Shorty scale semi-hollow bass?

For guitars of the straight waisted variety (or reverse offset).
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invisible man
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Shorty scale semi-hollow bass?

Post by invisible man » Mon Jun 14, 2021 8:01 pm

My wife is getting interested in picking up a bass again, I am looking for a bass for her which is:

1: short scale
2: semi-hollow
3: not made in China

Offset would be a cool bonus. I have a 90s MIM Jazz Bass and Squier VM Bass VI. She had a Epiphone EB-0 before, but the solid body was too heavy for her to be comfortable.

Any examples of short scale semi-hollow basses?
Last edited by invisible man on Wed Jun 16, 2021 7:43 am, edited 2 times in total.
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Re: Shorty scale semi-hollow bass?

Post by pawnzito » Mon Jun 14, 2021 10:14 pm

If weight is the reason for hollow body checkout the newer mustang basses. Some are <8 lbs.

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Re: Shorty scale semi-hollow bass?

Post by Embenny » Mon Jun 14, 2021 11:25 pm

If you want hollow, a few options come to mind.

The 30.25" Gretsch G5442 (Made in Korea, I believe)

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And then of course the Hofner violin bass is both shortscale and hollow. You didn't mention your budget, but I know you can find vintage originals under $2k CAD, which is the price of higher end new MIM Fenders here, so you don't have to go for the cheap import reproductions. I think there are also reissues that have been made in not-China, but I know very little about the history of violin basses. Someone else can probably advise you on options beyond the originals.

The 90s Danelectro Longhorns were made in Korea, but the new ones are Chinese. The originals are pricey but out there too. Not much to those bodies - tiny, and hollow too. The shorthorn isn't as crazy-looking or well-known, but you can still find vintage examples at good prices. They tend to go for 1/3 as much as Longhorns, sometimes less.
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Re: Shorty scale semi-hollow bass?

Post by MrFingers » Tue Jun 15, 2021 4:07 am


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Re: Shorty scale semi-hollow bass?

Post by wproffitt » Wed Jun 16, 2021 6:09 am

If you want hollow, there’s also the Yamaha SA-70. They’re rare here in the states, but can be had on EBay.

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Re: Shorty scale semi-hollow bass?

Post by stevejamsecono » Wed Jun 16, 2021 6:28 am

Hofners or Danos would be my recommendation as well. For the Hofs, get the bigger bodied one that isn't the goofy Beatle bass though for full Tina Weymouth mode.
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Re: Shorty scale semi-hollow bass?

Post by jagstang » Thu Jun 17, 2021 2:57 am

Really like the look of reverend dub king.

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Re: Shorty scale semi-hollow bass?

Post by jthomas » Thu Jun 17, 2021 3:10 am

Vintage Harmony H22? Made in Chi-Town. (Reissues are Chinese I believe)

https://reverb.com/p/harmony-h22-bass-s ... rce=google

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Re: Shorty scale semi-hollow bass?

Post by sookwinder » Thu Jun 17, 2021 4:36 am

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Re: Shorty scale semi-hollow bass?

Post by wproffitt » Thu Jun 17, 2021 4:24 pm

sookwinder wrote:
Thu Jun 17, 2021 4:36 am
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I DO like those Hofners in green!

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Re: Shorty scale semi-hollow bass?

Post by rbrcbr » Thu Jun 17, 2021 5:33 pm

Depending on your budget, these Old Kraftsman/Kay basses are really neat.
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There's one for sale on reverb for $700 right now:
https://reverb.com/item/37113218-krafts ... g-bass-50s

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Re: Shorty scale semi-hollow bass?

Post by HarlowTheFish » Fri Jun 18, 2021 8:27 am

jagstang wrote:
Thu Jun 17, 2021 2:57 am
Really like the look of reverend dub king.

Image
+1 for pretty much anything Reverend does -- great players, great necks, very very good QC, and it's one of like 3 production brands where I feel confident that I could spin a wheel, get anything in their lineup, and not have to do any work on it or swap any parts to be happy with it.

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Re: Shorty scale semi-hollow bass?

Post by sessylU » Fri Jun 18, 2021 9:48 am

A friend of mine had a Dean Rhapsody that was hollowbody and much nicer/more tasteful than you'd expect from a Dean. I can't seem to find pictures of it, but I always loved it.

Not shortscale, but I seem to remember it having a skinny, jazz style neck.
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Re: Shorty scale semi-hollow bass?

Post by bessieboporbach » Thu Jun 24, 2021 8:38 am

sookwinder wrote:
Thu Jun 17, 2021 4:36 am
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Unfortunately for the OP, the vast majority of 21st century Hofners are made in China. They are very, very nice though (I have one).

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Re: Shorty scale semi-hollow bass?

Post by DarnWeight » Fri Jun 25, 2021 7:12 am

The Epiphone Allen Woody sig is short-scale, semi-hollow, but the current ones are MIC. They used to be made in Korea, so you may find a used MIK model if you shop around a little. The pickup spacing is similar to that used on the Cavern-style violin basses, which I actually prefer a little.

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