Is there such a thing as a Thinline Offset Bass?

Discussion of newer designs, copies and reissue offset-waist instruments.
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Larsongs
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Re: Is there such a thing as a Thinline Offset Bass?

Post by Larsongs » Tue Jun 01, 2021 9:30 pm

jorri wrote:
Mon May 31, 2021 6:05 am
I think this forum doesn't mention that Jazz Basses are offset often enough. There must be a good few thinlines?!
I’d love to see a reasonable priced Fender Thinline Jazz Bass?

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Re: Is there such a thing as a Thinline Offset Bass?

Post by SignoftheDragon » Fri Jun 04, 2021 2:31 pm

Larsongs wrote:
Tue Jun 01, 2021 9:30 pm
reasonable priced Fender
I think we've left those days behind. Sorry, mate.

I will put in a good word for the Charvel Surfcaster Bass- I've bought & sold 2 over the plague-times. The Eastwood clones seem like a solid enough bet if you can track one down- likely you could find one under $1K if luck is with you.

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Re: Is there such a thing as a Thinline Offset Bass?

Post by Larsongs » Fri Jun 04, 2021 9:17 pm

SignoftheDragon wrote:
Fri Jun 04, 2021 2:31 pm
Larsongs wrote:
Tue Jun 01, 2021 9:30 pm
reasonable priced Fender
I think we've left those days behind. Sorry, mate.

I will put in a good word for the Charvel Surfcaster Bass- I've bought & sold 2 over the plague-times. The Eastwood clones seem like a solid enough bet if you can track one down- likely you could find one under $1K if luck is with you.
Thanks! I’m very interested.. The Surfcaster Bass looks very cool.. It looks like it has lipstick type Single coils.. Do these Bass’ sound great?

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Re: Is there such a thing as a Thinline Offset Bass?

Post by Sweetfinger » Sat Jun 05, 2021 3:38 am

Danelectro Hodad Bass- it's semi hollow and offset. Probably cheaper than other options already mentioned.
Image

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Re: Is there such a thing as a Thinline Offset Bass?

Post by Embenny » Sat Jun 05, 2021 6:56 am

jorri wrote:
Mon May 31, 2021 6:05 am
I think this forum doesn't mention that Jazz Basses are offset often enough. There must be a good few thinlines?!
This is one of those bizarre quirks of OSG. You almost never see or hear about Jazz Basses. I'm not sure if it's because basses get so much less attention here, or if it's because Jazz Basses are the 4-string equivalent of the Stratocaster in terms of staying power and ubiquity.
Offset guitars were an underdog from the 70s-2000s, as were many of the music genres that gravitated toward them. Jazz Basses have just always been neck and neck with the P-bass as the dominant two models throughout the history of the instrument. They didn't need any mascots the way other Offsets did.

I've always admired them, and think it's a beautiful and ergonomic shape, though for some reason I never owned one until recently. I'm now kind of obsessed with them and have several Jazz Bass-shaped projects in the works.
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Re: Is there such a thing as a Thinline Offset Bass?

Post by burpgun » Sat Jun 05, 2021 7:18 am

mbene085 wrote:
Sat Jun 05, 2021 6:56 am
jorri wrote:
Mon May 31, 2021 6:05 am
I think this forum doesn't mention that Jazz Basses are offset often enough. There must be a good few thinlines?!
This is one of those bizarre quirks of OSG. You almost never see or hear about Jazz Basses. I'm not sure if it's because basses get so much less attention here, or if it's because Jazz Basses are the 4-string equivalent of the Stratocaster in terms of staying power and ubiquity.
Offset guitars were an underdog from the 70s-2000s, as were many of the music genres that gravitated toward them. Jazz Basses have just always been neck and neck with the P-bass as the dominant two models throughout the history of the instrument. They didn't need any mascots the way other Offsets did.

I've always admired them, and think it's a beautiful and ergonomic shape, though for some reason I never owned one until recently. I'm now kind of obsessed with them and have several Jazz Bass-shaped projects in the works.
Definitely the case that the Jazz bass has never gone out of style. I'd argue that the Precision and Jazz basses essentially cover anything you'd ever want to do on bass and their constant ubiquity reflects that.

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Re: Is there such a thing as a Thinline Offset Bass?

Post by Embenny » Sat Jun 05, 2021 7:57 am

burpgun wrote:
Sat Jun 05, 2021 7:18 am
Definitely the case that the Jazz bass has never gone out of style. I'd argue that the Precision and Jazz basses essentially cover anything you'd ever want to do on bass and their constant ubiquity reflects that.
Yeah, the Jazz Bass really is the Stratocaster to the P Bass's Telecaster - it came out a few years later with a curvier shape and one more pickup, but has been equally popular for forever. The difference is that the Strat and Telecaster together have only occupied half the guitar design zeitgeist, with Gibsons occupying the other.

The P and J though? I wouldn't be surprised if you told me that 90% of all bass guitar recordings have been made with P or J style instruments or knockoffs using their pickup designs. After that, it's probably 5% Musicman, 2% Rickenbacker and 1% everything that is unrelated P, J, MM, or Rick.

