5 to 4 conversion

Vic Winters · #1 04-20-2006, 02:54 AM

I have a Squire Standard P-Bass Special 5, with a horrible low B. I have done all I can think of to improve it.

I extented the low B an inch by way of a tip I read in "101 Bass Guitar Tips".

It still feels sloppy.

Heavier strings.

Still sloppy.

Raised string height.

Nothing noticeable.

Replaced crappy stock pickups with EMG Selects.

E,A,D,G improved, but B still has noticeably less output.

So what I would like to do is swap the neck and bridge to make it a 4 string. Is this even possible? If so could you point me in the direction of a neck and bridge that would work?

Please don't say trade/sell/toss it. I know it's a Squire, but it was a gift and it has sentimental value.

Thanks in advance.

Jazz Ad · #2 04-20-2006, 03:55 AM

Tune higher. Like DGCF.
If everything else fails, install a high C rather than a low B.
Butchering the instrument won't do any good to it.

bassmonkeee · #3 04-20-2006, 05:18 AM

I'd just tune it EADGC and call it a day. Or sell it.

The time and expense it would take to convert a Squier from a 5 to a 4 would be better spent simply buying a new four string and having two basses for your trouble.

evan_phi · #4 04-20-2006, 05:26 AM

+1 on the EADGC idea.

thats what I would do.

Vic Winters · #5 04-20-2006, 04:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SMASH

Do tell?

Pretty simple. Either buy or make a 1 inch spacer from a sturdy material, (wood, metal or really hard plastic). Make sure the opening is large enough for the string to fit through, but small enough so the ball end can't.

Take the spacer, feed the string through it until it rests at the end of the string. Then but the string on as you normally would. The ball end of the string should be about an inch past the bridge giving you a bit more tension.

I cut off about an inch from an acid brush, crimped one end with pliers, and wrapped it with some electrical tape. A bit ghetto I know, but it helped a bit. Removal is easy if you aren't satisfied with your results. I'm sure you could drill a hole in a small wooden dowel if you wanted.

As for your suggestions:

Pickup height. 1/4 inch from pickup to string for bridge and neck positions.

Higher tuning. Tuned it to DEADG. Still quite a noticeable difference between output on the low "D" and the rest of the strings.

Get rid of it. See my first post.

vyse933 · #6 04-20-2006, 05:09 PM

EADGC

Trevorus · #7 04-20-2006, 05:15 PM

No, I am sorry, but I have to disagree with pretty much everything here. The problem with these basses is they use 4 string pickups. If you pop the covers off, you will find 4 pairs of pole pieces. These do not cover the B very well. You would be better off getting new pickups. You will get the results you are looking for, and not have to fiddle with setups and gadgets all the time.

spudmaster34 · #8 04-20-2006, 06:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Trevorus

The problem with these basses is they use 4 string pickups. If you pop the covers off, you will find 4 pairs of pole pieces. These do not cover the B very well. You would be better off getting new pickups. You will get the results you are looking for, and not have to fiddle with setups and gadgets all the time.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vic Winters

Replaced crappy stock pickups with EMG Selects.
.

unless he replaced the crap pickups with more 4 string pups...

Moo · #9 04-20-2006, 06:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vic Winters

Pretty simple. Either buy or make a 1 inch spacer from a sturdy material, (wood, metal or really hard plastic). Make sure the opening is large enough for the string to fit through, but small enough so the ball end can't.

Take the spacer, feed the string through it until it rests at the end of the string. Then but the string on as you normally would. The ball end of the string should be about an inch past the bridge giving you a bit more tension.

If anything this would give a floppier string because you've added a compressible segment. IMHO opinion I would ignore the other 100 tips whatever they are.

I agree with the other posts that you just don't have a good pickup, if the B string is beyond the pole pieces it's going to sound weak. I've seen this in cheap Fenders and expensive Warriors, it's not unheard of.

For strings try a DR lo-rider 130, it will not be floppy.

jenderfazz · #10 04-20-2006, 06:48 PM

EADGC.

Vic Winters · #11 04-20-2006, 08:40 PM

EMG Selects are blade style.

Jazzin' · #12 04-20-2006, 08:51 PM

EADGB

**Marcus Willett** · #13 04-20-2006, 08:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vic Winters

...Take the spacer, feed the string through it until it rests at the end of the string. Then but the string on as you normally would. The ball end of the string should be about an inch past the bridge giving you a bit more tension....

No. This does not increase the tension. For a fixed speaking length (it is) and fixed diameter (same string, right?) tension and pitch are inseparable. Given those 2 fixed values, you cannot increase tension without raising pitch. There is no way around this...none.

What is happening is that you have the witness point over a more flexible portion of the string which may (and probably does) affect the tone of it. The tension does not change tho.

Trevorus · #14 04-20-2006, 08:58 PM

well, crap. I guess that the B's really are just weak on those. I didn't read the part about the EMG Selects.

Vic Winters · #15 04-20-2006, 11:29 PM

Instead of a neck swap, what about making a custom nut and swapping in a 4 string bridge?

**TheEmptyCell** · #16 04-22-2006, 08:04 PM

It's entirely possible, however you have to consider the large hole in the headstock, and the string spacing. I'd assume that on a Squire, they wouldn't make the neck any larger for a 5 string so they could save some money, but I wouldn't know. Spec out the neck, see if it's anything like a regular 4 string Fender neck.

Vic Winters · #17 04-22-2006, 11:47 PM

I'm just gonna drop the idea. The neck is too big to repace with a 4, and it would be pointless to have a 4 string with that thick of a neck.

43apples · #18 04-23-2006, 03:05 AM

I have a Squier P-Bass Special V as my main bass (heck, i have too little money), and it's a great sounding bass for what it is. I have a clip of it in the "recordings" section.

Anyway, i know that the low B is floppy... well, not floppy, but since the pickups are the same as on the 4-string j models, there are no volume on it. Anyway, i never use the low B, i just play it as a 4 string. It should sound better on your bass though, since you've put EMG's in it... (which should be 5-string pickups?

.

So just live with it

Vic Winters · #19 04-23-2006, 10:35 PM

The pickups should work for the 5, because they are blades and it said they could be used for 4 & 5 string setups. But because the string spacing is so large, the B rests on the border of where the blade ends. Maybe if I do some filing and stagger the neck pickup more towards the B (since the neck pickup is lacking more than the bridge), I'll get some more volume out of the B without losing too much of the G.