One of the things I’ve noticed recently in bass offerings is that the short scale bass is getting a major nod.

Whether it’s just a reissue of a former design or a completely new look at it, the short scale bass is making a resurgence. This summer, the guys at Supro released their series of Huntington basses to great acclaim. I was able to get my hands on the Huntington II fretless and give it a good run.

The Bass

It should come as no surprise that the guys at Supro have done their homework. Taking the body shape from the early ’60s Ozark model and electronics/tonality from the Pocket Bass of the same era, the Huntington bass oozes vintage vibe. The Gold Foil pickups are authentic replicas of the original “Clear-Tone” pickups as well. They’re high-output single coils, that deliver some deep low-end while retaining a broadband sound that is balanced across the instrument. The Huntington is available in 1, 2 and 3 pickup configurations.

One of the more clever options that the Huntington has available is a piezo bridge. By lifting the tone knob, you turn it into a volume knob for the now-engaged piezo (in the down position, the piezo is out of the loop). This adds a bright sparkle and percussive quality to the Gold Foil pickups.

The Fretless

This is the one that I really enjoyed playing initially at Summer NAMM; the Huntington II fretless, in matte black with piezo. Normally, a 30″ scale fretless would have people wondering about the clarity of the instrument, but the Gold Foil pickups bring a clarity to the darker tonality that works really well. It comes stock with D’Addario Chromes (I know, a company that puts flats on their basses OEM!), which aid to the warmth and depth of the instrument.

In Conclusion

The Huntington II fretless bass from Supro is a big sound in a little package. The simplicity of the vol-vol-tone setup yields a lot of tonal range, while sticking in the vintage sound camp. The addition of the piezo brings in a nice percussive nuance and sparkle to the design. All in all, this is a fantastic little bass.