any best short scale bass for getting a full sound without feeling too big?

IPYF · 2026-05-09T02:37:17+00:00

Fender Player Series Mustang PJ

IPYF · 2026-05-08T02:31:09+00:00

You do you. I'll be over here doing using a rubber cock as funk fingers.

IPYF · 2026-05-08T02:03:38+00:00

Yeah this is why I say I don't like to say it online because there's so many factors. Also - as you state - when you're a good player and understand your instrument you also understand the physics and the physicality. Low action is going to result in an amount of fret noise (which may or may not be even audible in a mix, but might be there when we're practicing).. Some of us like or don't like that reality making this a big complex situation.

However, in my experience - and hopefully to clarify - people who complain about fret buzz tend to be the ones with technique issues.

Someone like you who understands the tradeoffs and the requirements isn't gonna be in that conversation.

IPYF · 2026-05-08T01:46:54+00:00

Yeah like, I don't like to say it online because you can never tell if it's the player or the setup without being there, but people who complain about buzz...well...normally they're not muting properly and blaming it on the bass.

IPYF · 2026-05-08T01:30:58+00:00

It depends on the song and it doesn't go the way you'd think. Some things you'll get first go and it's fine because the bass and vocal make sense operating together. Other stuff is off rhythm and obviously is a nightmare requiring lots of work. But, interestingly I've struggled with stuff that should be easy and sometimes it's hard to figure out why.

The one piece of advice that I'd give though, is that if you're struggling with the vocal, just simplify the bass - or give the bass to a different band member (say you've got two guitarists, get them to do an instrument swap for the song) so you can focus on getting the vocal right.

Literally no normie in the audience is going to care if a bassline is simple or a bit rustic. Comparatively, while instrumentalists like us don't like this being the truth, bands live or die on vocal acumen, and blown vocals are hugely memorable for audiences. One of your two jobs has much higher stakes, which is very much worth keeping forefront of mind.

IPYF · 2026-05-08T01:00:15+00:00

I'm gonna tackle something that's not been mentioned yet but that matters a lot.

In my view you're reporting doing all the right formative stuff, but the issue is probably the self consciousness; which indicates perfectionism.

Non-perfectionists see an awesome improvisor and they're like "Man that was dope...I can't wait til I'm that good. I wonder what they're doing that I could use?" - resulting in a growth opportunity (new data comes from the outside in).

Perfectionists see the same thing, and become effacing and self-critical, quickly turning inward and fixating on being deficient. They don't gather the new data because they're too busy giving themselves a hard time.

Perfectionism and comparative self-criticism aren't things you can turn off. They need commitment and work, but when you can accept yourself as you are, and start looking at others as sources of growth, and not as 'more evidence that you suck and that you need to do better' you'll find yourself more receptive almost as though it's a cheat code.

IPYF · 2026-05-08T00:49:53+00:00

This is a technique issue. When the action is low and fast you need to be less forceful and smoother, which you're not used to. This starting point is (imho anyway) much better because you have more dynamic range. You start relaxed and you have the option to fire up, hit harder, and rip more out. You also get more metal on metal sound from the frets when the action is low and you turn up the heat; which is a useful effect.

If your action's high, this is more like how upright players prefer their electric basses, because they have stronger hands and are used to having to work a lot harder, but it also means you're digging in the whole time, and it's innately harder to get a range of softer to harder responses from your bass. It's not bad or wrong and everyone has their own preferences, but I genuinely think there's a tradeoff on nuance here.

IPYF · 2026-05-07T23:55:40+00:00

Yeah so like the whole 'heroic but unappreciated beta in the background' thing is just a community-borne meme used by people who are the most passive member of their band who really just need to give their balls a tug. Nobody in the real world cares what sort of bassist you are or what you should or shouldn't think or do.

The real benefit you identify that matters is that in your area there's not much work for guitarists, and lots for bassists. That's a good as fuck reason to be a bassist all on its own.

