making a guitar into a bass?

Howe · #1 03-08-2008, 10:01 PM

right here's my idea..it's either horribly stupid, or genious.

so my friend has a old cort scale is just shy of 25, I've been wanting to make a small bass thats easy to pack and just pratice on.

so heres what I was thinking, pop the nut and saddle off the cort, and I've got a fender 4 string saddle and a old bone nut I can file down.

then just happens the cort uses soapbox style pick up and I've got new EMG selects that I was planning on using on a current built but..I'm upgrading to better on my build.

so curious would something like this actually work? or am I just not thinking?

envika · #2 03-08-2008, 10:16 PM

it would work in the sense that it would produce output, but it would have a lot of dead spots not to mention problems with intonation and possibly the neck as well.

GeneralElectric · #3 03-08-2008, 10:18 PM

If you set it up to 24.5 scale, I don't see much of a problem, so long as yer bridge is in the right place.

MurvintheWalrus · #4 03-08-2008, 10:24 PM

diddo. In theory it would work

black_labb · #5 03-08-2008, 10:24 PM

there would not be a problem with it. it would just be a very short scale bass. the strings would probably be too loose to really make it useful. make sure that you put the bridge in the right spot so that the guitar/bass has proper intonation.

i dont understand the theory that it would be full of dead spots.

Yvarg · #6 03-08-2008, 10:55 PM

String it up with a five string set minus the high G, to compensate for the scale length maybe . . .

Nelson Guitars · #7 03-08-2008, 10:59 PM

You will need to have rather thick strings to get the notes you want for a bass at that scale. That might make things a little dead all over, but at least you get the portability you are looking for.

The bridge location for a bass string will be the same as for the guitar. The only difference would be for string compensation and that should be within the adjustment of the existing bridge if you can modify it to four strings.

Greg N

-Sam- · #8 03-09-2008, 03:42 AM

I would think You would need new tuners as well as i dont think you could fit a bass string on a guitar tuner

Al Heeley · #9 03-09-2008, 03:47 AM

+1 good point Sam. Serious string flop may be an issue. You could make a tenor bass- A,D,G,C? Might overcome the short scale length

uethanian · #10 03-09-2008, 03:57 AM

it would be the perfect length for a BEAD set tuned to EADG

but i think you'd need to make a custom bridge. even single saddles might not be close together enough. and by that point, the instrument would be very hard to play fingerstyle.

**TheEmptyCell** · #11 03-12-2008, 06:43 PM

I have a Samick Mini Corsair (25" scale) bass. It's tuned ADGC with those respective strings. It sounds great. This would be a pretty easy conversion.

teej · #12 03-13-2008, 03:41 PM

Could you reuse the tuners?

Yeah, there's added tension with bass strings, but look at Hofner tuners -- they look just like vintage bent metal guitar tuners. I think if THEY can hold up under bass tensions, then so can any guitar tuner.

asad137 · #13 03-13-2008, 03:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by teej

Yeah, there's added tension with bass strings, but look at Hofner tuners -- they look just like vintage bent metal guitar tuners. I think if THEY can hold up under bass tensions, then so can any guitar tuner.

Aren't Hofner's short-scale, though, as well? That means less tension on the strings and so less force on the tuners.

Asad

Howe · #14 03-14-2008, 08:37 PM

hoftner's are 25 scale, and this'll be a 24.5 scale..

so think it'll work out, I'm just waiting on some spare cash now.