Probably. Have you ever used one?
Once - years ago; I kinda remember. Heavier than you’d expect. Hold it over the strings a certain distance and they sound. Good for a constant tone to fill in the space. Obviously I didn’t experiment much with them - sorry I don’t have more.
I remember once on NPR hearing a guy who played a resonator guitar* with an eBow. Talk about weird sounding! A theremin sounds more natural.
- I wanted to type “dobro” but National Guitars owns the name Dobro and objects to the generic use of the word.
Anybody else got one of the little Breedlove Passports? I enjoy the mandolin like sound.
Question for the Bass players.
Do you like the short scale basses? I was looking at the Fender Pawn Shop Series short scale bass. Its a replica of the 1970’s mustang basses. Are there things this bass can’t do? If I took lessons would I find myself needing a more traditional bass?
http://www.americanmusical.com/Item--i-FEN-0143900-305?src=Y0802G00SRCHCAPN&gclid=CND-qJzE-cICFWgLMgoduG8AKQ
Not sure what happened to my link. It was pointed at that bass. Now its opening their front page.
Anyway, here’s a photo of a Fender Pawn Shop Series Mustang short scale bass.
Would I be able to get by (for awhile) using my guitar amp? Do I need to plan on buying a bass amp if I buy a bass?
Really depends on what you want.
Short scale basses are easier to play, and have a specific sound that a lot of people like. If you like that sound, then go for it.
However, the distinctive sound of a short-scale bass is mushy and dirty; it’s not easy to get a clean and well-defined sound out of them. There’s a reason that long scale (34 inch) basses have become standard; it’s a lot easier to dirty up a long scale bass sound than it is to clean up a short scale bass sound.
ETA: No doubt someone will be along shortly to dispute what I just said, this being the internet and all. Good enough for McCartney, etc. My point remains; if you want to sound like a “normal” bassist, it’s a lot easier with a “normal” bass.
Thanks Shakes. I’ll try both at the music store. Youtube should have some reviews too.
So McCartney’s Hofner is short scale too? Didn’t realize that. I see them new for about $400. (Hofner Ignition Series Vintage Violin Bass) They sell a $2000 version* that I won’t be buying. * I don’t want to be the next Beatle that bad. 
PRS has a nice SE Kestrel R&B bass for $750. But its a 34" scale length.
My limit will be $700 to $800.
For one, I’ll chime in with Shakester that short scale basses are…not bad, really, but certainly limiting in terms of tone. You can get a round 60s or 70s thump going, but clanky flatpicked stuff that requires more frequency range (to say nothing of slapping) is going to be very hard to make sound good.
Along the lines of frequency range, yes, you will probably want to get a bass amp eventually. The tone controls of a guitar amp are simply not designed to make a bass sound very good (and incidentally, cranking the bass knob is the worst thing you can do there). Also, if you intend to play at any kind of volume, bass speakers are typically far, far more robust than guitar speakers.
Well, looks like I’m “that guy” again. I don’t relish the role, but I don’t agree. So I cry “uh-uh” and let slip the hamsters of disagreement.
If this was 1985, I’d agree with Shakester and OneCentStamp. I had moved from a 30" scale bass to a 34" scale one myself, and the 34" one sounded better in all respects. It was less muddy, had more bass frequencies in the signal, and felt better to boot. 34" scale seemed like the only option back then, as the short scale basses that I played had pretty much the same problems as my first bass.
But, it’s 30 years later, and I’ve played many more basses in that time. Experience has led me to believe that the 30" scale basses that I had played by that time all had horrid electronics, and there’s nothing wrong with the scale itself in terms of sound. I haven’t played any bass that sounds as full and bell-ringingly clear as my Danelectro, and my band mates crave the sound of the BassVI. They’re both 30" scale, and play ridiculously well.
If I’ve found a problem with the 30" scale, it’s that they’re unusual. This makes finding a good set of short scale strings sometimes a trick to find.
Full disclosure: I’m the bass player that doesn’t like how a P-Bass feels or sounds. So, consider the source.
As far as using your guitar amp for bass: Without knowing the make/model, I can’t make any firm recommendations. But some of our “classic” guitar amps were originally bass amp circuits. As long as the speaker can handle the bass frequencies, you should be fine at low volumes. By low, I mean you practicing by yourself, or accompanying an unassisted acoustic guitar. Anything much louder than that, and you probably want to at least borrow an amp that’s intended for bass, as OCS says, bass speakers are usually far more robust than guitar speakers.
Macca started using his (long scale) Rickenbacker Bass in late '65, and it’s like his playing suddenly comes into focus. Most of Rubber Soul features the brand new Ric bass.
