I’m at the course 7 almost 8 on bassbuzz and i use a ibanez mikro. I am a women with small hands so shortscale bass are great for me i think! Recently i understanded that i love the bass sounds that are round, warm and thick. I think that i’m a little limited with my mikro to have a sound like that…Friends of mine say that if i play with the bass knob and stop the treble + add a chorus pedal it must do the trick…but i don’t know if it’s enough to please me. I look at the Squier rascal paranormal bass and it seems to be a richer instrument. What do you think? Would it be a logic move to buy a rascal for my second bass?
Welcome to the BassBuzz forum! No need to ever apologize for your English. You are with friends here. I am an American expat living in Arcachon, France. Your English is better than my French.
Concerning the Squier Paranormal Rascal bass…
It is an excellent short scale bass. There is one issue you need to consider: how far the bridge is from the bottom of the body. While it is a short scale bass, the reach to the first fret is longer (more like a long scale bass) because of it. If the reach is not a problem, don’t be afraid to buy one.
One thing you might want to try first is installing a set of flatwound strings on your Mikro. They are more likely to give you the sound you are looking for without buying a new bass, which still might not give you the sound you want without changing the strings.
La Bella is an excellent brand. They make a set of flatwounds for the Squier Mini P bass which is the exact same scale length as your Mikro (28.6”). Flatwound strings are more expensive than roundwounds, but still a lot less expensive than a new bass.
Here’s how they sound on the Squier Mini P. Note that they are slightly thicker than the stock strings on your Mikro, but that should be a benefit for you.
One more thing to try on your Mikro in addition to turning the Tone down to 25% or less, is to turn the volume of the bridge Jazz-style pickup completely off, and play just through the Precision-style neck pickup. That will also reduce the higher frequencies you are hearing.
I’ve had both. The Rascal is miles above the Mikro, both sonically and for playability, IMHO. As pointed out above, however, the Rascal is a short(er) scale neck on a regular size body. So I’d def try one in person if at all possible before splashing down the cash.
If not, if you go with Sweetwater or Guitar Center or something better known like that it shouldn’t be too much of a hassle to return it if necessary.
Totes second going into a store and trying a bunch of different basses of all different necks and bodies since it can be surprising what ends up feeling right.
If you don’t mind spending a little bit more money, let’s say $700 - $800. Sterling (made by Music Man) makes a 30” scale bass (Stingray short scale). That might be what you’re looking for. Guitar Center should probably have one of these on the rack. They come in a few colors also. You can try it out and see how it feels.
The Rascal is a great bass, the bridge placement is a bit odd and you may want to try it first. You can buy from GC and always return it no questions. You can also try a Squire Bass Vi - same body as a rascal and pretty much the same neck, it sounds way different but for feels it’s there.
The Sterling RaySS4 is also a great bass, super comfortable body and neck. I wish it was out there when I started. I highly recommend.
If you live in the neighborhood of Seattle let me know. I have something of a collection of short scale and have all this you could try.
Glad that you asked this question, Marianne, as I also have a mikro short scale since I wanted something low cost for small hands. Right now I’m not at the point where I want to get another bass, but would be interested in hearing about your experience playing other short scale basses. Best of luck on the search!
Thanks everybody for your advices. I’ve finally order a Squier paranormal rascal in green from a music center so I could return it in the 30 days if I’m not happy with it.
I’ll update you when I’ll have it in hand! Thanks!
Thanks!