The P and J basses are just utterly dominant designs. I think we should be proud that the original Offset bass (and second Offset ever made) has been so successful.
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Re: Is there such a thing as a Thinline Offset Bass?

Post by Larsongs » Sat Jun 05, 2021 9:57 pm

I agree about P Bass’s & Jazz Bass’s.. I own a Deluxe S-1 P Bass which is great.. It weighs in at 10 1/2 lbs. which after 4-5 hours gives me some Back-ache. I’m a fan of the Jazz Bass as well & have wanted to add one to my collection.. But something lighter...

As an option I’d also like a light weight offset Bass. A Thinline Jazz Bass or something like it.. 6-7 lbs would be ideal!

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Re: Is there such a thing as a Thinline Offset Bass?

Post by SignoftheDragon » Mon Jun 07, 2021 8:50 am

Larsongs wrote:
Fri Jun 04, 2021 9:17 pm
The Surfcaster Bass looks very cool.. It looks like it has lipstick type Single coils.. Do these Bass’ sound great?
YES!

That Danelectro Hodad Bass will get you in the same range sonically, though surely in a more budget-conscious way.

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Re: Is there such a thing as a Thinline Offset Bass?

Post by Embenny » Mon Jun 07, 2021 11:29 am

Larsongs wrote:
Sat Jun 05, 2021 9:57 pm
As an option I’d also like a light weight offset Bass. A Thinline Jazz Bass or something like it.. 6-7 lbs would be ideal!
How flexible are you regarding scale? Because my Ashdown "The Grail" shortscale is most of those things. It's a J Bass, mine is sub-8 lbs, and is superbly built in the Mirr factory in South Korea (alongside Reverend and Duesenberg) to Dan Lakin's specs (of Lakland basses).

You can see where the weight savings come from when stacked up against a full-size J:

Image

It's just an amazing bass top to bottom. Between the offset body and short scale, it's an ergonomic dream. By far my easiest bass to play, and I have two other shortscales. It's the same length as a Jazzmaster, but the first fret is actually a shorter reach, because the headstock is longer. It honestly feels like cheating, like it shouldn't be a bass with a body that compact and carved and a neck within that short of a reach. It's kind of ruining regular basses for me. Lots of thoughtful details throughout, including Hipshot ultralite tuners. Everywhere you look or touch, you can tell the details were deliberate. It's a very different feeling from the Fender approach, especially in its price range. You can tell Dan Lakin doesn't fuck around.
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Re: Is there such a thing as a Thinline Offset Bass?

Post by Larsongs » Tue Jun 08, 2021 6:50 am

That looks very cool! I watched a couple YouTubes & it sounds great.. Are they available in the USA? How much?

Thanks

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Re: Is there such a thing as a Thinline Offset Bass?

Post by Embenny » Tue Jun 08, 2021 7:31 am

Larsongs wrote:
Tue Jun 08, 2021 6:50 am
That looks very cool! I watched a couple YouTubes & it sounds great.. Are they available in the USA? How much?

Thanks
I got mine on sale from Anderton's, but heard that Dan Lakin was selling them direct in the US. I'd contact him to see if he has any left from their last production run and what the US price is. The UK list price includes about 20% tax and works out to about $1275, but mine was well below that as a Canadian buyer. I'd expect the US price to be somewhere in the $1k-ish region, and well worth it. Nicer than the last four MIM Fenders I've laid hands on, certainly.
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Re: Is there such a thing as a Thinline Offset Bass?

Post by Larsongs » Sat Jun 12, 2021 9:20 pm

mbene085 wrote:
Tue Jun 08, 2021 7:31 am
Larsongs wrote:
Tue Jun 08, 2021 6:50 am
That looks very cool! I watched a couple YouTubes & it sounds great.. Are they available in the USA? How much?

Thanks
I got mine on sale from Anderton's, but heard that Dan Lakin was selling them direct in the US. I'd contact him to see if he has any left from their last production run and what the US price is. The UK list price includes about 20% tax and works out to about $1275, but mine was well below that as a Canadian buyer. I'd expect the US price to be somewhere in the $1k-ish region, and well worth it. Nicer than the last four MIM Fenders I've laid hands on, certainly.
I’m going to give him a call on Monday.. I wonder if he can make a Thinline J Bass??

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Re: Is there such a thing as a Thinline Offset Bass?

Post by SneakyT » Sun Aug 01, 2021 9:27 pm

Larsongs wrote:
Sat May 29, 2021 11:10 pm
SneakyT wrote:
Sat May 29, 2021 6:51 am
As mentioned Fender Japan made some of these.
Image
Exactly what I’m looking for! How do I find these?

Thanks
Ebay, Reverb or Ishibashi are your best bets.
Troy Neagle Luthiery & Custom Pickguards

Please contact me at Reverb
https://reverb.com/shop/neagle-luthier

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Re: Is there such a thing as a Thinline Offset Bass?

Post by hexes » Tue Aug 03, 2021 10:42 am

VPO wrote:
Sun May 30, 2021 11:39 am
Offtopic

I don't know but here is thinline Precision with nice antiqua colour. https://reverb.com/item/38462347-2008-f ... igua-white
antigua rules. barbuda is nice too.

but seriously, i have grown to love antigua as a color and desperately love this horror-show of a bass.

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