Short scale basses have come a long way from their old reputation as starter instruments, and the Reverend Sentinel is a big reason why. Designed by Reverend founder Joe Naylor and unveiled at the 2020 Winter NAMM Show, the Sentinel brought a fresh approach to the 30" scale bass, pairing a single P-style pickup with Naylor's 3-way voicing switch for a surprisingly wide range of tones. Now part of Reverend's Set-Neck Series with a three-piece korina neck and rosewood fingerboard, this 2026 Sentinel in Iconic Blue delivers the pro-level fit, finish, and gig-ready playability that every Reverend is known for.

Photos are of the actual guitar.

The Sentinel wears Reverend's familiar, slightly offset body shape with a raised center ridge that adds a little extra mass right where it counts. Unlike many of Reverend's Korean-built bolt-on models, the Sentinel uses a set neck, which helps give it a full, warm low end and smooth sustain. Reverend's high-mass bridge allows either top-load or string-through stringing. Keep in mind that short scale strings are usually too short for the string-through option, so medium scale strings are recommended if you want to go that route. The Reverend P-Blade pickup uses blade pole pieces for a tight attack and even string-to-string balance.

All of these design details add up to a short scale bass with plenty of attack, presence, and low end. The 3-way voicing switch offers normal, bright, and deep modes. Normal and bright are not dramatically different, and both deliver lots of articulation and presence that can be dialed back with the tone control. Deep is truly deep, perhaps a bit woolly for some styles, unless you are chasing the vintage thump of a Gibson EB bass with its infamous "mudbucker" pickup. Add a set of flatwound or tapewound strings and you will be well into upright bass or Höfner territory.

The Reverend Sentinel offers light weight, clear and punchy tones, and the comfort and easy reach that make a short scale bass so compelling. It does not quite have the string tension for slap playing, but unless you are channeling Bootsy Collins, the Sentinel covers a lot of sonic territory with easy playability that may well make you a short scale convert.

This Reverend Sentinel short scale bass features:

• Body: Korina Solidbody with Raised Center Ridge, 7.4 pounds
• Iconic Blue gloss finish
• Pickup: Reverend P-Blade
• Electronics: Passive
• Bridge: Reverend High-Mass, String-Thru-Body or Top-Load, 3/4" Spacing
• Neck: 3-Piece Korina, Set-Neck
• Scale: 30"
• Neck Profile: Medium Oval
• Fingerboard: Rosewood, 12" Radius, with Block Inlays
• Frets: 21, 0.110" W x 0.050" H
• Truss Rod: Single Action, Headstock Access
• Tuners: Hipshot Ultralight, 
• Nut: 42mm (1.65") Width, Boneite
• Controls: Volume, Tone, 3-Way Voicing Switch (Bright, Normal, Deep)
• Strings: 45-105
• Made in Korea
• No bag or case

In the words of Reverend:

The Reverend Sentinel is a thick sounding, professional-grade short-scale bass. A raised center ridge provides more mass, while the Reverend P-Blade pickup extends the low-end. The innovative Joe Naylor designed 3-way voicing switch offers three distinct tonal variations: bright, normal, and deep in an elegantly simple control layout. The Reverend Sentinel is versatile and multifaceted – unexpected in a single-pickup bass. This bass thumps.