fjbarton59 Posted January 16, 2011 Share Posted January 16, 2011 Hello. I was looking at buying a new string bass and I was amazed at the spares you could by and this got me thinking. Could i convert my 4 string to a six string or maybe by a cheap 4 string and convert it to six. Doubtless i would have to replace the bridge, the nut and the stock and the neck as the stock is attached permanently to it. I doubt i would have to to anything with the electrics or pickups but i am not sure about this. Has anyone already done this? Alternatively has anyone built one from parts? Does anyone have any links to tutorials on either option? Thanks for any advice. Frankie. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fat Rich Posted January 16, 2011 Share Posted January 16, 2011 I had a Precision bass that had an extra string stuck on for about 15 years (although it's back to being a four string again now): The neck seemed to handle it OK but an extra 2 strings might be pushing your luck a bit! I think string spacing is going to be your biggest problem, plus you'll need new bridge and probably new pickups... if you're going to be changing the neck you'll need to modify the body to take a wider one. You're pretty much changing the whole bass except for a heavily modified body with an odd neck joint that you won't be able to sell on easily. Probably best to get an inexpensive 6 string and see if you get on with it, you'll be able to sell it for close what you paid if necessary. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimBobTTD Posted January 16, 2011 Share Posted January 16, 2011 The string spacing would be very tight with 6 strings where there were once 4. I'm surely not too far off saying that the width of the 6 strings [i]excluding [/i]spacing is about the nut width of a Fender Jazz. If you want to tinker, I think a 5 to 6 conversion would be a better bet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean-Luc Pickguard Posted January 16, 2011 Share Posted January 16, 2011 Apart from the neck possibly being too narrow to play it comfortably - if the saddle spacing of the bridge can accomodate the neck width, there may not be enough adjustment in the truss rod to counteract the additional pull of another two strings. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
7string Posted January 16, 2011 Share Posted January 16, 2011 6 strings on a 4 string neck would be really tight. 5 strings on a 4 is bad enough Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Delberthot Posted January 16, 2011 Share Posted January 16, 2011 After extensive searching, the bridge with the closest string spacing is the Kahler 7460 which does 14mm which would mean that you'd have from centre B to centre C 70mm total width. A standard 4 string with a 19mm string spacing would be 57mm wide from centre G to cente E. That leaves you with 13mm or 1/2" extra width which would invariably mean that the outermost strings would be off the edge of the neck. I've used the 7450 to make a 4 to 5 conversion so that's possible so you'd realistically need to be looking at a 5 to 6 conversion as has been mentioned Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SignsOfDelirium_bassist Posted January 16, 2011 Share Posted January 16, 2011 It could be done I guess, but I'd say you'd need a short scale bass, it worked for the old Fender Bass6's after all...I think you'd have to try and find the bridges they used on those, I've no idea where you'd find them though, don't think they've made that model for a very long time! Although Warmoth make them, so it must be possible to get the parts Basically, my advice is research the Fender Bass6 and try to emulate that. Seems to be the only 6 string bass with a normal width neck that I can find Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fjbarton59 Posted January 17, 2011 Author Share Posted January 17, 2011 [quote name='Delberthot' post='1091660' date='Jan 16 2011, 06:20 PM']After extensive searching, the bridge with the closest string spacing is the Kahler 7460 which does 14mm which would mean that you'd have from centre B to centre C 70mm total width. A standard 4 string with a 19mm string spacing would be 57mm wide from centre G to cente E. That leaves you with 13mm or 1/2" extra width which would invariably mean that the outermost strings would be off the edge of the neck. I've used the 7450 to make a 4 to 5 conversion so that's possible so you'd realistically need to be looking at a 5 to 6 conversion as has been mentioned[/quote] Having read all the comments, all of them helpful, I started looking at bass bodies. I see quite a few available but all with the holes for the pickups cut out. I could be wrong but I believe that the bodies are compressed lagers and the holes are added at the layer shaping phase. I anticipated a wider neck might be an issue and certainly bridges and nuts would be an issue but i didn't anticipate that pickups would be. I was thinking of buying one of the bodies premade and widen the gap for the neck (I'm quite handy with wood so that shouldn't be a problem,) then acquire a 6 string neck but what of the pickups? I'm quite handy with a soldering iron so i could rig some in but what sort of pickups are used in 6 string basses? