5 string to 4 string?

[yeldarb]

Anyone ever tried to convert a 5 string bass to a 4 string? I saw an awesome deal on a Stingray knock off at a pawnshop, but it's a 5 string and, no offense to those of you who play them, but I'm not a fan. I was thinking of taking it as a project. Any thoughts?

[xwpx]

I have a 5 string thunderbird and just moved all the strings up one and left the last one off...

[yeldarb]

You're not worried this may cause problems with uneven tension on the neck? I've never really done anything like that, so I'm not sure what will happen over a long period of time.

[xwpx]

couldnt tell ya... i hate how neck heavy the thunderbird is so it went from being a back up to just collecting dust

[JimmyM]

If you want a 4, buy a 4. You will have twisting issues because of the uneven tension if you simply leave one string off. And if you get it done properly, you're going to have a gigantic neck, plus you'll have to buy a new nut, bridge, and pickups to play your 4 with the gigantic neck. And you'll never be happy with it. A waste of time, money and effort.

[yeldarb]

Yeah, I kind of thought so. It was just food for thought really.

[Gintaras]

I did this a year ago and love the bass. It had very tight spacing and know I have a 19mm spacing.
Here is the thread that I posted one year ago

Brice 5 fretless is now a 4 !!!

[KeithPas]

I did a trade a while back on a Ken Smith knockoff four string neck through. I completed the bass with a little help and it is a great bass but the neck is pretty wide for a four string. I toyed with the idea of making it a five but then decided to make it a fretless and reshape the neck. It is in gigging condition but the neck still needs to be re-shaped. It sounds and looks killer.

[sir juice]

keep it as a 5 string ands just don't touch the B. they'll be no extra reaching involved. it'll be exactly the same as a 4 except it'll look different

[TeeMartin]

String it EADGC and ignore the C