Major! - Hils NEXT HNB3 Short Scale Headless Bass – Olive Drab

Hils NEXT HNB3 30-inch Short Scale Headless Bass in Olive Drab

Meet Major, a Hils NEXT HNB3: an unusually lightweight, 30-inch short-scale headless bass combining a mahogany body, 24-fret neck, stainless steel frets and a single Alnico V humbucker.

Major came to The Stray Chord after spending years unfinished and tucked away in a wardrobe. Although a previous owner had invested in a professional Olive Drab refinish, the bass still needed extensive fretwork, setup and finishing before it could properly fulfil its potential.

Following a complete rehabilitation and professional setup, Major was successfully rehomed for £290.

About Major

The Hils NEXT HNB3 takes a distinctly modern approach to the short-scale electric bass.

Its ergonomic NEXT body is built from solid mahogany and paired with a laminated maple and walnut neck. A compact 30-inch scale length, remarkably low 5.5 lb weight and carefully balanced headless design make the HNB3 particularly comfortable for guitarists moving to bass, players who prefer smaller instruments, or anyone wanting to reduce the physical burden of a conventional full-scale bass.

Despite its compact dimensions, Major carries a full 24-fret fingerboard, providing considerably more range than many traditional short-scale basses.

Those 24 frets are stainless steel, offering excellent durability and a smooth playing surface.

Electronics are deliberately straightforward. A single Hils Alnico V humbucker feeds a passive circuit with master volume and master tone controls, producing substantial lows, punchy mids and plenty of definition without unnecessary complication.

At the other end of the strings, the headless design uses a titanium locking headpiece and clamping block alongside a bone nut, while the Custom Alchemy Mono-Rail bridge provides individual string adjustment.

Major's professionally refinished Olive Drab body and military-inspired star graphics give this particularly unusual HNB3 an appropriately utilitarian appearance.

Restoration & setup

Major arrived as an unfinished project rather than a finished instrument.

During his rehabilitation at The Stray Chord he received:

• Complete professional setup
• Neck relief precisely adjusted
• All 24 stainless steel frets levelled
• Frets crowned and polished to a mirror finish
• Fret ends dressed and refined
• Fingerboard edges carefully rolled
• Indian laurel fingerboard deeply cleaned and conditioned
• Action lowered and balanced
• Full intonation
• Bone nut checked and optimised
• Headless locking system checked and adjusted
• Custom Alchemy Mono-Rail bridge individually adjusted
• Electronics checked
• Olive Drab finish carefully refined
• Final playability inspection

The result was a lightweight short-scale bass with smooth fretwork, low buzz-free action and comfortable access across the entire 24-fret fingerboard.

Specifications

Major's adoption

💚 REHOMED 💚

Major has completed rehabilitation, reported for duty and found his new home.

He is no longer available for adoption, but his page remains permanently in The Stray Chord Rehomed Archive, documenting the instruments that have passed through our workshop and providing a reference for players researching the Hils NEXT HNB3 short-scale headless bass.

Rescue • Restore • Rehome