is half the price of the Sonic P-bass in my neck of the wood.

Only with American cars

Well yeah! Russian or Chinese cars will be the price of the bass,

[Whying_Dutchman]

Russian cars would be the price of some cheap strings nowadays.

But for the Lada Niva it’s worth it

[david.addis]

Should you buy it?!?

@StevFargan

When I picked it up it felt like it fit right into my hands. The smooth neck with smooth frets felt so inviting. Playing was pure pleasure and so very easy. The variety of tones caressed my ears and touched my soul.

Seems like you’ve answered your own question.

[itsratso]

@StevFargan

this felt like the place to be.

it is thanx!

[faydout]

@soulman

It’s good to keep all of our guitars and basses at 40%-60% humidity as much as possible.

How pray tell do you accomplish this in Colorado?

[itsratso]

simple, you build a walk in humidor

[sunDOG]

@StevFargan

Should I have put money down on this bass when I was at the store?
Do I need another bass?
Do I need a short scale?
Do I need this particular bass?
How or why does this bass fill me with desire?
Will this bass be available?
Should I call and see about having them hold it for me?

As a famous sports brand states, Just Do It!

As someone else stated, you can always cancel, or sell it on…

This is the wrong place post a post regarding should I, shouldn’t I … we are only ever going to say do it

[itsratso]

should you get the short scale bass? yes.

well that was easy… next!

[soulman]

Small room humidifier. I use this one. It’s available at Walmart for $60. They can be had for anywhere from around $30-$60 for one that can humidify a room. Mine is good for up to 260sf so it will humidify a larger area than my 12x12 gear room.

[soulman]

Ya’ don’t even have to build one. You just create one out of a room you already have with a room humidifier. I keep a hygrometer in my gear room and use a small ultrasonic humidifier to keep the RH in the room above 40%.

[Al1885]

@sunDOG

As a famous sports brand states, Just Do It!

I love Adidas!!

[Wombat-metal]

@StevFargan

due to some local regulations (having something to do with it being used),

Do you live in Seattle? Because in this neck of the woods, they have pawn shop rules, that you can’t resell used stuff for a period, and I think it’s to make sure the owner is the one selling it and not someone else. They also take your thumbprint when you sell it. Weird