My new bass arrived last week.
This one! It's a copy of the Hofner model famousised by Paul McCartney playing it early on with the Beatles.

So after a week or so of practice and getting to know her, last night I played her at 3LF practice.
Overall: a total win. Just as I'd hoped.
As I predicted, the shorter scale is JOY to play, and the sound, (Yes, I was amplified. No, it's not "medieval" get. over. it!)
OMG, the sound is EXACTLY what I want! It's got a firm, authoritative low end, and a very nice, bright, trebly edge that let's me hear exactly what I'm doing bright and clear.
To be honest, I have to admit that I'm still very green on bass. Yes, guitar and bass have much in common, but while they're related, they really are Different Animals. It's been nigh on 20 years since I had my previous favourite, and what I've had in the meantime really wasn't for me, hence the Bradley P-Bass copy languishing in the basement untouched because practising with it was an annoying chore. So it was obvious last night that bass is not my main axe, BUT
while on some songs, I was "passable", and on a few, I was definitely stumbly, on a couple others, I HAD IT! (And you could see a difference in the band and also in the dancers when I did- theory: BASS is GOOD for 3LF!)
So this is a keeper, and every now and then, I'll have this at 3LF practice to our mutual benefit.
And now, just as with the short scale bass I had before, I have a real chance of making some progress adding bass into my arsenal. I can now HAPPILY get over the fact that my previous favourite was STOLEN (Grrrrrrrrrr!)

There are some situations where a root competence in bass will be very handy:
1) Recordings
2) Jamming or band situations, like 3LF
3) (very important right now) I'm trying to teach my guitar student's daughter some bass and it would really behoove me to have my fingers know what my mouth is saying.

And so this bass is for the total win!
It plays real good. It sounds PERFECT for my style. It fits me and my body mechanics perfectly (short scale YEAH BABY!).
And the price was incredible too. I've played instruments that cost more than this that were crap.
So, today- Happy Maugie Bass dance!

I've been struggling for a name for her, but I've finally found it.
It would be highly appropriate that a 60's style instrument have a classic 60's name.
She also arrived on Chinese New Year, so a tie in with the Year Of The Tiger seems called for. (Plus, as a birthday gift this year, I got a figurine from joyouslion that was was a tiger playing a bass guitar, Omen?)
So- ladies, gentlemen, and everyone else, I present to you:

Elenore Hu

Elenore was a great and iconic 60's name showing up in several iconic 60s songs,
and Hu is Chinese for 'tiger'.

Ok, I'm doin' it. I'm buying this.
Pretty!
I have two bass guitars, one of which is broke and I never get around to fixing, the other of which is too big for my hands and for many other reasons, just isn't right for me.

So I researched and found that what I really wanted was a short scale "violin" bass like Paul McCartney made famous in the early 60's. It's got the size and the classic sound that is right up my alley. Plus, being semi-hollow, it can even be played acoustically/unplugged in some situations. Rogue had an affordable copy of it that got GREAT reviews. And then my friend Steve found one that was not only cheaper than the Rogue but seems to not have some of the annoying quirks in the electronics that proved to be the ONLY things that the reviewers didn't like about the guitar. The body looks like it was built by the same folks who built the Rogue, even down to some stylistic details.

So I pondered the purchase for awhile and was just about to do a random thing to "divine" whether or not I was gonna jump today, when I realised that if the divination gave me a negative answer, I still wanted it. And at this price, I can take the hit.
So there it is. I bought me a bass.

And now this means that I have a bass for sale: 90's(I think) Bradley Bass guitar, white. It's a copy of a Fender P Bass. Plays ok, sounds fine, and is in pretty good physical shape. Spent most of it's time with me in the basement, so it's not got the usual "character" that my instruments acquire. $75 please, (negotiable for good friend), or a real good barter. If/when it sells (hopefully for my price), I have enough of a subsidisation of the purchase that the new one to really make it worth it.
It's still worth it, tho!