Well, not quite a review, but a blindfold “quiz” on short scale basses:
I actually picked out the Fender 
And the DanElectro actually sounds pretty good to, even though I don’t care for its looks at all!
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Very interesting. Notes I took while listening (comma between fingerstyle, pick)
1: tone good, tone very good
2: meh blah boring, ok a bit better
3: nice and bright, sounds rich - nice
4: great, great
5: great, great
so for me I would probably rank them in this order:
Danelectro
Fender
Gretsch
Hofner
Gibson
That Danelectro looks deliciously weird. I am surprised I liked it so much given its pickups would normally be my least favorite.
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I am on the fence between the Fender and the Danelectro, sound-wise. At the end of the day, however, I just can’t see myself with one of them longhorns 
Now, if I was from San Antonio… 
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I would be tempted to paint it like an octopus.
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All the proportions are just off on that design…
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I’m surprised the Gibson was so… bland. I’ve heard them elsewhere and they definitely did not sound that boring. Usually they are super boomy - that neck pickup is brilliant. Was that an actual Gibson or an Epiphone?
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Well, she said Gibson… I don’t think they would just sneak in an Epiphone at Thomann’s… but, yeah, it was a bit “thin”.
I liked the looks of the Gretsch - hadn’t seen one “up close” before (i.e., never really looked into Gretsch - I thought they were mostly known for their semi-acoustic basses!?!)
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Yeah Gretsch is most famous for their hollow bodies. My guitarist best friend is a huge fan and has one, it sounds amazing.
Just checked and the Epi shortie only has one pickup, so that had to be the Gibson. It was definitely missing the SG tone I am used to from hearing others.
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I am just glad I successfully identified the Fender 
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Yeah it sounded like a P 
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Exactly 
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Being fairly new to all of this, I liked the way they all sounded. My comment/question is this: I have a Hofner bass and it ships with a thin piece of protective foam between the bridge and the body. I noticed that she left the protective foam on when she tested it. Shouldn’t she have tested it with the foam removed?
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yes @JerryP the foam can be protective or . . .
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That was that was the same order I pretty much got. with fender and Gretsch switching order for pick.
I did that blind with pen and paper and then went back and wrote then down and listened again, the appearance did not much affect on my sound rank
Edit:
Which is funny, cuz If I ranked them on appearance, the one I like best on top to the worst on bottom it would go:
Gretsch
Gibson
Fender
Hofner
Danelectro
Just goes to prove, “you can’t judge a book by the cover”.
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Just to stick to the topic of this thread again i want to give a short overview of this little new baby here . . .
you may ask: “Why a third bass? You are just a beginner?” and you are bloody right. But i´m not looking for a certain kind of shape, or a specific brand, i only care for sound and a certain tone that a bass can offer me. Although the Cort and the Chowny already offer a great variety, my ears wanted more and there it is, the Fender American Performer Mustang bass.
First i was looking for a cheaper kind of a mustang but than i saw a video by Andertons music where they compared the Mexican towards the American version and i wanted a string-through body and this certain combination of pu that can give both worlds of tone from PB to JB and all in between.
The making is absolutely doubtless and without a stain and it worked right out of the box for me. The only thing i´m missing is a thumbrest but that is just my personal taste and can be done later. On the other hand i´m really enchanted how easy this instrument is “painting pictures” just by turning its knobs. The special splitcoils can do a very full, round and smooth deep sound and the bridge pu is doing just the opposite, very quacky and twangy. This is supported by the excellent working greasebucket tone system which makes it so easy to fit the overall sound into everything you need. Nonetheless it is the perfect complement to my other 2 axes and all 3 are needed because they inspire me all the time to play bass and push my creativity. So if you are looking for a shortscale don´t hesitate, give it a try!
Cheers Bernd
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Congrats, Bernd! How is it going with the Chowny??
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If you’re looking for a cheap short scale that you can practice with at home, this’ll do just fine.
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Chowny is doin great @joergkutter thanx for your request. I put flatwounds on it and it’s a real pleasure cause it produces a very unique tone that I really appreciate.
And because I always try to play all my 3 basses I`m really busy with that 
but I love it and I am quite happy with my choice
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Here are a couple of reviews of this particular bass:
The opinions seem mixed.
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The Sire U5 short scale basses sound quite good. Perhaps a bit pricey compared to the Squire, Epiphone, and Harley Benton options that are available.
Would love to try one of these out but I already have a Squier Bronco that I’m satisfied with so don’t want to shell out any more money!
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