Honestly, it’s been almost that long since I gave a short scale bass a serious playing. Good to know time has marched on without me. 
But the funny thing is, Danelectro started making short scale basses in '56, and Fender introduced the Bass VI in "61. They both sounded largely the same back then. The difference between them and the short scale basses I had played in '85 was that Danelectro and Fender didn’t see these guitars as entry-level instruments, so they loaded them with good electronics.
But yeah, 30" scale is even more common these days, and many aren’t entry level at all. If I was in the market for a new bass, I’d have a hard time not tracking down a Billy-Bo bass.
ETA: Nah, I’d just pick up another Danelectro Longhorn, maybe a Jimmy Jones copy. I really do love that bass.
From the dim recesses of my mind, I seem to recall that back then Fender Bassman Amps had a normal channel and a bass channel, which led me, at that time, to think that you could play a regular guitar through a Bassman.
If you’re playing an electric bass, you want at least 12" speakers and 15" is better. Larger than that might be a bit much. And you might want a little more wattage than you would for a 6 string. You might not need all that power all the time, but at times it might be useful.
You can, and you should if you get the chance. The Tweed/Blackface/Brownfaces are divine, and the Silverfaces are damn nice, even the combos. The Marshall JTM 45 is a modification of the circuit, and the Sovtek MIG 50 is a Bassman clone. In today’s world, Bassmans are better guitar amps than they are bass amps.
Speaker size isn’t that important, but the overall design is. My 4X10" cabinet is more bass cab than I’ll ever really need unless I play a really large hall. The gold standard of bass cabs (for people with roadies) is an Ampeg 8x10" cab.
Thanks everyone for you advice on basses. Done some more research and its between the Fender Pawn Shop Series Mustang and theHofner CT 500/2 Club Bass. I’ve learned the CT series is Hofner’s mid price point. Similar to Fenders Pawn Shop Series its between $725 to $850. I always prefer a mid price point over bottom of the barrel cheap. Both brands have a $400 price point series.
The Club bass isn’t the Beatle Bass. The Club has a cut out and looks more traditional. They have a bock of wood in the center for better sustain. (at least thats what they say in the product description). Semi-hollow body and lighter than the solid body Fenders. Weight is a big issue with my back. The lighter the better. Another reason short scale may be a better option for me.
Back to guitar.
Do many of you still enjoy playing along with records? I do it strictly to relax and get in some practice with barre chords. I discovered Morrisman Smith’s youtube channel. He does a lot of R&B play alongs. I’m having a blast and its so relaxing after work.
Here’s one.
R&B isn’t something I can sing (way too high for me) and I don’t want to join a band to perform it. Its so much fun just jamming along in my bedroom just like after school when I was 14. Great work out too. Strengthening my hands.
morrisman is just showing the rhythm chords which is great for what I like to do.
That looks pretty sweet. The pickups look like a variation of the alnico V pickups that they put in their hollow body guitars, which I lust after. I will have to keep an eye out for one of those, just because I want to hear how those pickups work on a bass. That construction style is similar to (but fancier than) how a Danelectro is constructed. The Danos are a neck attached to a poplar block/frame sandwiched between two sheets of masonite. Yes, masonite. Don’t knock it till you’ve tried it.
And if weight is a problem, I can’t recommend the Danelectros enough, especially the Longhorn (5.5 lbs!). They’re lighter than anything I’ve played, relatively inexpensive, and sound funky enough for Prince. Nat Daniel’s design ideal seemed to be aiming for the most sound with the least cost, and the current holders of the name seem to want to carry that idea on. However, some versions of the longhorn have an aluminum bridge. (I may have posted this in this thread before, but it’s a long thread) If you happen to buy one with an aluminum bridge, it will bend when tuned to pitch. You have two options depending on your pocketbook. 2-3 pennies taped together and wedged under the middle will get you by in the short term. Long term, I recommend getting the brass replacement from Allparts to replace it, you need to r/r one screw. If you want it to sound a little bit less bell-like, and more like a normal bass, they have a bridge with normal saddles, which is similar to the ones that came on Danelectro Pros.
ETA: I play along with literally anything if the mood strikes me. I know more TV theme songs than I care to mention.
And umm, I missed the edit by a mile, but it’d be a Jerry Jones copy of a Danelectro :smack::smack:
Make sure you tip your guitar tech really well because ss frets are a PITA! The reasons you gave are surely true, but a complete refret isn’t going to be cheap and stainless steel requires slightly different tools and more effort to clean them up (sanding and filing) than working with nickel steel. They do last much longer though.