Which Gibson basses are shortscale?

[Lungimsam]

I am liking the shortscale idea. Seems like it is getting tougher to play my Pbasses. Always been a killer for songs in key of F.

 

Wish Fender would put out a shorty Pbass. I like the Mustang, but don't cotton to the colors they have this year.

[Grog]

I'm not to up on many of the newer models, but all of Gibson's basses were short scale, with the exception of the Thunderbird. In the late sixties or early seventies, a few of the EB series basses came long scale, (EB-3L, EB-0L). There was a rivalry between Gibson & Fender. Leo Fender hit the perfect scale length for bass, for not being a guitar player, that was amazing. Gibson would not copy him, so they came up with their own short scale, which they thought would be more appealing to guitar players. Even after they came out with long scale basses, they were 34.5" long, a half an inch longer than Fender so they would be different. Up until Gibson introduced their SG Bass, they hadn't produced a short scale bass for years. I've never really played one. Epiphone reissued many of the EB series basse in resent years, I liked the EB-1, it came in both fretless & with frets.

My favorite short scale bass is the Les Paul Triumph .

Guild Starfire bass was short scale, Getsch made short scale basses also. The Ampeg Dan Armstrong plexiglass bass was an interesting guitar also, I believe they were reissued at one time.

[ramone57]

the only Gibson shortscale currently being made is the SG bass. although there was a shortscale T-bird at the NAMM show, so maybe that will become a production model.

discontinued shortscale models are the EB, EB-0, EB-1, EB-2, EB-3, SB-300, SB-350, Les Paul Recording Bass, Les Paul Triumph. there were probably more models but that's what I recall off the top of my head.

[Gaolee]

The whole scale thing is a funny one. I own an EB-2 (short scale), Epi Thunderbird (really long scale), and a recent P-Bass. The extra 1/2" on the 'Bird neck shouldn't make much difference, but the P-Bass is far easier to play. The extra width of the P neck helps, too. For pure ease, you can't beat a short scale, though.

[ramone57]

here's a link to the ss tbird

 

http://www.wildwoodguitars.com/electrics/gibson/basses/100310436/100310436.php

[Golem]

The whole scale thing is a funny one. I own an EB-2 (short scale), Epi Thunderbird (really long scale), and a recent P-Bass. The extra 1/2" on the 'Bird neck shouldn't make much difference, but the P-Bass is far easier to play. The extra width of the P neck helps, too. For pure ease, you can't beat a short scale, though.

 

I don't have a T-bird to make a definite comparison, but I'd expect the reach

on a Bird to be far greater than the Fender, having almost nothing to do with

the extra half inch, tho ... just the lack of a top horn on the Bird should lead

to a noticably longer reach, even if the Gibby scale were a half inch shorter

than the Fender.

 

 

`

[Gaolee]

I don't have a T-bird to make a definite comparison, but I'd expect the reach

on a Bird to be far greater than the Fender, having almost nothing to do with

the extra half inch, tho ... just the lack of a top horn on the Bird should lead

to a noticably longer reach, even if the Gibby scale were a half inch shorter

than the Fender.

 

 

`

I meant the reach for my fingers on the scale. I actually find the 'Bird body a bit more comfortable than the Precision.

[vincentw]

The neck is so slim on T-Birds that even the regular version would be fine. But the short-scale should be real easy to move around on.