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rich Posted January 17, 2011 Share Posted January 17, 2011 [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/SEYMOUR-DUNCAN-ASB2-6-6-string-Bass-Guitar-Pickups-Set-/330495041255?pt=Guitar_Accessories&hash=item4cf30a1ee7"]These[/url] and [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/SEYMOUR-DUNCAN-ASB-6-6-string-Bass-Guitar-Pickup-Set-/250577495574?pt=Guitar_Accessories&hash=item3a57952616"]these[/url] are the only ones I could find on fleabay. All the big manufacturers (and the smaller ones too of course, Wizard for example) will offer pickups for a 6. You might be best going straight to Wizard if you anticipate anything out of the ordinary. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Knork Posted January 17, 2011 Share Posted January 17, 2011 Besides the Fender VI, that special [i]6-strings on a small neck[/i] set up has also been done by Danelectro and Jerry Jones. Maybe there you find parts and ideas, too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
henry norton Posted January 17, 2011 Share Posted January 17, 2011 I can't see how it wouldn't be possible to convert a long scale 4 to a 6 if you use really light strings but after you've taken care of all the woodwork and hardware changes needed you'd probably be better off getting a cheap six string bass to begin with. I'm working on a short scale Bass VI conversion in my spare time [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=108555&hl=bass+vi"]Here[/url], which was the only really practical way of doing it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fjbarton59 Posted January 17, 2011 Author Share Posted January 17, 2011 [quote name='Rich' post='1092121' date='Jan 17 2011, 07:51 AM'][url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/SEYMOUR-DUNCAN-ASB2-6-6-string-Bass-Guitar-Pickups-Set-/330495041255?pt=Guitar_Accessories&hash=item4cf30a1ee7"]These[/url] and [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/SEYMOUR-DUNCAN-ASB-6-6-string-Bass-Guitar-Pickup-Set-/250577495574?pt=Guitar_Accessories&hash=item3a57952616"]these[/url] are the only ones I could find on fleabay. All the big manufacturers (and the smaller ones too of course, Wizard for example) will offer pickups for a 6. You might be best going straight to Wizard if you anticipate anything out of the ordinary.[/quote] Does anyone rate any of these? [url="http://shop.ebay.co.uk/i.html?_nkw=6-string+Bass+Guitar+Pickup+&_sacat=0&_odkw=6-string+Bass+Guitar+Pickup+Set&_osacat=0&_trksid=p3286.c0.m270.l1313"]http://shop.ebay.co.uk/i.html?_nkw=6-strin...6.c0.m270.l1313[/url] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vibrating G String Posted January 17, 2011 Share Posted January 17, 2011 Better off buying a 6 Bill Zolla made necks for this years ago, they were very cool and no one bought them. [url="http://members.cox.net/bzolla/Necks1.html"]http://members.cox.net/bzolla/Necks1.html[/url] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fjbarton59 Posted January 21, 2011 Author Share Posted January 21, 2011 [quote name='Vibrating G String' post='1092499' date='Jan 17 2011, 01:58 PM']Better off buying a 6 Bill Zolla made necks for this years ago, they were very cool and no one bought them. [url="http://members.cox.net/bzolla/Necks1.html"]http://members.cox.net/bzolla/Necks1.html[/url][/quote] It looks like the way to go is converting or building. As I recall they cut the pickups wholes when forming the body from its layers. Sadly this limits what pickups you can have I believe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vibrating G String Posted January 21, 2011 Share Posted January 21, 2011 What body formed from layers? Pickup holes in a neck? You lost me Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simmo Posted January 21, 2011 Share Posted January 21, 2011 [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Stellah-SRB-6-String-Electric-Bass-Guitar-Natural-New-/390278600630?pt=UK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV&hash=item5ade6ad7b6"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Stellah-SRB-6-String...=item5ade6ad7b6[/url] this must be worth a try? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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