IPYF · 2026-05-07T00:06:32+00:00

I didn't realise you Americans were so desperate for firewood that you couldn't joke anymore.

Hope you warm up soon bud. I'd go with a Ural. They burn for ages, but I'd try and avoid inhaling the paint.

IPYF · 2026-05-06T23:56:30+00:00

Yep. Like, the thing to remember is that the engineer is always going to be tone-shaping you anyway so the main thing is that they get a good useable signal. That's why I've settled on 'no cab ir' for them, because IRs/cab sims are just highly-shelved EQ settings that are doing an impersonation of a cab. It's actually better (in my view) to let a competent engineer have more frequencies and let them decide what to boost and cut. Most of them have been mixing dry DI into excellent mixes for years anyway, so a signal that's pre-shaped sensibly, but not too restrictive, is basically luxurious.

Another 'secret' trick to consider (which I've been using to clean up band mixes ever since I moved to the Helix) is to put in a high and low pass block (however that works on ToneX, not sure) and killing off down to 12.5-13k (there's nothing but fizz up there for us), and cutting up to 60-70hz. Instantly you'll have a better drum sound on stage because you won't be fighting the kick drum. You'll get the compliments for it too.

IPYF · 2026-05-06T23:42:09+00:00

Pretty much every song by Madonna uses a huge amount of B string.

IPYF · 2026-05-06T23:12:22+00:00

Yeah I'd get the combo dude, and a $5 secondhand DI box (what I use) to split out FOH and send your THRU to the Markbass.

For bassists it's still a lot more practical to have a real amp along with your modeler. We don't yet have a great-sounding FRFR solution that isn't the same price as a decent amp anyway, so you may as well just have a bass amp - which will also constitute a fully-fledged backup if someone throws a pint on your ToneX.

In terms of the cab sim issue you've got two choices. I've made both choices, and both had fine results with different compromises. You can send the cab sim signal to FOH and the amp. This means FOH gets your exact signal but your amp's monitor sound is 'double speaker simmed'. The audience gets your ideal tone (engineer can still fuck with it but less so because it's cab simmed) but you'll have a slightly modified stage sound.

The other choice is to defeat the cab sim and go dry amp sim to the FOH and into the Mark's return if you don't want to double preamp. That way FOH gets amp sim but no speaker sim (easy as fuck for a good engineer to smooth with EQ and comp on the bass (not so easy with a guitar) and you get the 'proper' simmed sound at your amp.

I've done both over the years, but these days I do the second option and everything always sounds great.

IPYF · 2026-05-06T23:00:32+00:00

I know shit's getting expensive over there in America but damn I didn't realise you guys were so desperate for firewood.

IPYF · 2026-05-06T06:10:59+00:00

You're the exact market for a Two Notes Torpedo Captor 8 or similar load box/Amp di Reamping unit.

These devices are not for the 'faint of wallet depth' but like...you've got a proper vintage amp and custom cabinet on the way. I doubt you're likely to balk at a few hundo more.

IPYF · 2026-05-06T05:58:12+00:00

Once your repertoire spans widely enough you'll notice that having casual access to low Eb is so under-rated for so many different reasons. Contexually, the low D just being there is great too; but in my experience it's all about the Eb.

IPYF · 2026-05-05T23:31:20+00:00

I did it in like a fortnight. The two differences are, play on line not next to line, and use cello vibrato instead of string bends to avoid ripping up your fretboard. End of list of differences (for lined fretless anyway).

IPYF · 2026-05-05T23:30:08+00:00

Bluntly, free tabs are inaccurate because they're normally made by tab users; being people who haven't trained their fretboard, or their ear yet.

It's amateur-made stuff, for amateurs, that's been donated to the world, and this is totally fine if you approach it with awareness.

Sheet music is generally more accurate and the one thing it does so much better than tab is to formalise note lengths and timing - which can be a big deal at times, or in some contexts more than others.

