I have spent the last week with my Traveler Ultralight short scale bass while on vacation with the family at the beach. My thoughts are…
I don’t care for short scale.
I don’t care for the super lightness of the Traveler Ultralight.
I don’t care for it’s piezo only pickup.
I don’t care for headless basses.
I don’t think I will use it much and will most likely go for sale.
The super lightness and lack of a headstock makes the bass move all over the place too easy, sitting or standing. I feel like I am fighting to keep the neck in one place to fret it. My finger spacing is so thrown off (I have gotten used to it) that now when I go home I will have to readjust to regular bass. Just. Not for me at all.
@JerryP, when you travel, do you take a full size bass on a plane?
I’m pretty sure @jerry has done a cover or two with his traveler bass, and they sound pretty good.
I haven’t played one, but I can imagine I’d feel pretty cramped up, sort of like going from a full size computer keyboard to a laptop keyboard (which I hate). I have played a U-bass and that’s pretty much how I felt.
I go from my short scale Hofner to the long scale and back many times and I have adapted. I remember the very first time I played a short scale, it threw my muscle memory way off and I had to stare at the fretboard. I’ve gotten to the point where I have two different sets of muscle memory, one for shorties and one for standard, and I’m able to play either without looking at the fretboard.
Interesting what you said about headless though, I’ve long been curious about those.
No, I take a full size when I drive to a project otherwise I take the Traveler. I can definitely relate to the scale difference and that is why I will be purchasing a full scale when I get to Hawaii. The short scale over a long period of time will throw me off.
The Ibanez GSRM20 Mikro might be a happy medium? It’s actually a shorter scale than the Traveler - something like 27.75 and is as compact as a guitar - fits in standard guitar case. It’s 8.3lbs vs the travelers 3.5lbs and it’s 9 inches longer overall (42" vs 33"). But its absolutely a “real bass” that has the heft and length you’re more used to and very decent PJ pickups , and a surprisingly deep, dark, booming tone- this thing is killer on Motown stuff without slap/pop (where it’s lack of high end become noticeable). And it’s less than half the price at $179 new.
I like it a lot except the even shorter scale will definitely throw me off.
I have been doing a lot of work on not looking at the fretboard when practicing, which is really hard on a 30”, let alone anything shorter.
Well I arrived back home from vacation Saturday and back in my regular basses and have to say it’s all a mess.
This traveler bass has messed me up sideways and diagonally. That’s the end of that, it’s going up for sale. Fought my Aerodyne and HMT for two days now. Nothing got thrown across the room, but really bummed.
Live and learn I guess.
What’s weird is I can go between a bari Sax and a soprano / sopranino with very little issue but this short scale no no. May be also how the fret spacing is on the short scale as well. Two steps forward, one back. B
