Posted: Wed Dec 28, 2011 11:56 pm Post subject: Shortscale bass (for baritone conversion)
Dunno if this belongs in this forum or the "other guitars" forum, feel free to move it. I've really been wanting a baritone guitar lately, but I can't seem to find one in current production that really interests me. I'd love a Jaguar Baritone / Bass VI, but damn if they aren't rare and expensive and almost always sunburst.
So I got the idea to convert a shortscale bass (preferably 28" scale if that exists, but most are 30" scale) to a baritone...just dowel the tuner holes, then replace the nut and bridge. Anyone know of an affordable short scale bass? Mustang / Bronco style would be perfect. Ideal candidate right now seems to be the Squier shortscale basses (Jaguar or Mustang). Thoughts / suggestions? Anyone ever tried this, or know someone who has?
I don't know, less than $350 maybe? I just don't want to pay too much for something that's possibly going to be hacked up The nicer it looks from the factory, the better though. I quite like the necks on other VM series basses I've tried so Squier is definitely looking like the way to go at the moment, just thought I'd see if there are any other options (Epiphone EB or Thunderbird maybe?)
Joined: 01 Feb 2011 Posts: 2069 Location: San Diego, California
Posted: Thu Dec 29, 2011 1:49 am Post subject:
The Bronco Bass makes the most sense because the Bronco and Mustang Basses are the most guitar like of all the necks, and the Bronco is significant cheaper. Also, thanks to top loading bridge, there are no ferrules to worry about. _________________ Kicking and squealing Gucci little piggy.
Joined: 10 Dec 2010 Posts: 3732 Location: Los Angeles
Posted: Thu Dec 29, 2011 3:19 am Post subject:
Funny, I was just thinking about this yesterday. Do a google search, I saw mixed results on other forums. Bronco definitely seems to be the best choice due to price and neck. I think some people kept the original bronco pickup as well.
I am also GAS-ing for a VI, and thinking to wait for the new Japanese reissues.
Huh, that's an interesting idea, but I definitely think I want a six string, I'd use it for B to B tuning mostly.
Bronco bass definitely looks like the way to go. Jag or jazz bass would be cool too, but I'm not so sure about the pickups, the bridge pickup is probably too far back to sound good.
Informative for sure, glad to see I'm not the only one who had that idea.
I forgot about the Schecter Hellcat VI, I'd dig one of those, might just do that instead. And, apparently, Agile used to make a Harm 1 baritone (the Rick-style thing) but I can't find it on their website...not sure you can buy them new anymore or I'd probably just do that.
I realised after doing a quick search on Offset that grabbing a Squier Bronco, filling the tuner holes and redrilling for six guitar tuners is possibly the cheapest way to obtain a Baritone bass, Fender Bass VI style. Not sure why I'd never thought of that before. I could even use my two Tri-sonic pickups I have lying around in it, too. And I'd probably go the whole hog and reshape the headstock to a Jaguar style, too, seeing as though I have a little experience with that now. Fuckyeah. I know I'm in the middle of the Teardrop, but I can't do fuck all until the weather lets up a little bit, it's been raining fucking constantly. _________________
Joined: 25 Mar 2010 Posts: 2249 Location: Liverpool
Posted: Fri Dec 30, 2011 12:06 am Post subject:
ekwatts wrote:
I realised after doing a quick search on Offset that grabbing a Squier Bronco, filling the tuner holes and redrilling for six guitar tuners is possibly the cheapest way to obtain a Baritone bass, Fender Bass VI style. Not sure why I'd never thought of that before. I could even use my two Tri-sonic pickups I have lying around in it, too. And I'd probably go the whole hog and reshape the headstock to a Jaguar style, too, seeing as though I have a little experience with that now. Fuckyeah. I know I'm in the middle of the Teardrop, but I can't do fuck all until the weather lets up a little bit, it's been raining fucking constantly.
I'd just put two holes in the Squier side of the headstock for two guitar tuners for the top thinner strings. Less messing round.
It looks amateur. I'm not into that ghetto-booty school-level workmanship, arf. I've seen it done, and I can see it works, but it just looks gash. _________________
Joined: 10 Nov 2009 Posts: 2778 Location: Nova Scotia
Posted: Fri Dec 30, 2011 2:16 pm Post subject:
wwrrss wrote:
ekwatts wrote:
It looks amateur. I'm not into that ghetto-booty school-level workmanship, arf. I've seen it done, and I can see it works, but it just looks gash.
I'd rather look 'amateur' than look 'paulk1' though.
What, ya mean become a terrible spammer who can't format a post? I don't think that should be a worry.
Unless you're talking about the work itself, which, well, he does an ok job. _________________
ekwatts wrote:
That's American cinema, that is. Fucking sparkles.
Joined: 01 Feb 2011 Posts: 2069 Location: San Diego, California
Posted: Fri Dec 30, 2011 8:03 pm Post subject:
I also wouldn't put a Fender decal on a non-Fender neck and then try to sell it but that's just me. Hell, if I were that good, I'd probably have my own logo on my own shit. _________________ Kicking and squealing Gucci little piggy.
Joined: 11 Aug 2008 Posts: 751 Location: Hobart, Australia
Posted: Fri Dec 30, 2011 9:00 pm Post subject:
Your main problem with a dowel-and-redrill is that the distance from the tuner holes to the edge of the headstock is much greater on a bass because of the size of the tuners. So if you want the strings to be straight across the nut, on a standard bass headstock they would be crowded right down the end, and 2 won't even fit. If you install standard tuners where the bass tuners are, you will have an extreme break angle at the nut which will make tuning impossible. I solved this by doing a cut-and shut - I sliced out the row of tuners from a shortscale headstock to make the normal Klusons fit.
Problem:
Solution:
Thread:
Mustang VI
I'll finish it one day, I promise. After my house.
Joined: 10 Dec 2010 Posts: 3732 Location: Los Angeles
Posted: Sat Dec 31, 2011 1:21 am Post subject:
honeyiscool wrote:
I also wouldn't put a Fender decal on a non-Fender neck and then try to sell it but that's just me. Hell, if I were that good, I'd probably have my own logo on my own shit.
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The nicer it looks from the factory, the better though. I quite like the necks on other VM series basses I've tried so Squier is definitely looking like the way to go at the moment, just thought I'd see if there are any other options (Epiphone EB or Thunderbird maybe?)
