Tryna get my hands around a Newport

[Chistopher]

Epiphone has a new short 30.5" bass selling for like $400 new. I'm debating buying one to convert it to a piccolo bass. Anyone got any advice on this? I know nothing about piccolo, but I figured it would probably prefer to be done with a shorter scale, and I would steal the four highest strings from a bass VI string set?

 

[Chistopher]

Perhaps I would even consider just tuning it the bottom 4 strings of a six string, ADGC

 

[Mincer]

I actually like that. Also, the actual Squier Classic Vibe Bass VI is pretty cool, too.

 

[ICTGoober]

Piccolo bass strings are cheap. They are tuned an octave below, making them the same as the first four strings on a guitar.
EXL280 Nickel Wound Piccolo | Bass Guitar Strings | D'Addario (daddario.com)​

 

[Mincer]

Piccolo bass strings are cheap. They are tuned an octave below, making them the same as the first four strings on a guitar.
EXL280 Nickel Wound Piccolo | Bass Guitar Strings | D'Addario (daddario.com)​

I never knew how a piccolo bass was tuned until now.

 

[Chistopher]

I actually like that. Also, the actual Squier Classic Vibe Bass VI is pretty cool, too.

Yeah it's almost like a EB0 meets Wilshire. Looks like it would be very well suited for a lighter set of strings. I tried one of the Squier VI's and must admit it is pretty cool.

perhaps this could also be a good time to revisit my cello-bass idea from earlier. It would give me a few more low notes (C2 to A3 versus E2 to G3) plus it would fit an e-bow. Then I would have to decide if I wanted to go fretless or not. hmm

 

[Mincer]

I bet that would be awesome with an E-bow!

 

[beaubrummels]

I'd wanna replace the mudbuckers though. That was the reason I didn't get an Epiphone EB-# when I was looking short scale. I ended up getting a Gretsch G2210, which off-the-shelf sounded really close to my Rickenbacker.

 

[Chistopher]

Allegedly the mudbucker is actually not at all like an actual mudbucker, but you're right. I'd want to do research on it before pulling the trigger lest I wind up with a sound that quite frankly isn't for me.

 

[ICTGoober]

Mudbuckers are stupidly named. Back in the 70's I bought a Gibson one from a store and installed it in the bridge position of my first bass (a Magnatone Hurricane). It sounded terrific. Plenty of presence and clarity - fingers or pick. Lots louder than the stock single coil, and quieter. Sounded as good as my Rick. Used it on a number of songs every night we played.

 

[beaubrummels]

I'm just saying I sat and played 4-5 different model short scale basses (Fender, Ibanez, Gretsch, Epiphone, etc.) and the recent-era EB was impossible. I had to hit it hard to get any volume out of it and couldn't get any useful tone out of it. It did sound a bit vintage, but it only did one thing, and not that well IMHO.

 

[jeremy]

Mudbuckers are stupidly named. Back in the 70's I bought a Gibson one from a store and installed it in the bridge position of my first bass (a Magnatone Hurricane). It sounded terrific. Plenty of presence and clarity - fingers or pick. Lots louder than the stock single coil, and quieter. Sounded as good as my Rick. Used it on a number of songs every night we played.

the mudbucker thing, i believe, comes from that beast being placed at the neck. its a woolly beast up there. its a cool design and different than most pups ive seen

 

[ICTGoober]

Placement along the string plays a big role in the tone you'll get. They are rightly referred to as sidewinders because of their construction.