Owen

Just to provide context, I am a tightwad. I could pick up a 2nd hand, abused P body for not much. A 5 string P body would mean spending proper money. By the time I have dropped £450 on a body, I am entering the world of spending what a decent bass could cost if I add all the hardware. I am more than capable of talking myself into overspending. I do not even need another bass; this would just be a fun project. And you know how I feel about you calling me Shirley.

So, this is sitting in the corner looking at me, saying "come hither". If I were to buy a 4-string P body, what would be the good reasons not to widen the neck pocket? I am aware that there would be an overhang on the G side. This would not concern me in the slightest. I never go up there. Are there any other good reasons not to do this?

Lots of good things happening there then

P bass vibes. I was hoping for Bravewood reliced goodness

Yeah. We will be needing a picture of that.

After all that thinking, I bought a Moog Sub Phatty. I am fully aware that it is WAY more expensive than anything I was considering in my post or anything else suggested here. Am I having a wonderful time? Absolutely. I shall never be able to play killer funky fills. I am just not wired up that way. But I can lay down big fat pedal tones and open and close the filter for different articulation. That is what I wanted. Doing an octave smear gliss to open proceedings makes me sound like a total boss and the portamento function gives me a veneer of smoothness I do not deserve. I was looking at cobbling together something which would do all that as cheaply as possible. Then I realised that it would be another 15 mins set up when I got there and it would all be relying on tiny conectors. The Moog cost me the same as a 2nd hand Mexican Jazz would cost and I am totally getting VFM for it. Will I keep it forever? A Subsequent 37 would be nice.......

Have you considered writing and recording your own stuff? Not for public consumption (necessarily), just for the craic. I started doing this a couple of years ago and really enjoy it. I am more than aware that the world is not waiting for what I have to say. But I am hugely enjoying the process.