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Looking for the best short scale bass to play?
Want a great bass to start rocking out with?
While a regular electric bass can be a great option, some players prefer the sound and feel of a short-scale bass. The truth is that short-scale bass guitars aren’t quite as cool as electric upright basses, however, they come pretty darn close.
Compared to a typical bass guitar, a short-scale bass can be a more portable, lightweight, and flexible option that can give players what they need to play their hearts out in style.
Luckily, we’ve got your back. Below we’ll give you our list of the best short-scale bass guitars on the market today.
Best Short-Scale Bass Guitars – Quick View
Top Short-Scale Basses – REVIEWED
Ready to find the perfect short-scale bass guitar for you? Here’s our full list.
1. Epiphone EB-0 Electric Short-Scale Bass Guitar
The first short-scale bass on our list is the Epiphone EB-0. This is a great bass that is one of the best short-scale basses out in the world today, and many bass players love how this instrument feels, how it sounds, and how it looks.
This bass offers some killer style and provides a great vintage feel that players will appreciate. The Epiphone EB-0 also features a warm, classic bass tone that offers an amazing throwback sound.
This short-scale bass has a mahogany body and neck and a rosewood fingerboard. This is a lightweight bass that feels great to play and will feel great underneath the fingers.
If you’re looking for a great bass with a shorter scale, this Epiphone instrument is the first one you should take a long, hard look at during your search.
2. Fender Squier Vintage Modified Jaguar Special Short Scale Bass Guitar
The Fender Squier Vintage Modified Jaguar Special is the next bass guitar on our list and offers quite a bit of value to players. This bass guitar has plenty of versatility and an amazing sound that is to be expected from Fender. This bass guitar offers a killer design at a pretty affordable price.
The bass is very comfortable and offers wonderful playability. If you want to feel great while playing and comfort is important to you, then this short-scale bass is a great choice.
Overall, if you’re looking for an amazing short-scale bass that sounds and looks great you can’t go wrong with this well-built Fender instrument.
3. Gretsch G2220 Junior Jet Electric Bass Guitar II
The Gretsch G2220 Junior Jet Electric Bass Guitar II is another style bass guitar that offers a great sound for serious bassists. Even though it’s smaller than a typical bass, this instrument offers a nice, full tone. This Gretsch guitar is built from lightweight basswood and is super portable.
This instrument is extremely comfortable and is a lot of fun to play. If you want to keep going on your bass for hours at a time, this is a great bass to choose and you’ll be able to keep going strong for a lengthy time period.
Overall, this Gretsch is a great option if you want a killer bass that is a bit on the smaller and more portable side of things.
4. Hofner IGNITIONSB Electric Violin Bass Guitar
The Hofner IGNITIONSB Bass Guitar is one of the classic choices of this type of instrument and is another great option if you’re in the market for a short-scale bass.
This is a cool old-school bass option that simply oozes style. This Hofner bass should look familiar to a lot of people since it was made popular by the likes of Paul McCartney and The Beatles.
This bass features a hollow body made from Maple along with a Spruce top. It also has a maple neck with a rosewood fretboard.
Featured on this bass is two amazing Hofner pickups that offer a throwback tone. Each pickup has both on and off switches. There are also solo/rhythm control and individual volume controls.
Overall, this is a great bass that offers impressive style and comes with an extra dose of legendary status.
Final Thoughts
Be sure to look at this list closely if you’re trying to find the best short-scale bass guitar for your needs. Each of these instruments has a killer reputation and offer a lot to players both new and old who want a short scale bass to jam out with.
Need a great amp for your new bass? Check out our list of the best electric bass guitar amps now.
Hi, I’m Harrison! I created this website to help musicians navigate the ins and outs of their craft and to help them choose new instruments and gear to add to their collection. I have 15 years of experience as a guitarist and singer and have also played many other instruments throughout the years including the bass guitar, piano, banjo, mandolin, and harmonica.