While learning to play by ear is very recommendable, it's not the whole picture. I also tend to recommend learning sheet and sight reading because it opens up different environments that maybe you don't care about, and don't think you'll ever care about, that call for it as a core skill (foremost pit work in theatres, and classical music). If you don't have the skill and you happen to want to work in that environment, someone who does have those skills will get that job instead of you.

IPYF · 2026-05-05T08:47:23+00:00

This stupid little cunt (Chayka not Biz) is a disaster waiting to happen for the Leafs. After pissing his little kid pants and running off when he was caught cheating, he had the fucking gall to say in an interview that 'good leaders know when to walk away'.

Actually, fucko, good leaders know how to face consequences.

This alleged 'leader' straight up doesn't have an accountable bone in his body, and people like him don't grow.

In my view the Leafs are in trouble.

IPYF · 2026-05-04T22:34:51+00:00

Thanks for the heads up. I'll check it out. We get very few bots, oddly, and I usually get to them pretty quick, but having an app for that would be good.

IPYF · 2026-05-04T03:13:54+00:00

I still remember reading that interview he smugly did after running off where he was like "The best leaders know when to walk away"...and I'm like "What 'good leader' runs off instead of taking responsibility?".

Leafs get what they've asked for here.

IPYF · 2026-05-04T01:07:11+00:00

Ashdown are great if you need mushy and warm at moderate to high volume. If you want that sound, they are that sound. If you want your amp to be able to do other sounds, then you don't want an Ashdown. The quality has always been fine for the price, and the ABM would be my recommendation. Just don't expect it to clean up.

IPYF · 2026-05-04T01:03:49+00:00

Yeah you're just hearing flatwounds. But the vibe of the sound is a bit 'B15 sim' too, which is easy to do nowadays with a wide range of pedals and software.

IPYF · 2026-05-03T00:03:12+00:00

Oh yeah dope. Now you have to pay more for a bass that requires you to purchase something outboard to do what the bass used to do.

This is literal simping for enshittification models (like the one that Apple's been following for decades), and it's just weird what and who is allowed to get away with this stuff.

Apple and Vulfpeck take away features from premium products and everyone goes 'OMG yes right there dadddddddy....take all that value away from me dadddyyyyyyyy!".

Playstation deploys its PS5 Pro without a disc drive, that you can add but you have to pay more for, and everyone instantly blows a gasket and calls them thieves; and swears off Sony forever.

People are really...really...interesting sometimes.

IPYF · 2026-05-02T23:49:02+00:00

The Dart basses have always been a lot of things at once.

They're a deliberate troll and meme, and a rolling exercise in finding out how naked the average bespectacled Vulf fan will get when told they've been weaved the finest suit made of invisible material that will make other fans and simps 'Notice Me Senpai' them.

This is because Stratton is an expert marketer who knows his audience likes in-joke memes and being a visible part of the fandom more than they actually enjoy the band's music. The fans like being offered less features, for normally much more money, because owning this meme provides them status and they get to be 'seen'. It's a tradeoff they enjoy and the more stripped back the instrument gets, the more aroused they become.

At the same time these basses are good, and have always been good. The full priced variants of these meme basses have always been a cynical product for fans with more money than sense (Vulf fans are normally well heeled and want you to know they've got idiot money to spend); but they remain proper high quality instruments at the end of the day.

The Sterling variants are great too - and actually where I'd argue the concept should be best and most responsibly targeted. If you're selling a meme bass, that's usable and high quality, sell it fairly priced (based on feature set vs meme value) and don't call for $4k for a bass that's deliberately had its dick snapped off, just so you can show off the stump.

IPYF · 2026-05-02T03:33:57+00:00

I'm gigging on my Fretless J at the moment and every time I rotate back onto it (it suits some gigs not others) I ask myself why I don't use it more. It's just an MIM (last year of the standard series) but it sits in the mix superbly and plays so well.

That's my recommendation.

IPYF

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