When ever we think about bass guitars, we will inevitably look at the electric bass guitars, which of course is a norm these days. You wouldn’t see other variants on stages. This means that there is a lack of information regarding the acoustic bass guitar. Nonetheless, it is still widely sought after. In addition to that, if you have been reading out the previous article Selecting The Best Short Scale Bass Guitar For Small Hands, you will know that the best way for people with small hands to play on the guitar is actually to use the short scale versions. As such, people have been asking me if there are short scale acoustic bass guitar in the market. Indeed, there is not much information about it, and hence our objective here is to review some of the best short scale acoustic bass guitar that you can find on Amazon. We try to be as objective as we can in this acoustic short scale bass guitar review.
Contents
The Acoustic Short Scale Bass Guitar Review
The best way to identify if a guitar is acoustic or not is by the number of strings the guitar has. Usually, acoustic bass guitars have 4 strings, and they are made with a hollow wooden body which is much larger than the electric version. You will find it tough to hear the sound coming from the short scale acoustic bass guitar when it is playing just as it is. As such, always try to pair it with the Best Amp For Short Scale Bass when you wish to be heard. We will recommend you to purchase a short scale acoustic bass guitar that has pickups.
Ok, let us look into some of the highest quality acoustic short scale bass guitars that you can find on Amazon.
1. Luna LAB30TRIBAL Tribal Spruce Top Short Scale Acoustic Electric Bass Guitar
This short scale acoustic bass guitar is inspired by the contemporary tribal tattoo design. The intricately designed guitar is more than just about looks. The sound that it produces compliments the aesthetics, hence presenting to you the only choice that you should make when you wish to invest in the ultimate short scale acoustic bass guitar.
The art motifs on this ABG is made by Alex Morgan. The materials of this SS ABG is made of the Mahogany at the neck and Rosewood as the fingerboard. These combinations of materials allow the sound to be beautifully constructed, and you will be simply amazed by the sheer sweetness of the tone that this short scale acoustic guitar produces.
The neck measures 30″ long while having 20 frets. This allows you to have a very comfortable playing stance, which is not commonly found in most other regular acoustic short scale bass guitar. I simply fell in love with this acoustic short scale bass guitar, and I have recommended this to a few fellow players.
What we like:
- Affordable
- Good for practicing
- Mellow sound
- Intricate and beautiful design
What we don’t like
- During gigs, will require an amp
2. Kala U-Bass, Fretted
While doing my research on the best acoustic short scale bass guitars on Amazon, we came across the very beautifully constructed Kala U-Bass, Fretted – Bubinga
First of all, the materials. The top, back and sides of this short scale acoustic bass guitar is made from Bubinga wood. As for the neck, it is made from Mahogany while the fingerboard and bridge are made from Rosewood. These combinations of materials are well known to be able to provide the best sound that acoustic bass guitars can provide. There are tuners at sides of the guitar as well as the Graph Tech Labs Black TUSQ NutTruss rod. The pickup is the specially designed Shadow active pickup system. It is used together with the EQ and tuners too. These features provide you with control over the type of sound quality as well as the tonality of the sound that you wish to produce with this awesome acoustic short scale bass guitar.
One of the reasons why the sound coming from this SS ABG is so awesome is due to the Kalas proprietary Road Toad Pahoehoe strings. The strings are known to be specially designed to produce one of the most sought after sound in the industry. The deep sound coming from this guitar is tantalizing to the ears. Also, the neck is only at 21″, which really allows you to play music that you can only dream of at times.
We mentioned about the tuner, right? There is also the preamp that comes with this guitar too. While the preamp doesn’t really produce a heavy weight sound, it is still more than adequate in a noisy room. We suggest you to purchase an amp for short scale bass guitar to go along with this SS ABG.
What we like:
- Best sound ever
- Prettiest ever
- Portable
- Deep sound
What we don’t like
- Strings require some conditioning before tonality stays. Will take about a week of practice to achieve that.
3. Ibanez PCBE12MHOPN 4-String Acoustic Bass Guitar
Ibanez is known to produce guitars of exceptional quality. Hence, it is no surprise that they produced a winner in the Ibanez PCBE12MHOPN 4-String Acoustic Bass Guitar
This acoustic short scale bass guitar is widely appreciated due to its exceptional quality in terms of the style, tone as well as its design. The guitar is made of various materials. The Grand Concert body top comprises of the Mahogany top, back and sides. The neck is the Maple fret board while the bride is made of Rosewood. The sound hole is also made of Rosewood too. It seems that this combination of materials is becoming the norm for all short scale acoustic bass guitars.
Other peripherals that can be found is the Tortiseshell tuning machine, the Chrome Die-cast Tuner as well as the preamp. This preamp allows you to project out a louder sound while you are in a noisy room. Otherwise, this short scale acoustic bass guitar does stand well on its own too.
In terms of playability, it is indeed perfect for people who are in love with short scale acoustic basses. With a fret count of 20, it is more than enough for you. Together with the intricately designed aesthetics, it does help to produce a deep mellow sound that is not being heard in many other acoustic basses. The tone is variable, which is an added option to most players too. Trust me, you will be amazed and struck by how sweet each chord will sound to your ears!
What we like:
- Beautifully designed aesthetics
- Deep sound
- Best all rounded short scale acoustic bass guitar
What we don’t like
- Needs an amp for large rooms
Conclusion
With so many choices on Amazon, it is honestly not easy to narrow down to just these three for the best acoustic short scale bass guitars. These guitars are suitable for many occasions. But if you intend to play the SS ABG in large areas, then you will need suitable amps to go with it. You can find suitable amps in our Best Amp For Short Scale Bass reviews.
