Short scale bass review

@cmalnyk, that’s exactly what I feel too. I also have a Bronco that I really like, but while the U5’s caught my eye with the build quality and the good review by Low End Lobster, I’m not really feeling the color options on the U5. The tobacco and natural almost look identical ( not a big flame finish fan either) and the other option is the mint color, yuck.
Thing is, I too don’t want to shell out the cash as I’m in a good place right now with gear. Tempting as other options are, I’m staying with the Bronco.

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I have been considering what to do with my tax return, and a shorty bass is a possibility. But I agree the U5 color options are not appealing.

G&L tribute fallout would be on the short list

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I can deal with this flame finish, but I agree with the mint. Why in the hell is it such a popular bass color. it and the powder baby blues and some of the weird colors, alot that end up on SBMM Ray4’s and stingrays in general.
makes me wonder who buys some of these colors for such expensive basses on the USA EBMM Stingrays

I will say, that new Dropped Copper on the SBMM SS Stingray is very nice. tho.

I have heard great tings, and there are a few on my list from G&L, but they are not all SS

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Here is an interesting option. Configure your bass any way you like it, including SS for the same price.

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Took a friend to the second hand store and he walked out with a Yamaha MB3 for $160 that is in great shape. He absolutely loves this thing. Thats a whole lot of bass for $160.

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Hi @neobassist welcome to the forum! I don’t have any experience with short-scales although plenty of other members here do, you’ll definitely get lots of helpful feedback!

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hah, to each their own. I’ve bought both the mint green and baby blue ones. I love those colors on classic looking basses, reminds me of 50s car colors like old Bel-Airs. wouldn’t work on a modern metal looking bass though.

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That actually makes a sense to me, I get the color reminding you of things from yesteryears,
Still, I have a hard time making the soft pastel-ish colors work for me.
I am more Atomic Orange, Coverrtte Yellow, Metalic Blue or Olive Green kind of guy.

Like on my Slo Special, it is white not my first choice, but the bass it is the right bass, a EBMM Stingray with Jazz neck, and was the right price,
So, I just gotta change that with pick guard mod, I love the bass, but I gotta get some color popping out of it.

This is my first choice right now, I can’t find anything orange, I would have to go custom, so if I can get this for the right price, it is choice 1
V for Vendetta

I wish it had more red in it TBH, so
but this one might be a little too much like mint green, or pastel-ish for me IDK if I could do it with a white background, maybe if it were black something else, IDK, but I do like the pickguard

But if I can’t find the other one, I may just go solid red and make it pop big time.

I just can’t live with the white and tortoise color that is on it, it is too bland

Oh, and
And to stay on topic, imagine I have a White Stingray SS bass, not a Slo Special to put this on. :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

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Cool! I love the MB’s, cute little basses, fun and easy to play, great tone. They have a cult following.

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It’s not that the colors are bad, but they’re not me. I can’t rock pastel. My bass is black, you really can’t go wrong with black. White, Red (candy apple), cyan, if I were to go with a color I would want it to stand out. Natural wood tone is always good, not as much into veneers though.

The bass really should be an expression of yourself. Mint isn’t me.

Still checking out shortys

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I’m really trying not to be jealous , ur not helping…:laughing:

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There’s a ton of them at Shimokura in Ochanomizu :slight_smile:

Decent looking MB40 on Mercari right now too.

https://www.mercari.com/jp/items/m20891251832/

Might have a little neck warp there.

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I’m definitely a fan of the mb3…if for no other reason than the headstock…not to mention the tone…I might would have traded one of my other ones for it…but that would have been a tough choice I love all mine…they make me sound so much better than I am

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I love my Mikro too - ridiculously fun to play and shockingly fat, full tone! Dirt cheap - and tiny enough for standard guitar case so ideal for traveling.

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Yup, those Mikro are fun super lightweight bass guitars. Mine also sounds awesome. :+1::+1:

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Never seent this bass before. That headstock looks like a sand shovel.

If anyone says anything about your bass then you just start digging. They’re like “what are you doing?” You say “digging your funky grave mf, get right in”

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hahaha…Yamaha should have used that as part of their marketing scheme

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I love them all. The Motion Basses are just neat little basses. Tons and tons of them on the cheap used as well.

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I just stumbled upon this… Millimetric Instruments from Canada.
www.millimetric.ca
The idea of ambidextrous design is interesting.
As an industrial designer many things make a lot of sense.
I can’t speak from the musicians point of view.
Screen Shot 2021-06-11 at 10.09.11
Screen Shot 2021-06-11 at 10.07.35

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Not sure I like the design. The top wing (not the proper term most likely) of the bass generally aligns with the 12th fret, so the bass is balanced when you attach a strap. Basses that don’t do that like a T-bird tend to neck dive.

This is probably why the headstock has a hole to counter act that.

Also the controls seem in the way if you were to flip it and play lefty

Interesting design though

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